I didn't get out birding on Tuesday due to a combination of factors but decided that I should definitely try to add something new to the Dundee 2022 list on Wednesday. I contemplated trying for Kingfisher along the Dighty or for the likes of Brambling, Redpoll and Fieldfare at Camperdown Park. In the end I settled on another visit to Riverside Nature Park with Shelduck the main target. With high tide not until the afternoon, the exposed mud would hopefully give me a decent chance of seeing at least one in the outer part of the bay during the morning.
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| Buzzard |
It was around 0825 when I set off for the park. Things looked quite promising with lots of activity as soon as I stepped outside with Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Starling, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and House Sparrow all noted within the very first minute outside. These were quickly followed by a skein of Pink Footed Geese heading west, and then Blackbird and Herring Gull as I walked up past Tannadice Park, Dundee United's stadium. A Grey Wagtail was heard between there and Dens Park, Dundee FC's stadium. Jackdaw and Oystercatcher were both seen as I passed that football ground.
Things unsurprisingly slowed down a bit as I headed for Byron Street with Robin, Goldfinch and Great Tit all recorded on the way. Things quietened down substantially after that, until I reached the football pitches at Balgay where Black Headed Gulls were spotted as well as a Buzzard being harassed by the local Carrion Crows. Around the hill itself I was able to find Redwing, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Goldcrest and a Grey Squirrel. A Jay showed well in the cemetery until I attempted to photograph it, at which point it chose to disappear into a nearby rather thick conifer.
A Wren scolded loudly from a small bush in the same area. The only other addition to the list before I reached Riverside Nature Park was a Long Tailed Tit, in the trees by the railway bridge on Riverside Drive. I reached the park at around 0945 and once again started searching with the thermal imager. Things were much quieter in the trees and bushes by the entrance at the eastern end than they had been on Sunday. It didn't take long though before I was adding birds - Blackbird, Oystercatcher, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Siskin, Bullfinch and Magpie were all seen or heard from the path in the general area of the wooden gate.
I bumped into Keith Edwards who was just on his way home after checking the park and we had a very brief chat about what was around. With no real hurry to get to the western end I took my time in the lower half of the park. Coal Tit, Curlew, Wren, Greenfinch, Black Headed Gull, Robin, Skylark, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Starling and Feral Pigeon were all added to the list for the park part of the day within the next 20 minutes or so. A Yellowhammer sang from the bushes that mark the border of the park's upper and lower parts. A Buzzard was perched in a tree by the field end of that border line of vegetation but it flew off before I got anywhere near it.
Woodpigeon, Goldcrest, a pair of Pink Footed Geese and Goldfinch were next onto the list as I made my way to check the Lochan. As Keith had mentioned during our chat, a Moorhen was back there in addition to the expected Mallard and Teal. Jackdaws were noted to the north around the hospital. Rather than head for the hide I wandered round to check the bay from the banking near the picnic tables. Cormorant, Redshank, Great Black Backed Gull (of which there were 3 adults including one that appeared to be ringed and one rather unusually with yellow legs), Redwing, Greylag Goose, Grey Heron, Common Gull, and a single drake Goosander were all spied from the raised viewpoint, as well as a few distant Grey Seals.
Unfortunately there was no sign of any Shelduck despite much scanning out across the mud. Some overflying USAF military aircraft (2 KC-135 tankers and 3 F-15E Strike Eagles, then a C-17 transport) distracted me for a short period of time and I was briefly joined by another photographer for a few minutes. The tide was pushing the birds further into the bay and I eventually managed to add a few Dunlin to the list but despite much scanning I failed to find any Godwits or anything else of note. I spent a bit of time scanning from the hide and then from the railway bridge where a Buzzard gave me good views and the chance to get some slightly different flight shots to my usual underside shots, in addition to some of those.
The blue sky from earlier had been replaced with cloud and the temperature seemed to have dropped with the wind starting to pick up speed also. From the hill I managed to spot a Peregrine in flight around the Ninewells chimney where it landed out of sight on the north side. I added a Rabbit to the non-bird list for the day and finally succeeded in adding Long Tailed Tit to my list for the park visit. The exertions of the previous 4 day's walking was beginning to catch up with me and I decided that I wasn't going to hang around the park much longer as the sky was beginning to once again look like it might start raining soon.
I was checking the fenced off area of bushes to the south of the hill viewpoint where I had seen a Pheasant in late December when what was surely the same Pheasant burst upwards from the other side of the fence and glided down towards the area beyond the path. I had a quick look there from the path but failed to see the bird again. Still, it was a Dundee 2022 list tick and a welcome one as they can be slightly tricky to catch up with in the city without an early start. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard near Buzzard Wood as I headed for the exit.
Siskin and Bullfinch were the only additions outwith the park on the walk home, though as my legs felt very heavy I suspect my concentration wasn't quite what it could have been. I was glad to finally make it home having managed a total of 48 species of bird, of which 45 were noted at the park. Despite not managing to see my target bird, the Pheasant that I did catch up with was my 81st species in Dundee so far this year. I only need another 59 now to reach my target of 140.....
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Bullfinch |
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| Siskin |
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| Greenfinch |
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Blue Tit
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| Buzzard |
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| Skylark |
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Buzzard & Herring Gull
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| Bullfinch |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Chaffinch |
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| Moorhen |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Buzzard |
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| Skylark |
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| Skylark |
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Great Black Backed Gull
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| Redwing |
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Grey Heron
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Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Oystercatcher & Herring Gull
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| Goosander |
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Greylag Goose
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| Teal |
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| Oystercatcher |
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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Herring Gull
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| Bullfinch |
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| Peregrine |
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Carrion Crow
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Rabbit |
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| Goosander |
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Greylag Goose
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Redshank, Dunlin & Black Headed Gull
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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Great Black Backed Gull
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Great Black Backed Gull
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Herring Gull & Great Black Backed Gull (with yellow legs)
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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Herring Gull
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Buzzard & Carrion Crow
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| Siskin |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Seal, Rabbit.