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Magpie
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With rain having stopped play on Saturday I was keen to get out and about on Sunday. I have a list of potential species for my Dundee145 list in 3 categories (likely-ish, less likely than that, and possible but not too likely). A bird that I suspect should pass through/over Dundee around this time of year and a little later is Cuckoo. I've seen one at Monifieth, flying along the beach towards Barry Buddon and a few at Barry Buddon itself. I know of one having been seen at the airport in the past but I've had no luck within Dundee as of yet. With options relatively limited I decided to head for Riverside Nature Park. Mediterranean Gulls are beginning to appear back in Scotland too, so a check of the gulls in the bay would also be potentially worthwhile.
With high tide around 0800, I knew that getting to the park for around 0930 would mean I wouldn't have to wait too long for the water to recede from the bay. Out the door I went at 0820. The local Herring Gulls, Feral Pigeons, House Sparrows and a Dunnock provided a fairly typical start to the day's birding. Continuing on past the football stadiums, Jackdaw, Pied Wagtail, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon and Blackbird were all noted. The first Swifts of the day circled above Provost Road. Goldfinch, Starling and House Martin were seen as I made my way along Strathmore Avenue where Goldcrest and Wren were heard singing from within the grounds of Kings Cross Hospital.
Lesser Black Backed Gull and Chiffchaff made it onto the list as I headed down Loons Road past the end of The Miley. Chaffinch and Blackcap could be heard at Peel Street. Robin and Greenfinch were in Balgay Cemetery and cutting down through the Arboretum behind Ninewells Hospital got a pair of Bullfinch, a Song Thrush, as well as a few Rabbits and a Grey Squirrel. Linnet and Oystercatcher were the final additions before I made it to the Nature Park. A Chiffchaff was very vocal around the western end of the park, and a few Magpies were also active in that area. Blue Tit, Starling, Goldfinch, Woodpigeon and Blackbird were seen in among the trees and bushes while down in the bay Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Feral Pigeon, Cormorant, Carrion Crow and Oystercatcher were all noted.
Whitethroat, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting were in the bushes along the path to the main part of the park. Meadow Brown and Ringlet butterflies flitted along low down in the vegetation by the path. There were a few Six Spot Burnet moths around. From the picnic table area Linnet and Willow Warbler were seen. I headed back to the bridge to scan the mud as more of it reappeared as the tide receded. Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Curlew and a small flock of Redshanks were spotted from there. A male Bullfinch called from the top of one of the trees. An Osprey was seen catching a flatfish as I watched from the top of the hill. Common Gull, Grey Heron, Shelduck and Sandwich Terns were all picked out down in the bay. Out in the river were a small group of Goosander.
A second Osprey overflew heading eastwards. A Wren was heard singing from near the small pool next to the composting toilet. I had a wander round to the Lochan following the paths anti-clockwise. A few Swallows zipped low over the wildflowers on the eastern side of the hill and a Red Admiral butterfly was spotted by the path. A Sedge Warbler was making display flights over the hill as I neared the Lochan. There were 2 Mallard ducks with ducklings (1 group of 8 ducklings, the other with 6) and a House Martin was seen low over the water. Back at the bay, I managed to find a few Common Sandpipers. Dunnock, Blackcap, Stock Dove and Grey Wagtail were all found near the picnic tables and a couple of Skylarks took to the air near the top of the hill.
A Pied Wagtail overflew and a trio of Teal were seen down in the bay. A Buzzard was spotted to the north and an unexpected small group of 3 Sand Martins swept over westwards as I headed for another check of the Lochan. This time I managed to add a Moorhen with a couple of youngsters as well as a Chaffinch. Just before moving into the lower half of the park a Yellow Shell moth was seen briefly and the long-staying Pheasant was heard calling. In the lower half, a few House Sparrows were in the hedge just north of Buzzard Wood's western end. A few Green Veined White butterflies were flitting around. A Song Thrush was feeding down on the path. I noticed that there were small parties of 6-10 Woodpigeons heading over westwards at a rate of more or less 1 per minute, which seemed quite odd, at least timing-wise.
I had a seat on the bench near the eastern entrance for a few minutes as the sun was shining brightly and sapping my energy. I noticed a Small Tortoiseshell nearby which proved to be rather flighty. An odd-looking 'dead leaf' a bit further away turned out to be a Comma butterfly which seemed to find something to its liking in one of the numerous unpicked-up piles of dog poo lying around. A Great Tit took the list at the park to 51 species of bird, as well as 6 species of butterfly and 2 of moths before I called it a day around 1345. I had a slow wander back along the road. A Whitethroat was heard calling from near the railway line. I stopped to try to photograph a few very active moths flying around by some of the roadside Scots Pines. Later at home, I managed to put a name to the species - Bordered White. I headed up to Balgay Hill for a look around there.
A Red Admiral was seen at the Cemetery as I photographed a few of the insects in some of the more sheltered spots below the trees. I could hear chicks calling from the Nuthatch nest as an adult brought in some food. A Stock Dove was perched in a tree nearby. A Siskin called from high up in one of the conifers. I decided to try to find Speckled Wood butterflies and was successful with a hunch I had as to where they might find suitable, finding at least 2 of these brown patterned butterflies with a probable third a bit later. I decided to visit the top of the Law for a wee while. I bumped into Brian Williamson (who reads this blog) at Law Crescent and as we chatted a Buzzard drifted over being harassed by a Herring Gull and a Carrion Crow. It quickly gained height before a Sparrowhawk also passed overhead largely ignored by those same birds that had taken exception to the Buzzard.
When I finally made it to the top of the Law there weren't too many birds to be seen, though a Buzzard was noted being hassled by gulls and crows as I was about to leave for home. Prior to that, I attempted to photograph a territorial Red Admiral chasing another Red Admiral as well as my first Painted Lady of the year. I had a short chat to another photographer (Craig) I've spoken to before up there before heading home around 1730. A male Sparrowhawk darted round the south-eastern corner of Tannadice Park (Dundee United's stadium) before surprisingly perching atop the apex of the triangular entrance cover roof where it perched for a few minutes which allowed me to get some nice photos.
My list for outwith the park reached 34 species of bird, 3 of butterfly, 2 of mammal and 1 of moth. The combined total for the day was 58 species of bird, 8 of butterfly, 2 of mammals and 4 of moths. A damselfly at the Lochan seen low over the water for a second or so went unidentified (though was probably Common Blue). Incidentally, while at work on Monday, I received a message from Keith to let me know he'd found a female Cuckoo at the park - though his views were brief. I popped down at lunchtime but unsurprisingly drew a blank. Cuckoo is the 160th species for the park-list (unless the Blyth's Reed Warbler from just outside the park is counted, as an argument could conceivably be made for doing so).
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Reed Bunting
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| Ringlet |
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Meadow Brown
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6 Spot Burnet Moth
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| Rabbit |
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| Cormorant |
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| Redshank |
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Common Gull & Black Headed Gull
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Osprey |
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| Swift |
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| Skylark |
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Carrion Crow
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| Comma |
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Bordered White Moth
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Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
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Hoverfly sp.
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Hoverfly sp. (Sphaerophoria sp.)
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| Pammene aurana |
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Wasp sp. (?)
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| Nuthatch |
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Stock Dove
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Great Tit
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Speckled Wood
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Buzzard |
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| Magpie |
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Red Admiral
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Painted Lady
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| Sparrowhawk |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swift, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature park) - Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
Moths (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Bordered White, Pammene aurana.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit,
Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser
Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied
Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Comma, Green Veined White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell.
Moths (at Riverside Nature Park) - Six Spot Burnet, Yellow Shell.
