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Canada Goose
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Following Mark Wilkinson's message on Saturday afternoon letting me know about a Mediterranean Gull at Riverside Nature Park as I walked back home from Balmossie, I decided that I would attempt to see the bird on Sunday. The high tide time was relatively favourable but as it was quite a small tide there was a chance that the birds would remain rather distant out beyond the still uncovered mud. I decided to take the additional weight of a small scope with me to counter this likelihood. I also decided to dress for the forecast warming weather rather than have too many layers on.
I headed out at around 0815 for the walk to the park. A Bullfinch between the football stadiums was a bit of a surprise and a Tree Pipit overflew as I walked up Canning Street a few minutes later. A few House Martins were noted above Pentland Avenue. Once I'd exited the other end of Balgay Cemetery, I spotted 2 Buzzards circling over Ninewells Arboretum and then found 3 Crossbills in trees on Ninewells Avenue before they flew off to the southwest. I reached the Nature Park just before 0930. Long Tailed Tits, Goldcrest, Willow Warbler and Swallow were all within the initial batch of birds noted at the park. Chiffchaff and Buzzard were seen as I continued on towards the Lochan.
Moorhens were noted there with the water levels probably as low as I've seen since the park opened back in June 2011. A male Blackcap was in the hedge a bit further to the west. A quick look at the bay added Curlew, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lapwing, Grey Heron, Redshank and Black Tailed Godwit. The tide was already further in than I had anticipated so I wandered round to the hide for a better view. I managed to get the 3 Greenshanks seen by Mark the previous day, although a 4th bird which I thought was also a Greenshank turned out to be a young Redshank 'hanging out' with the trio. There were plenty of Black Headed Gulls out on the water but the wind direction meant they were mostly turned away from me.
The scope helped but a rain shower that had been forecast looked imminent as the sky darkened and the light worsened. I was now rather cold which also meant I was struggling to keep the scope steady. I kept scanning and scanning again but everything seemed to be a Black Headed Gull. I added Common Gull, Mallard and Teal before once again returning to scan through the Black Headed Gulls. I was still cold and getting increasingly frustrated. Thankfully the rain shower was heavy but brief and I was able to avoid getting wet by tucking myself behind the stone wall at the left side of the hide till it had passed. Eventually the light improved a little and I eventually spotted two very pale wings with no black around the tips. It had to be the bird. It landed and turned side on. Sure enough, it was a Mediterranean Gull. Number 120 for my Dundee 140 list.
Cormorant, Jackdaw, 3 Canada Geese, Dunlin and Grey Wagtail were all added to the list for the day from the hide before I headed back into the park. Away from the shelter of the hide it actually felt warmer and with the frustrations of struggling to find the gull now gone my mood had lifted somewhat. I ran into Lainy and Adam round by the picnic tables as they were cycling through and we had a chat for a while before they headed for home. An Osprey then put in an appearance over the bay, with another seen further west. Whitethroat and Robin were noted along the fenceline in front of me while down in the bay, Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Sandwich Tern and Goosander were welcome finds. Red Admiral and Small White butterflies were on the wing.
A Pied Wagtail flew over the top of the hill and a Sparrowhawk was seen rather distantly to the north. I eventually managed to get a Stock Dove for the list and both House Martin and Sand Martin joined the earlier Swallows on the list. Linnet and Goldfinch were both seen before I called it a day and headed homewards. Siskin, Pied Wagtail, Greenfinch, Long Tailed Tit and Swallow rounded off the day's sightings on the walk back home giving me a total for the day of 57 species (50 at the park and 28 outwith). Despite the frustrations and effort required to get the Mediterranean Gull for the Dundee 140 list, it had all worked out quite well in the end. Now I just need to find another 20 species from somewhere (in Dundee)....
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| Greenfinch |
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| Blackcap |
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Black Headed Gull & Common Gull
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| Greenshank |
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Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Mallard & Feral Pigeon
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| Teal |
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| Cormorant |
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Mediterranean Gull
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Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gull & Common Gull
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Dunlin |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Buzzard |
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| Osprey |
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| Magpie |
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Sand Martin
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Woodpigeon |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Crossbill, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Swallow, Tree Pipit, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mediterranean Gull, Moorhen, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Red Admiral, Small White.
