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Ruff, Dunlin, Redshank & Lapwing
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As some readers may remember I was contacted earlier in the year, via Birdforum, by another local birder, Steph, who was still a bit of a novice but who didn't really know any other birders. It turned out that we both knew of each other through work and we did a spot of birding at Riverside Nature Park for a morning around mid/late May. Since then however, Steph has been pretty tied up with some very important non-birding stuff which has kept her very busy. However, we managed to get another morning's birding arranged recently and once again decided on a visit to the Nature Park. Passage waders would be our main focus, assuming we could actually find any.
I had originally intended to get to the park nice and early but not for the first or last time, it didn't happen and it was 0800 before I made it out the door. Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Magpie, Blue Tit and the first of many Meadow Pipits got things underway for the day's list. Robin, House Sparrow, Starling, Goldfinch and Carrion Crow soon followed. There was then a bit of a lull until I made it to Balgay Hill where Siskin, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Nuthatch all made it onto the list. Steph had messaged me to say she was just having breakfast and that she'd let me know when she was about to leave. I added Dunnock, Wren, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Long Tailed Tit at Ninewells Arboretum.
Great Tit, Stock Dove, Willow Warbler and Great Spotted Woodpecker were noted behind Carseview and around the Technology Park. Coal Tit and Chaffinch were noted as I watched the birds in the bushes where the Blyth's Reed Warbler had been in early June. I caught glimpses of a bird that hinted at a Barred Warbler in a Elder bush but the views were fleeting and only parts of the bird were seen. It was most likely just a Blackcap though. Steph messaged to say she was on her way but it vanished before she arrived and also before Swallow and Black Headed Gull rounded off part 1 of the 'outwith the park' list.
We scanned from the bridge to kick-off our list for the park. Black Headed Gull, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Guillemot, Canada Goose, Goosander, Cormorant, Curlew, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Grey Wagtail, Magpie, Mallard, Redshank, Lapwing and Feral Pigeon made for a rather productive haul. We were joined briefly by Ian Ford. Some more scanning added Dunlin, Common Sandpiper and Blue Tit initially. An Osprey circled over the bay before the Ruff dropped in, giving Steph a welcome lifer. We eventually managed to see a total of 6 Ruff. We had flashing views of Kingfisher before picking up Swallow and Sparrowhawk. Goldfinch and a Bar Tailed Godwit completed our list during a brief visit to the hide and we wandered round to the banking overlooking the bay to scan from there.
This added Great Black Backed Gull down on the pipe, as well as a mix of species in the bushes and overhead - Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Wren and Stock Dove as well as a pair of Mute Swans out on the water. We wandered round to the Lochan next, a Chiffchaff being seen on the way. There were a few Moorhens on the water but no sign of anything else. From there we headed down into the lower half of the park for a look around which got us Goldcrest, Chaffinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker and also a trio of butterfly species - Peacock, Red Admiral and Small White. Starlings were spotted over towards the airport and with time rapidly ebbing away before Steph had to head for home we made another circuit of the top half of the park, including a brief look from the top of the hill.
Dunnock, Blackcap and Whitethroat around the wooden gate area, were the final trio of species noted before Steph headed homewards just after 1300. Unfortunately it bagan to rain rather heavily just after she left but luckily for me, the hide provided just enough protection from the worst of the rain and I stayed mostly dry. Common Gull and Black Tailed Godwit were new for the day's list while waiting for the rain to stop. I headed up to the bridge when the rain stopped and spotted a funnel cloud out to the southwest. It didn't get any bigger and eventually dissipated away as I checked through the birds again and again. Heading back into the park, Greenfinch and Meadow Pipit made it onto the list before I had to take shelter again, this time down at the Lochan. There were now a few Teal on the water there as well as a few Mallard. Another heavy shower saw me take refuge in the toilet where I was able to watch an Osprey hunting out across the bay while it rained.
The list for the day was looking quite promising length-wise so I decided to try to add a few more species before I called it a day. Another circuit of the top half got Willow Warbler and Sandwich Tern then Yellowhammer and Oystercatcher were spotted in the lower half on my way towards the exit. Before I got there, Long Tailed Tits and a couple of Rabbits completed my list for the park. The walk home added Bullfinch, House Martin and Grey Squirrel to the 'outwith the park' list and I finally made it home around 1700 with a combined total of 62 species of bird (made up of the combined numbers of species - 30 outwith and 57 at the park), plus 3 of butterfly and 2 of mammals. As I had spent much of the morning chatting to Steph as we wandered around, and much of the afternoon trying not to get wet I hadn't taken too many photos. However, checking those photos later at home I found a Spotted Redshank lurking near the Black Tailed Godwits I was photographing at the time - Spotted by name, but a bird which had been unseen by me. One that got away....
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| Robin |
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| Guillemot |
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Dunlin & Lapwing
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Redshank & Ruff
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| Osprey |
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Osprey & Lesser Black Backed Gull
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| Osprey |
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Redshank, Bar Tailed Godwit, Carrion Crow (& Lapwing)
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Black Headed Gull, Teal & Ruff
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Ruff & Redshank
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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Cormorant & Great Black backed Gull
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Ruff, Redshank, Lapwing, Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, Black Headed Gull & Black Tailed Godwit
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Spotted Redshank, (Redshank, Lapwing & Black Headed Gull)
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Lapwing, Dunlin, Spotted Redshank, Redshank & Black Tailed Godwit
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Funnel cloud
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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| Teal |
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| Greenfinch |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Nuthatch, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Ruff, Sandwich Tern, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Peacock, Red Admiral, Small White.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
