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Blue Tit
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Although the winds have recently swung back round to the west after a spell of easterlies, there is always the chance of something good turning up out of the blue, throughout the Autumn. A visit to Riverside Nature Park felt like the best option for a spot of birding on Wednesday. I slept in a bit later than I really wanted to but I was still ready to head out at around an hour later than I would leave for work on any other day of the week. My expectation levels were relatively low, but I was hoping for an interesting migrant or two to put in an appearance so I could add something new to my 2022 Dundee 140 list.
The walk to the park gave a very similar list to that which I would expect on my walk to work at this time of year with Common and Black Headed Gulls at the football pitches and a few Meadow Pipits passing overhead livening things up a little. I added Siskin in Balgay Cemetery and Long Tailed Tits near the park. I reached the Nature Park around 0835 and took my time to see what I could find. There were Meadow Pipits passing over as I noted some of the more regular species around the eastern entrance area. I picked up a Lapwing over towards the airport before the first group of Skylarks of the day headed over westwards. A skein of Pink Footed Geese headed upriver.
Black Headed Gull and Great Black Backed Gull were both seen in flight and a Chiffchaff was found in the bushes. I stumbled upon a few Bullfinches before spying a Rook flying east. A few more migrants were noted passing overhead - Pied (or possibly White) Wagtails, Mistle Thrushes and Song Thrushes. The first Sparrowhawk of the day was seen to the north as I headed for the Lochan. Mute Swan, Moorhen and Teal were noted there but there appeared to be no sign of the Shoveler or any Snipe. I wandered round to have a look at the birds in the bay. Curlew, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Redshank and Dunlin could all be seen down on the mud. A Grey Wagtail called as it flew over. Starling, Stock Dove, Linnet, and Goldfinch were all noted nearby. The Kingfisher was heard but not seen. Mallard, Common Gull, Bar Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Black Tailed Godwit all joined the other species already on the list, over the next 15 minutes or so.
I had a very brief chat with Keith who let me know what he'd seen before he had to head homewards. Blackcap was the only addition between 1015 and 1100, though a Yellowhammer was found calling from atop the hedge by the cattle field. Both Red Admiral and Small White butterflies were seen as I walked back for another look at the Lochan. The Shoveler had reappeared by this time and a Reed Bunting was heard calling nearby. A Common Darter was seen hunting along the path and a Jay was seen distantly to the north. A few Jackdaws were noted over Ninewells Arboretum. I had another look through the waders in the bay as the tide rose higher pushing the birds further and further in. Eventually around noon I headed for the hide.
I met Ian Ford at the hide and we chatted as we scanned through the birds again and again, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Curlew Sandpiper was found and the young Peregrine caused a lot of panic among the Redshanks and Dunlin in particular with some of them flying off. The rest stayed put though appearing very anxious, with necks fully extended as the birds bunched close together in the shallow water. The wind speed had been increasing gradually throughout the morning and once the tide had caused the majority of birds to depart for drier roosting spots elsewhere, Ian and I left the hide. A strange call that caught our attention turned out to be a Jay in flight. Ian called it a day and headed home and I made another lap of the whole park before doing likewise. A Peacock butterfly, a lone Rabbit and a pair of Swallows were the only new additions.
The walk home proved relatively productive with Lesser Black Backed Gull, Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail and Swallow all noted along the way, though the biggest surprise was a Brown Rat running out onto the pavement before rapidly retreating back below a hedge on Byron Street. I arrived home at around 1600 having managed a combined total for the day of 61 species of bird (57 in the park, 25 outwith), 3 of butterflies, 1 of dragonfly and 2 mammals. It was a decent enough day out, even without managing to add anything new to the Dundee 140 list.
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| Skylark |
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| Robin |
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| Rook |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Curlew |
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| Greenfinch |
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Stock Dove
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Grey Wagtail
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| Skylark |
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| Linnet |
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Lapwing, Curlew, Bar Tailed Godwit & Black Headed Gull
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Redshank & Dunlin
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| Dunlin |
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Shoveler & Teal
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| Jackdaw |
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Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin
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Black Tailed Godwit, Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper
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| Redshank |
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| Peregrine |
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| Jay |
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| Teal |
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| Buzzard |
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| Shoveler |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Mallard |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Brown Rat.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shoveler, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, 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) - Rabbit.
