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Black Tailed Godwit
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I didn't get out of my bed particularly early on Sunday but when I did I found that visibility was rather limited outside - it was quite misty and it actually got worse as what was left of the morning progressed. I knew that it was actually meant to improve, but the weather forecast isn't always correct. However, things did eventually start to improve as noon approached. I decided to head for Riverside Nature Park to give my new OM-1 another work-out, although the afternoons are never quite as productive as the mornings. Sitting at home wasn't going to increase my chances of finally clinching species number 140 for my Dundee list either...
I headed out at around 1145. Jackdaw, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Goldfinch were all visible immediately, with Starling and Blue Tit added just around the corner. I added Black Headed Gull and Magpie between the football grounds but it took another 10 minutes before I found anything else, with a Blackbird on Byron Street. House Sparrow and Woodpigeon finally made it onto the list as I headed down towards Logie Street where a Wren was heard above the traffic noise, as was a Goldcrest. Two tiny birds with very loud voices.
As I walked along Ancrum Road I saw a bird fly into a tree on the opposite side of the road. Even without binoculars I could see it was a Great Spotted Woodpecker, so I crossed over for a better look with the intention of perhaps grabbing a few photos. However the bird disappeared among the branches of the tree and despite walking round to the other side of the tree I failed to see it until it flew back the way it had come, in the direction of the bowling green. There were a few Common and Black Headed Gulls on the football pitches. As I wandered through Balgay Cemetery I was able to see or hear a few more species - Great Tit, Redwing, Chaffinch and Treecreeper. A Grey Squirrel caught my eye but as I was watching it, I heard a bird calling from somewhere over the treetops to the north. It was a Crossbill and I watched it overfly in the direction of the south side of the eastern part of the hill. A nice unexpected bonus bird.
There were a few Mistle Thrushes around in the 'new' part of the Cemetery where a Coal Tit was also heard. I chose to cut down through Ninewells Hospital grounds and this meant I was able to add Bullfinch and a few Long Tailed Tits taking the 'outwith the park' part of the day's list to 26 species, which given the time of year and time of day wasn't too bad. I headed into the western end of Riverside Nature Park just before 1320. Carrion Crow, Wren, Skylark, Blackbird, Herring Gull, Grey Heron, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon were all noted relatively quickly. I added a Robin near the hide before wandering round for a better view of the birds in the outer half of the bay.
This resulted in Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwits, Blue Tits, Cormorant, Curlew, Teal, Mallard, Redshank and Dunlin all being spotted down in the bay. The strong sunlight from across the bay made viewing relatively tricky with just binoculars. A flock of Oystercatchers flew downriver. A few Magpies were seen round about and a single Great Black Backed Gull was picked out on the water near the pipe. A Meadow Pipit called from the side of the hill. Both it and another Skylark were seen in flight from near the wooden gate into the recycling area. Further on towards the car park both Chaffinch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen. A small flock of Goldfinches circled overhead before disappearing over the trees.
Siskin and Redwing were heard as I wandered round to check the Lochan. Jackdaws flew over from the direction of Ninewells and a small skein of Pink Footed Geese went northwards over the top. Moorhen, Mallard and Teal were at the Lochan along with a pair of Black Tailed Godwits. I headed back to check the lower part of the park. A Song Thrush was heard in the bushes at the car park. A surprise as I left the car park was a butterfly in flight - in mid-November! I managed to get the camera to track the insect as if it was a bird in flight which meant that for a change I was able to get a useable flight shot which showed it to be a Red Admiral, probably my latest ever butterfly sighting.
I added Great Tit, Pied Wagtail, Greenfinch and Dunnock as I headed for the exit. The misty conditions of earlier in the day were starting to creep back in from the east and they didn't take very long to blanket out the remaining sunlight and blue sky. As I reached the bridge over the railway line just up from the Riverside Drive/Avenue circle (or rundabout for the non-Dundonian readers), there were a number of Long Tailed Tits seen and heard among the trees and bushes on the slope. Just before packing away the camera I was able to grab a couple of flight shots of two of the birds in flight - something I'd had no luck with previously. Although the by now rather flat grey afternoon light pushed the ISO on the camera, the results were certainly passable. I failed to add anything else new on the walk back home. In a little over an hour and a half at Riverside Nature Park I managed a total of 36 species, taking the total for the day to 45 species of bird as well as 1 of mammal and 1 rather late, and unexpected, butterfly.
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Common Gull
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Woodpigeon |
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Mistle Thrush
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Carrion Crow
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Mistle Thrush
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Black Tailed Godwit
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Carrion Crow
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Mallard & Redshank
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| Skylark |
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| Magpie |
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Feral Pigeon
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Chaffinch |
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| Robin |
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Red Admiral
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| Redwing |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Crossbill, Common Gull, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing,
Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterfly (at Riverside Nature Park) - Red Admiral.
