I found it very difficult to get motivated to do some birding on Wednesday. The weather forecast was warm and sunny but also rather windy so not really ideal conditions. June is the beginning of the 'nothing much happening' spell where the amount of foliage and vegetation hides the increasingly silent small birds and the summer heat makes it a bit of a slog to walk anywhere that isn't particularly nearby, especially if the end result is probably only going to be the equivalent of seeing a Blackbird and a Woodpigeon. The one thing that made me reconsider was my final chance to try to add a new species to the Riverside Nature Park list which sat at 149 species since June 18th 2011 when the park opened to the public. For me 150 species in 10 years had a better ring to it. Although I knew the chances of adding anything new would be slim it wasn't impossible.
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| Whitethroat |
It was around 1135 when I ventured out. Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Starling, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Jackdaw were all in their usual places as I passed the football stadiums. Goldfinch, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Siskin, Blackbird and Long Tailed Tit were added on the walk to Balgay Hill where Blackcap, Goldcrest, Robin, Chiffchaff, Great Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker were noted. A Buzzard and Greenfinch were spotted as I neared the Nature Park.
With no real need to rush I spent a fair bit of time around the eastern end of the park where Starling, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Blackbird, House Martin, Magpie, Blue Tit and Oystercatcher were all noted within the first 10 minutes. I spotted an Orchid growing in the field near the entrance - the first time I've seen one at the park. A Whitethroat was heard singing from the roadside wires while a Wren foraged among the formerly 'boggy area' in front of Buzzard Wood. A Skylark was seen ascending skywards near the airport. I noticed a few Long Tailed Tits perched just above the path as I stood aside to let someone pass. It turned out the birds were part of a much larger group with at least 16 seen flying across from the wood towards the hedge a little later, despite me being distracted for 20 or 30 seconds. Two Swifts also flew over befor a Lesser Black Backed Gull headed over towards the bay.
Moving on again round towards the bay I added Goldfinch, Carrion Crow and a distant Cormorant over the river. Sedge Warbler, Linnet and Song Thrush were seen around the recycling area's wooden gate. The tide was still quite far out when I reached the bay. Shelduck, Mallard, a single Curlew, a few Black Headed Gulls and a lot of Oystercatchers were dotted around on the mud. Checking the gulls bathing pool at the burn I was surprised to find 5 Lapwings with the Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backeds. A distant Buzzard was observed well to the north. The walk from there along to the hide gave me good views of Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. A female House Sparrow on the fence by the field was a slight surprise.
Checking the area in front of the hide I found a pair of Redshanks before I decided to wander back along to check the Lochan. A Siskin flew over as I photographed a few more Orchids (a group of 3, and another 2 - which may or may not have been different species), not far from the hide. At the Lochan a Moorhen was seen preening and a female Mallard with one almost fully grown duckling was out on the water while a trio of House Martins and a rather worn looking Swallow were hunting above. By the water's edge, a pair of House Sparrows, a male Reed Bunting, a young Greenfinch and a Goldfinch were all watched as they dropped down to drink and bathe. A Blackbird fed along the fenceline. A Pied Wagtail hunted flies above the algae. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was caught in flight around the houses north of the railway line.
I was distracted by an RAF transport jet in the circuit for Dundee airport and headed round to the hill to try to photograph it on the assumption that it would land. It did and I was also able to add a Grey Heron, a pair of overflying Stock Doves and a number of Grey Seals out on a sandbank to the list for the day. I messaged my pal, Garry, to let him know about the plane and he joined me once he'd finished work. He only just arrived in time to catch it departing back to RAF Northolt in London. A young Rabbit scurried in below the bushes as we walked back down to the car park. We then watched a pair of Buzzards to the north from by the car park before a female Sparrowhawk flew past above the houses beyond the railway line. Garry gave me a lift back along to the railway station, saving me at least 30 minutes walking. I walked home from there failing to add anything new to the list for the day, or even the 'outwith the park' list.
Not unexpectedly I had failed to add anything new to the park list too, but I did surprise myself a little by managing to record 44 species of bird, as well as 2 of mammal, on my visit to the park, as I was expecting 30-35 to be around the maximum. Outwith the park, I managed to get 24 species for a total of 49 species for the day's efforts. Although not particularly brilliant it wasn't bad given the limitations because of the amount of foliage and the relative wind strength. The Lapwings were a surprise - though 10 years ago when the park opened they were relatively common and a fairly regular sight alongside the Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Dunlin and Curlews in the bay. How times have changed as the park and surroundings have changed though my initial estimate as to how many species were likely to be seen at/from the park (c.90) have long since been blown completely out of the water. It will be harder to reach 160 than it has been to reach the 149 we're currently on, but I suspect we will get there eventually.
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| Starling |
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| Whitethroat |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Long Tailed Tit
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Swift |
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Long Tailed Tit
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House Martin
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| Whitethroat |
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| Oystercatcher |
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Nettle Tap moth
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| Linnet |
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| Curlew |
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Black Headed Gull
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| Skylark |
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Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Lapwing & Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lapwing, Shelduck & Carrion Crow
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| Buzzard |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Blackbird |
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Moth sp.
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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Reed Bunting
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Reed Bunting
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Reed Bunting
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Orchid sp.
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Orchid sp.
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| Redshank |
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Lesser Black Backed Gull & Herring Gull
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Jackdaw |
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Reed Bunting
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Reed Bunting
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House Sparrow
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| Mallard |
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House Martin
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| Goldfinch |
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| Swallow |
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| Moorhen |
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| Goldfinch |
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Pied Wagtail
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| Jackdaw |
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Grey Heron
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| Buzzard |
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Seal sp. & Herring Gull
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Grey Heron
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Stock Dove
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Carrion Crow
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Carrion Crow
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Buzzard & Herring Gull
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Birds -
Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Cormorant, Curlew,
Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch,
Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting,
Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals -
Rabbit, Seal sp.
Moths -
Nettle Tap, unidentified (possibly Silver Ground Carpet?).
Outwith park - italics
Inside park - underline
Inside park only - Normal text and underline
Both inside & outwith park - italics and undeline
