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| Teal |
When I was at work on Friday the 14th of October, I received a message via Twitter from Mark Wilkinson letting me know he had seen Pintail in Invergowrie Bay from Riverside Nature Park. As Pintail was one of the species I have yet to catch up with in 2022, and being only 2 short of my target of 140 species, I weighed up my options. I had a small pair of binoculars with me, and Riverside Nature Park was around 10 minutes walk from work. However, the sun would be more or less behind the birds in the bay, making them silhouettes and added to that, it would be around high tide by the time I finished work. It would also mean a longer walk home. I knew my chances were rather slim, however I decided to give it a go.
I was unsuccessful, though I did manage to record a list of 30 species despite the unfavourable conditions (see list below). I decided to try again on Saturday but the wind was rather strong and I only made it as far as Dens Park before turning around and heading back home as I wasn't enjoying walking into the headwind at all. I figured it was likely that my chance of catching up with Pintail had, by this time, gone. The wind wasn't much weaker on Sunday and I swithered as to whether or not it was worth the effort to give Riverside Nature Park another go. Eventually I decided I would head down for a few hours in the afternoon, though with rather low expectations. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Birds (Friday 14th at Riverside Nature Park) -Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mallard, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Teal, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Heading out at around 1325 on Sunday afternoon, I wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic, but with a chance, however slim, of getting species number 139 on my Dundee140 list, I knew I had to at least give it a go, just in case. Given the time of day and the still relatively windy conditions there weren't a lot of birds to be found on the hour long walk to the park. Herring Gull, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon, Robin, Woodpigeon, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Redwing, Wren and Goldfinch were those I did run into.
I reached the park at around 1420, and starting scanning from the western end by the picnic tables. In the outer part of the bay and beyond I was able to see Redshank, Teal, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Curlew and Black Headed Gull on the exposed mud, and a Cormorant on the pipe, as the tide still had a bit to go. I went for a walk around the top half where Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Herring Gull were noted. Not unexpectedly, things seemed rather quiet. A couple of Meadow Pipits overflew. Mallard and Moorhen were at the Lochan. I then spent some time at the hide watching the tide coming in, bringing the birds closer and closer. This did give me a few ducks, with Goosander and Wigeon both in the burn outflow along with some Mallard and Teal.
There was however no sign of anything resembling Pintail. A Buzzard flew into its usual tree off to the right a little from the front of the hide. Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Long Tailed Tits were very active in the bushes bordering the path back into the park, when I'd finally given up on checking the birds in the bay. Pink Footed Goose was added as I headed towards the lower half of the park, as were a few flyover Jackdaws. Dunnock, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush rounded off the list for the few hours' park visit. I headed for home around 1700.
The walk home was relatively quiet though Dunnock, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch and a couple of Sparrowhawks were noted before a Pied Wagtail was heard near Gussie Park as I finally neared home. I made it home around 1800 having seen or heard a total of 39 species as a result of the windy conditions and later than usual start to the day's birding. Although unsurprising that I failed to catch up with Pintail, it was still slightly disappointing though there is still just over 2 months to get one somewhere around the city. Fingers are crossed...
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| Moorhen |
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| Mallard |
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| Goosander |
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| Oystercatcher |
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Redshank & Black Tailed Godwit
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Jackdaw |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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Long Tailed Tit
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Carrion Crow
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Pink Footed Goose
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Cormorant |
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Curlew, Bar Tailed Godwit & Dunlin
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| Wigeon |
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| Moorhen |
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| Teal |
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Mistle Thrush
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit,
Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock,
Goosander, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pink
Footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Teal, Wigeon,
Woodpigeon, Wren.
