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| Skylark |
Having had quite a successful afternoon's birding with Ian the previous day, I was far more motivated to get out and about for some birding on Sunday than I had been just 24 hours earlier. I decided I would head for Riverside Nature Park again. High tide was around 0800 though with it being a very small high tide there was unlikely to be any time when there were no waders to be seen from the hide and with decent light, it should be possible to check every one in the hope of a Spotted Redshank or a Ruff for my Dundee 140 list. A Wood Sandpiper at the Lochan was also a possibility given the number of birds turning up elsewhere recently. At this time of year, there can be all manner of surprises to be had.
I was a little later than I intended leaving the house at around 0720. A Collared Dove calling was an unusual way to start the day's birding as I stepped outside though normality quickly returned with nothing unexpected noted until I reached the Law where Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were all found along with a Bullfinch as I headed down the other side. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling as I neared Rankine Street and a few seconds later the bird flew across to the gardens behind me. I continued on up to Balgay Hill though things were far quieter than of late with Jay the only notable addition there.
A Grey Squirrel was also seen on the hill and a Red Squirrel was in the main part of the cemetery away from the hill. Unfortunately I hadn't taken the camera out of the bag yet and so I missed out on photos of it. Lesser Black Backed Gull, Jackdaw and Long Tailed Tit were added before I reached the Nature Park around 0830. A drake Mallard was a surprise as it flew past into the park as I walked down the path by the trees at the eastern end towards the wooden gate. Otherwise it was relatively predictable stuff with a selection of smaller birds singing and calling as I headed along the path to the top half and on towards the Lochan.
Mute Swan and Moorhen were both seen there but it was rather quiet otherwise. I had a look at the bay from the hide after hearing a Sedge Warbler singing from the fenced off area that overlooks the bay. Disappointingly there were hardly any waders at all in the bay other than an Oystercatcher and 2 Curlews. A pair of Shelduck were on the water at the burn and a pair of Common Gulls were found with a few Black Headed Gulls. I checked the bay again from the bridge over the railway line adding a very distant small group of Goosander well out on the Tay. Teal were seen landing in the burn before I headed back into the main part of the park.
Yellowhammer, Long Tailed Tit and Linnet were added to the list from the small banking overlooking the bay near the picnic tables. A Grey Heron was seen flying out over the river and a distant Cormorant was spotted fishing in the outer part of the bay. I picked up the Osprey flying along from the direction of Kingoodie and watched it making an unsuccessful fishing attempt in the inner part of the bay before being seen off again by the gulls. A Swallow and Stock Dove flew past as I scanned some more from near the picnic tables. Sand Martin and Bullfinch were seen near the recycling area as I followed the path round towards the car park. I decided I would walk back up over the hill for another look for Redshanks in the bay, as unusually I hadn't yet seen any.
As I crossed the hill, a few Skylarks took flight from near the path. Near the bench I happened to look across to the top of the hill and spotted a bird perched on some vegetation around the banking. It turned out to be a bird I thought I'd likely missed my chance to get on the Dundee 140 list - a Wheatear (108). I got relatively close before it flew down into the grass nearby. I continued down to scan the bay again. A small group of 4 Dunlin were a surprise but despite lost of searching I failed to find any Redshanks (or Godwits) at all. An Orange Tip butterfly flitted by as I looked down into the bay. A Cormorant was diving near the pipe and so when I saw something disappear below the surface I thought it would be the bird but instead it was an unexpected Otter which I was able to watch for the next 5 minutes or so as it moved further down the burn channel and out onto the river before it disappeared round towards the airport.
As I spoke to a couple about the Otter a few minutes after it disappeared a Sparrowhawk and then a Buzzard were seen circling up to the east of the hill. I saw the Wheatear, or possibly another Wheatear fly onto the pipe down in the bay where it perched for a few minutes, though I moved off again before it did. I headed round to the Lochan once more adding a Reed Bunting. A young Rook was foraging on the eastern side of the hill and a Siskin flew over followed shortly after by a Starling. Both Peacock and Green Veined White butterflies were seen in the lower half before I headed for the exit. A late surprise was a Jay seen flying into the trees there.
I left the park at around 1240 and headed along the north side of the road where Orange Tip, Large White, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were spotted flitting around the Dandelions and other flowers along the hedge-line. The walk home added very few new species though Stock Dove and Grey Wagtail were both reasonably decent birds to get. I added a new bee species (for me) near the top of the Law, an Orange Tailed Mining Bee (with an Orange Legged Furrow Bee) and another smaller species I didn't manage to get clear photos of.
I made it home just after 1430 having seen or heard a grand total of 59 species of bird (31 outwith the park, and 52 at the park - including one new for the Dundee 140 list). The Wheatear was a nice bird to get in Dundee, especially as I thought the chance to get one had passed me by. The Otter was also really good to see, being only my second sighting from the park since the park opened almost 11 years ago in June 2011. The next two weeks or so should hopefully give me a good chance of something unexpected being added to the park list. Hopefully if there is, I either find it myself or get to see it, as now that most of the expected summer migrants are back it will get harder to edge my Dundee 140 list total much higher until 'Autumn' movements kick off as non-breeding waders begind to head south again around June.
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Osprey |
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Shelduck |
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| Wheatear |
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| Dunlin |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Otter |
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Reed Bunting
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| Blackbird |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Rook |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Buzzard |
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| Peacock |
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Orange Legged Furrow Bee
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Orange Tailed Mining Bee
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Large White, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel, Red Squirrel.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Peacock.
Mammals - Grey Seal, Otter, Rabbit.
