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| Goldfinch |
Having failed to get to Riverside Nature Park on Saturday, I decided I would make the effort to get there on Sunday. The tide times were still less than ideal but an early start would hopefully counter that. With a bit of luck I hoped that I might find some 'early autumn' migrant waders passing through. As is so often the case these days, I slept in and it was a good bit later than I had intended it to be before I was organised and ready to head for the park. Despite my 0730 departure I still hoped to reach the park before the tide had really started to recede, so as to maximise my chances of picking out a wader in the bay.
Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Swift and House Sparrow were noted in my street with Carrion Crow and Feral Pigeon spotted just around the corner. I hadn't gone very far before I decided to try a different route from my usual one. Wren, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Starling, House Martin, Magpie, Greenfinch and Collared Dove were added to the list as I headed up to Kinghorne Road and then down Minard Crescent. A Painted Lady butterfly was a surprise so early in the morning on Adelaide Place and a Dunnock was heard singing a little further on, as was a Chiffchaff. I cut down Dudhope Gardens Steps where I found Chaffinch and Treecreeper. The route from there then became even more convoluted.
A Blackbird on Mitchell Street, Goldfinch on Milnbank Road, Blue Tit at Magdalen Green and Pied Wagtails and Rabbits across the railway line from there kept the list going. Oystercatchers flew over as I neared the airport. Blackcap and Goldcrest were the final adds before I reached the park, a bit later than I had intended, though only by around 15 minutes. Chaffinch, Wren, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Buzzard, Swallow, Blue Tit and Herring Gull started off the park list for the day along with a Grey Squirrel and a Yellow Shell moth which flew off before I could get a photo.
A little further into the park I encountered the first of many young Whitethroats. Feral Pigeon, Magpie and Yellowhammer were next as I headed for the top half of the park. As I wandered up the slope of the short path linking the two halves I caught a glimpse of a bird circling to the south. I was fairly certain of it being an Osprey and that was confirmed when I reached the top of the path and managed better, though still distant, views. Continuing on to the Lochan I added Greenfinch and Goldfinch before I got there as well as Mallard, Little Grebe, Swift and Stock Dove when I did. I headed for the hide next where I found Keith already there, hearing Long Tailed Tits en route. The tide was also further out than I had hoped it would be.
There were around 300 Black Headed Gulls on the mud (Keith had counted them), as well as Common Gull, Herring Gull and Lapwing. Keith spotted Bullfinches just over the wall from us. Out in front a Song Thrush was noted. Sandwich Tern was seen across the far side of the bay. There were 2 Grey Herons and a few Mallards down by the burn. We wandered up for a wider view from the bridge over the railway. This got me a few more species - Black Tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Redshank, before we set off for the picnic tables area. Cormorant, Pied Wagtail, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Common Sandpiper and Goosander were spotted before Keith had to head for home. An Osprey was perched on a small washed up tree down in the bay. I then made a circuit of the top half of the park finding Reed Bunting and Grey Wagtail, as well as Meadow Brown and Small White butterflies. Back at the Lochan, the Moorhen family put in an appearance. My first Common Darter dragonfly of the year was resting by the path just a little further on.
Robin, Starling, House Martin, Linnet and Skylark were the only finds over the course of the next hour in the top half of the park. Although the birds were playing hard to get by this time, the butterflies were beginning to show in decent numbers despite it being relatively windy with Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Green Veined White, Ringlet and a nice Comma as well as a number of Six Spot Burnet moths all being noted. The first Rabbit of the park visit was seen in the lower half of the park as well as Willow Warbler, Great Tit and Blackcap before I decided to head homewards at around 1325. Coal Tits were in the trees along Riverside Avenue. Small Tortoiseshell and Small White butterflies were in the bushes near the junction with Riverside Drive. There were a few Swallows hawking for insects above the railway line and a Green Veined White butterfly was seen as I passed the Botanic Gardens.
A Robin was heard and I had close views of 4 juvenile Wrens and a young Goldcrest at Balgay Cemetery. After a bit of searching I finally managed a glimpse of a relatively vocal Sparrowhawk youngster on the south side of the hill. Despite searching for Nuthatches in the vicinity of the nest site and elsewhere I drew a blank. Nothing else was added on the walk home from there and I finished the day with a combined total of 57 species of bird, 8 of butterfly, 1 of dragonfly, 2 mammals and 2 moths. The combined total was made up of 49 species at the park and 29 outwith. Considering it is July - a month when usually birding takes a back seat due to the heat, it felt like a fairly reasonable mix of species.
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House Sparrow
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| Greenfinch |
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| Rabbit |
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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| Yellowhammer |
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Little Grebe
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Osprey & Carrion Crow
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| Osprey |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Buzzard |
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| Swift |
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Common Darter
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Redshank & Dunlin
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Red Admiral
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| Comma |
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| Mallard |
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| Skylark |
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| Yellowhammer |
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Hoverfly sp.
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Small Tortoiseshell
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| Wren |
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| Goldcrest |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Green Veined White, Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Goosander, Herring Gull, House Martin, Lapwing, Lesser
Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon,
Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Comma, Green Veined White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Dragonflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Common Darter.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
Moths (at Riverside Nature Park) - Six Spot Burnet, Yellow Shell.
