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Snipe & Teal
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With sunrise getting later and later by the day, I decided that I wanted to be at Riverside Nature Park as early as possible to see if anything which had been migrating overnight had dropped in to the park. Keith had a couple of different Stonechats on consecutive days and migrant birds have been much in evidence on recent visit as they pass overhead (mostly during the mornings). However, there should realistically be a chance of something unusual turning up (such as Keith's Barred Warbler late last Autumn), and getting down there early should give me the best chance of actually seeing something....or at least that seems to make sense to me, whether or not it is true.
I headed out at 0610, around 30 or so minutes before sunrise. Not unexpectedly birds were relatively few and far between initially with just Robin, Herring Gull, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Wren, Woodpigeon and Dunnock seen in the first half hour. At the football pitches at Lochee Park the first very small skein of Pink Footed Geese headed over northwards. Common Gull, Black Headed Gull and a Lesser Black Backed Gull or two were around on the pitches alongside more Herring Gulls. Goldcrest, Great Tit and Magpie were noted in the cemetery. Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff and Jay were all noted behind Ninewells Hospital and a Curlew was heard as I crossed Perth Road.
I reached the Invergowrie end of Riverside Nature Park at 0710. The light was rather poor with grey clouds contributing to the darker than expected conditions. There were a few hundred Canada Geese and some Greylag Geese across the far side of the bay. The Kingfisher was once again down on the burn outflow. Curlew, Mallard, Redshank, Teal, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull and Bar Tailed Godwit were all seen from the hide. Both Pied and Grey Wagtail were noted in flight. A Grey Squirrel dropped onto the top of the hide screen before realising I was there and retreating hurriedly back into the trees to the north.
Meadow Pipits passed overhead, as a Blackcap alarm called from somewhere in front of the hide. I picked out a few Black Tailed Godwits down around the pipe. Chiffchaff and Dunnock were both heard and a Goosander showed in the burn as I looked at the Kingfisher through the scope. An adult Great Black Backed Gull was seen out on the pipe. Around an hour after I'd arrived at the park there was a bit of commotion among the birds down in front of the hide. A raptor swept low over the assembled waders and gulls, causing panic. I expected it to be the young Peregrine I'd seen earlier in the week, but instead found that I was looking at a bigger bird, though still a falcon. It didn't take long to realise it was the escaped falconer's Saker Falcon I'd encountered a few times since initially seeing it from home in late February.
Once things had calmed down again, I headed into the park to search for migrants at around 0830. The light was still surprisingly poor. Long Tailed Tits were in the hedges by the western entrance. Moorhen, Mute Swan, Shoveler and Snipe were all seen at the Lochan and a Stock Dove dropped in very briefly for a drink. More exploring added the first Pink Footed Geese passing over the park as well as Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Jackdaw and Great Tit. I headed round to scan through the waders in the bay again. This added Dunlin and Curlew Sandpiper to the list. A migrating Skylark flew over. A Wren called loudly from the buddleia bushes behind me. A Cormorant was noted down on the pipe.
More wandering produced Magpie, Chaffinch, Starling, Linnet and Swallow. I was slightly surprised to pick up an Osprey over the bay for a few minutes, surely one of the last I'll run into this year. A Buzzard was seen to the north. Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Oystercatcher and some distant Red Breasted Mergansers were all noted. I thought I had a possible Great Crested Grebe out on the river but failed to relocate it with the camera to double check the ID. As it turned out Keith had one in the river a day or so later, so it was likely the same bird, but I'm not 100% so I'm not counting it (even though it would be a patch tick for me).
The light had steadily improved as the morning progressed and by lunchtime there were even a few butterflies on the wing - Small White and Peacock both being seen. A Yellowhammer flew over towards the hill and a Common Darter dragonfly was hunting over the path. A few House Martins headed over quite high and a Red Admiral butterfly flitted past me. A Coal Tit and a Lesser Black Backed Gull were both noted as I headed for the exit at around 1300. Starling and House Sparrow were the only additions on the slow walk home taking the combined total to 62 species of which 59 were noted at the park and 22 outwith. Although I failed to find any particularly unusual migrants, it was good to see that the Saker Falcon is still around, even if it isn't a 'proper' wild bird, it is certainly living in the wild like one, clearly quite successfully.
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Canada Goose & Greylag Goose
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Lapwing, Redshank & Dunlin
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Saker Falcon, Redshank & Curlew
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Saker Falcon
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Saker Falcon
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Black Tailed Godwit, Teal & Moorhen
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| Snipe |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Osprey |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Buzzard |
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| Bullfinch |
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Shoveler, Black Tailed Godwit & Teal
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Black Tailed Godwit & Teal
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Black Tailed Godwit
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| Mallard |
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| Swallow |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Buzzard |
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| Robin |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) -Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, [Saker Falcon - escape], Shoveler, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Peacock, Red Admiral, Small White.
Dragonflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Common Darter.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
