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| Whitethroat |
Monday's trip to Fife with Ian was more successful than expected and despite feeling a bit more tired than I would have wanted to feel, I still wanted to get out birding again on Tuesday. I was once again hoping to be able to add something else new to my Dundee 140 list before returning to work on Thursday. Having weighed up the options on where to go, I decided I would head once more to Riverside Nature Park in search of a Wood Sandpiper at the Lochan or another wader species on migration in the bay. I had a slightly longer lie-in than I had planned to but was still out the door for just before 0710.
It was not unexpectedly a rather typical selection of species noted on the walk to the park. I chose to take the route I take on my way to work (or at least the most commonly used one). A Siskin was the most interesting bird I managed to add before I reached Balgay Hill where Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Jay, Stock Dove and Bullfinch were nice to see. I continued down through Ninewells Arboretum where I added Blackcap to the day's list. A Great Spotted Woodpecker landed on the trunk of a small-ish tree just ahead of me as I walked down behind the Carseview Centre. Unfortunately for me, my camera was still in my bag. As I watched the woodpecker a Swallow sped overhead.
I arrived at the Invergowrie end of Riverside Nature Park at around 0830 and had a good look at the birds in the bay. Things were rather quiet and the tide was further out than I hoped it would be. Teal, Shelduck and Lesser Black Backed Gulls were the best I could muster from the hide before I wandered into the park. Willow Warbler, Skylark, Blackcap and Yellowhammer all singing provided the background to my walk. I scanned across the bay again from near the picnic tables which gave me Redshank, Black Headed Gull and Common Gull as well as a Cormorant. There were a few vocal and very active Whitethroats marking their territories just beyond the fenceline. What I suspect is the regular male Osprey arrived for a spot of fishing but was forced back the way he'd come by the local corvids and gulls. A Stock Dove flew out over the bay.
Sand Martin and House Martin were hawking for insects above the park as I headed for a look at the Lochan. A Reed Bunting was singing from within the hedge. Moorhen and Mute Swan were on the water at the Lochan. I added Bullfinch in the bushes to the east. Linnet and Pied Wagtail were the final additions at the park before I rather wearily decided that I had definitely erred a bit too far on the side of caution with regards the amount of clothes I'd chosen to wear and as the conditions in the sunshine were getting warmer I called it a day. I couldn't be bothered with the uphill walk to Balgay Hill so instead I headed for home along Riverside Drive. A Grey Heron and a Great Black Backed Gull were seen near the V&A Museum. I arrived home around noon having seen or heard a total of 54 species of bird (42 at the park and 35 outwith the park) though slightly disappointingly none were new for the Dundee 140 list. I didn't take too many photos as the opportunities were fewer than normal, so the selection on display here is smaller than usual.
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| Bullfinch |
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Sand Martin
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| Osprey |
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House Martin
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Song Thrush
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| Bullfinch |
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| Linnet |
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| Skylark |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black
Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff,
Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull,
House Martin, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Seal, Rabbit.
