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| Jackdaw |
Despite my midweek visit to Riverside Nature Park being rather underwhelming I decided that my Hogmanay birding would be a visit to the park for one last visit in 2023. Thanks largely to Keith Edward's regular visits the park has had an exceptional year with 11 new species added (and 1 sub-species), though I only managed to see 2 of them (3 if you count the Siberian Chiffchaff). The new species added in 2023 have been Snow Bunting, Golden Plover, Cuckoo, Arctic Skua, Storm Petrel, Kittiwake, Ring Ouzel, Slavonian Grebe, Great Northern Diver, Snow Goose and Twite. Although it was highly unlikely I'd add anything else to either the park list, or my #Dundee145 list, as I'd spent quite a lot of time recently at the other end of the city, westwards it was.
I slept in a little later than I'd originally planned, but was still out the door just before 0900. Herring Gull, Magpie, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon were all overhead as I stepped outside and a Blue Tit was calling from one of the few remaining trees nearby (2 more well established mid-sized trees have been recently deliberately removed). Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin were added as I crossed Arklay Street, with a calling Dunnock heard from within the allotments, a Starling seen atop Tannadice's floodlights and House Sparrows in Neish Street. A Grey Wagtail flew down the street past me, following a Robin which had just done likewise. A Black Headed Gull was on the grass between the football stadiums and Goldfinches were in the trees behind the tenements on Sandeman Street.
The next additions to the list for the morning were Long Tailed Tits and Great Tit on Byron Street. Wren and Song Thrush were both noted on Loon's Road. There were a few Common Gulls on the football pitches at Lochee Park. Chaffinch and Redwing were found in Balgay Cemtery, while Coal Tit was added as I headed down Ninewells Avenue. A Mistle Thrush was seen sharing a tree with a couple of Blackbirds near the bottom of the road, just before I managed to slip on some black ice - though thankfully I stayed upright and on my feet. I reached the park just before 1005.
My expectations were rather low so anything over 30 species would be considered a reasonably decent visit. I had my thermal imager with me, to help me search for Woodcock, Snipe and Jack Snipe. Following copious amounts of rain recently I suspected there might be possibilities for all 3 species to be somewhere within the park. A Herring Gull was first on the list for the park visit followed quickly by Great Tit, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, a Siskin flock, Feral Pigeons, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Wren, Robin and Magpie. As I watched a flock of Long Tailed Tits in a small tree behind Buzzard Wood, a Woodcock flew past just beyond the hedge line at the western end, in the direction of the car park. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to get a photo.
A Cormorant was seen in flight over the park as I followed the Woodcock's route along the hedge line. Dunnock, Goldcrest, Redwing and the Long Tailed Tits were all feeding in the bushes above an extended puddle. Along the front edge of Buzzard Wood it was a similarly busy scene with Blackbirds, Robin, Song Thrush, Redwings and the Long Tailed Tit flock all noted. I searched for Snipe and Jack Snipe but drew a blank. There were a few Greenfinch in the trees and a Sparrowhawk caused a bit of alarm as it headed in the direction of the airport. Although I failed to find any Woodcock or Snipe with the thermal imager it did pick out a few Rabbits, Robins and Blackbirds in below the bushes beside the car park.
I had close views of a pair of Jackdaws by the path as I wandered in the direction of the car park before continuing round towards the Lochan. There were a few Teal there but nothing else was seen (Keith had a Moorhen there in the morning, as I discovered later). A male Yellowhammer further along the hedge was the first I'd seen at the park for a while. I had a scan of the bay, though the tide was well out. Redshank, Dunlin, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Curlew and Oystercatcher were all noted. A few Bullfinches moved through the bushes in front of me, and a flock of Linnets overflew in the direction of Invergowrie.
Across the bay, I found a single Greylag Goose as well as a few Snipe tucked in at the edge of the reedbed before heading up the hill for a look from the elevated viewpoint. A Pied Wagtail was heard but not seen. While scanning from the top of the hill, I lucked onto a Kingfisher being pursued rather half-heartedly by a Carrion Crow just beyond the gull bathing spot in the burn outflow. A Bar Tailed Godwit was noted over the river, beyond the airport fence. I added Goldfinch and Woodpigeon to the list before I decided I was unlikely to add anything else. Surprisingly I had somehow managed to get a total of 40 species at the park, which had been my midweek target figure. It turned out Keith also had a single Waxwing near the picnic tables earlier, that I missed out on.
I considered walking along the river to City Quay to try to see the Otters which Steven Neish has seen there recently (which were seen again by him, as I later found out) but chose instead to head home via Balgay Hill. A Goldcrest was heard from the direction of the railway line a few minutes after leaving the park. As I walked up Glamis Road I spotted a Sparrowhawk disappearing over the trees towards the hill. A pair of Cormorants headed inland over the top end of Ninewells Avenue as I trapsed up into the cemetery. Siskins were heard overhead but things were rather quiet overall. A skein of Pink Footed Geese overflew northwards, with another skein a few minutes later following the same route. A single Pied Wagtail was noted on Harcourt Street taking the total of birds outwith the park to 29 species and to a combined total of 46 for the final day of 2023. A decent enough day out in the winter sunshine to end my 2023 birding.
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Stock Dove
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Cormorant
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| Blackbird |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Long Tailed Tit
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Blue Tit
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Redwing |
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Song Thrush
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Curlew |
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| Curlew |
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| Linnet |
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Greylag Goose & Redshank
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| Goldfinch |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit,
Greenfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Siskin, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodcock, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
