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| Goldcrest |
Although I had caught up with Curlew Sandpiper already, thanks entirely to Mark Wilkinson, I wanted to try to find one myself (and get a photo or two for this blog) as well as see what might be passing over on migration, so my plan for Saturday morning was another sunrise start at the park to see the (rather small high) tide come in, then do a spot of vis-migging from the hill, have another check of the bay as the tide receded again, then have a wander round to see if any passing migrants had stopped off for a rest and a bit to eat. Expectation levels were relatively low, but as with almost any Autumn birding, you just never know what might show up...
I headed out the door at 0600 to the sound of Robins singing in the darkness. Blackbird and Carrion Crow were heard a few minutes later as I headed uphill past the football stadiums. It was another 15 minutes before a Herring Gull was added and another 8 before a Wren was heard. The football pitches at Lochee Park held decent numbers of gulls and I was able to pick out Black Headeds and a Lesser Black Backed Gulls there along with a few more Herring Gulls. Magpie, Song Thrush, Goldcrest and Woodpigeon made it onto the list as I wandered on through Balgay Cemetery. Jackdaw was noted over the grassy area at Eton Street. A Rabbit, a heard-only Grey Wagtail and a (slight) surprise Jay rounded things off before I reached the eastern end of the park an hour after leaving the house.
Robin, Wren, Woodpigeon and a small skein of Pink Footed Geese departing from the Tay got things underway aonce I was in the park. More species followed in a relatively steady, if unspectacular, flow with Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Grey Heron, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Herring Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Bullfinch, Chiffchaff and Pied Wagtail noted on the walk along to the Lochan via the northern-most path within the park. A distant Curlew was heard and a few Rabbits had their breakfast interrupted by me passing by. A surprise was the sound of a Pheasant, for the first time in a few months, though I suspect it will have been the same bird we heard regularly back in Spring.
The usual trio were in residence at the Lochan - Teal, Mallard and Moorhen. A Meadow Pipit headed over westwards and a few Magpies chattered away from the hedge-line. A Blackcap chakked at the junction of paths and a trio of Linnets flew over. As I wandered along towards the hide at the western end a Cormorant flew east relatively high up, suggesting it hadn't just taken off from down in the bay. A few more migrants - Siskin and Skylark, headed over before I reached the hide. Scanning from there racked up more species for the list - Dunlin, Redshank, Bar Tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Black Headed Gull, Goosander, Starling, and Feral Pigeon. After the first pass, it was a case of more methodical checking which did prove quite productive with Knot and Ruff both being found. Rather than my original plan of heading round to the hill, I found myself relatively engrossed by the birds down in the bay - though there hadn't been too many migrants passing over previously, so I probably wasn't missing out too much.
I was joined by Keith a little later as I searched through the waders on the mud in search of a Curlew Sandpiper or something else I might not be expecting. There was a distinctive looking wader that I couldn't quite place which I kept glimpsing among the flock of birds but then it would disappear behind a Redshank and I'd move on again. Eventually I managed to get a proper look and the penny dropped. It was an 'out of context' Sanderling. A new bird for me at the park, though one that Keith had actually added to the park list last year, around the same time. We eventually managed to find a Curlew Sandpiper though we were both a little uncertain about it at the time (photos confirmed the ID). Keith had to head off around 1000.
I hung around at the hide for a bit longer adding Black Tailed Godwit, Coal Tit, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Grey Wagtail, Jackdaw and Song Thrush. A Rook flew over, a Jay was heard shrieking loudly and the Kingfisher called from somewhere down on the burn, though hidden from view by the overly plentiful vegetation. A Great Black Backed Gull was spotted down on the pipe before I eventually headed into the main part of the park for a belated look around. A few Swallows sped overhead and a Goldcrest was calling from the hedge as I wandered to the Lochan for a look. Keith had mentioned that he had seen a Wigeon there (that I hadn't - though it is now impossible to see the whole of the water from any one accessible point). Sure enough the Wigeon was still there.
I had a slow walk round the top half of the park in a clockwise direction before deciding to visit the top of the hill to see what else I might be able to see. There were a few small groups of Oystercatchers visible flying upriver as well as a few Cormorants around. One of these on the pipe looked smaller than the others beside it, but it was a definite Cormorant rather than a Shag (which is very uncommon from the park). I managed to find a distant Great Crested Grebe out on the river. A Buzzard was spotted perched on a pole across at the airport and a few minutes later a pair of Mute Swans flew in from the north and headed round towards Kingoodie. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling quite distantly and I managed to pinpoint it in the top of a tree somewhere near the car park. A second woodpecker flew past the hill giving good views, a bit later. A Red Admiral butterfly flitted past and I had a chat to a Canadian dog walker who was visiting the park for the first time.
After some more sitting around atop the hill I checked out the lower half which added Yellowhammer, Stock Dove, Goldfinch and Greenfinch, taking the total for the park to a surprisingly good 62. I finally left the park just after 1400 and headed homewards. Long Tailed Tits were noted on Riverside Avenue. A Buzzard was seen from Glamis Road. Balgay Cemetery added a mixed flock of Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest and Treecreeper in the trees near the toilet block. A Common Gull was found at the football pitches and another Red Admiral flew past me as I waited to cross the road at Logie Street. I headed up towards the Law which got me both Chiffchaff and Chaffinch near the allotments and a flyover Meadow Pipit. Closer to home both House Sparrow and Pied Wagtail took the total number of species for outwith the park to 23, and a combined total of 65 species of bird and 1 each of mammal and butterfly. A tiring but relatively productive and enjoyable day's birding, even if my pre-planned activities at the park didn't actually come to fruition.
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Mallard |
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| Linnet |
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Knot, Redshank & Dunlin
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| Cormorant |
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Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin
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Sanderling, Dunlin & Ruff
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Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper & Redshank
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Dunlin, Redshank, Knot & Sanderling
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Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Dunlin & Black Headed Gull
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| Magpie |
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| Teal |
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Song Thrush
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| Yellowhammer |
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Great Crested Grebe
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Mute Swan
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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| Cormorant |
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Buzzard |
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| Wigeon |
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| Goldcrest |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Robin |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaf, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Song Thrush, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Red Admiral.
Mammals (oywith Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Hering Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Sanderling, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Red Admiral.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
