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| Teal |
Although Saturday's birding wasn't the most exciting, it had been worthwhile getting out and about. I wanted to get some birding done on Sunday as well, and despite the relatively low number of species around at Riverside Nature Park just now, I decided to try there anyway. There was no real rush to get there as high tide wasn't until some time around mid-afternoon, though as it was quite a big tide, it would likely be around 1300-1330 or so when the birds would be most visible from the hide. I decided to take my time and see what I could find along the way as I headed for the park rather than rush there and have to find ways to kill time while waiting for the tide to come in.
It was just after 0935 when I headed out. Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, Chaffinch, Starling, Magpie, Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Dunnock made for a relatively busy first 5 minutes outside. I continued on towards the Law where Blackbird and Goldfinch were noted followed by a few Bullfinches in the big gardens down the Law Steps on the western slopes towards Lochee Road. Wren and Great Tit were added near Tullideph Priory and as I wandered up the track from Saggar Street to Balgay Hill a Song Thrush was heard. Further up the track I spotted a Fox headed in my direction. Once it realised I was there it cut off down through the trees to the south of the track. Unfortunately my camera was still in my bag so I missed out on yet another photo opportunity.
My slow wander across Balgay Hill found a couple of singing Mistle Thrushes, a single Jay, Coal Tit, and an elusive Nuthatch (which was heard only). Although there was no real need to get to the western end of Riverside Nature Park first - given the tide state, I decided I might as well route through Ninewells Community Garden. Having seen the odd Redpoll around the hospital before I knew there might be a slim chance of running into one but I didn't think it particularly likely. A trio of Rooks flew up Ninewells Avenue as I headed down towards the footbridge at the eastern end of the hospital grounds. There was a small flock of Goldfinches and Siskins in one of the nearby trees and I took a closer look at them, just in case but failed to find anything else amongst them.
As I started to cross the bridge I stopped to watch a Long Tailed Tit foraging in a small tree at eye level just a couple of metres away. There was also a Goldfinch in the same tree but it was the bird behind those that caught my eye. A Lesser Redpoll! - my 100th species within Dundee this year - taking me two-thirds of my way to my target figure of 150. Just as with the earlier Fox sighting, the camera was still in the bag. By the time I had retrieved it from my bag, the birds had moved on to a different tree. I wanted a record shot of the Redpoll, if at all possible. I spent the next 20 minutes or so searching through the numerous birds on both sides of the road which included a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Redwings, Goldcrest, Greenfinch, Chaffinch as well as the aforementioned Long Tailed Tits, Siskins and Goldfinches. There were also a few Blackbirds, Blue Tits and Great Tits around. I finally managed to track down 3 Lesser Redpoll and managed to get a few 'record shots'.
I stopped off at the feeders in the community garden but failed to add anything new - though I did have good views of a Song Thrush near the gate into the garden. I managed one further addition before reaching the park just before noon, with a Black Headed Gull flying over the end of Perth Road not far from the underpass. My list for the park got underway with Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Herring Gull, Blue Tit, Redshank, Common Gull, Mallard, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Black Headed Gull, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Wren and Grey Heron all noted from around the hide area. I then wandered along for a look at the Lochan adding Magpie on the way. There were a few Teal there asleep as well as the male Pheasant seen previously - possibly the same regular bird as last year just now favouring a different area of the park, where it is much more visible.
I continued round the top half of the park which got me Siskin and Skylark before I was once again scanning out over the bay from atop the hill. I found a few Bar Tailed Godwits beyond the pipe. A Buzzard was visible on the fenceline at the airport while a number of Curlew were on, and alongside, the runway. More scanning from the banking north of the toilet added Cormorant, Dunlin, Shelduck and distant Greylag Geese, while the trees and bushes held a few Bullfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch. Blackbird and Long Tailed Tits were seen nearby and a Stock Dove overflew. I had a chat with a couple of birders and as we chatted I had inconclusive views of what appeared to be very distant Goosander and Red Breasted Merganser. As the tide pushed in further I headed back to the hide but not before spotting a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers close in below.
From the hide, Redwing and Treecreeper were noted and the Red Breasted Merganser pair swam up the burn accompanied by 2 Goosander (possibly the birds seen distantly earlier). I scanned through the remaining waders but failed to find anything unusual among the mostly Redshanks that were left in the bay. Once it was clear that I was out of luck I headed back to check the outer bay again and was in the right place at the right time to see a single Turnstone fly out of the bay. I wandered back to the Lochan to see if the Teal had woken up and found a Moorhen there as well as what appeared to be the same potential female Green Winged Teal as the previous weekend. Although some of the views were closer this time around, I finally managed to get a photo which clinched the ID.....as 'just' a female Teal. Still, mystery solved.
A wander round the lower half of the park added only Rook to the list and I eventually decided to head homewards around 1445 having managed to double my rather disappointing midweek total of species to 40 at the park. The walk back home produced very little new except Pink Footed Geese and a Sparrowhawk while I chatted to a fellow OM-1 user near the top of the bottom half of Glamis Road and a couple of Stock Doves at Balgay Cemetery. Another trio of Pink Footed Geese were seen passing to the north of the Law as I scanned from the summit there. My total number of birds for the day was 54, made up of the 40 at the Nature Park and 34 outwith, with 1 (in bold) new for my Dundee150 list. Having now reached the 100 mark, I have 10 and a half months left to get another 50, which I know won't be quite as simple a task as it sounds. Time will tell if I will succeed or not, but I will certainly be putting in the requisite effort (and no doubt relying on others, like Keith, Lainy, Mark & Ian to rustle up some additional species for me too). Here's hoping for another good year...
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Lesser Redpoll
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Song Thrush
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| Redwing |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Coal Tit
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| Dunnock |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Jackdaw |
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Great Tit
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| Robin |
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| Pheasant |
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| Skylark |
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Shelduck & Teal
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Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull, Grey Heron, Redshank
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| Oystercatcher |
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Stock Dove
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Goosander & Red Breasted Merganser
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| Turnstone |
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| Teal |
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| Teal |
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| Mallard |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Pink Footed Goose
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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, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Redpoll, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Fox.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull,
Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Grey Heron,
Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Long Tailed
Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Robin,
Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Stock
Dove, Teal, Treecreeper, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren.
