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| Greenfinch |
I've been struggling to get motivated recently to visit Riverside Nature Park. I tend to get frustrated at the dog walkers ignoring the signs asking them to keep dogs on a lead and to stick to the paths. Couple that with increasingly poor views of the bay, due to the height of the vegetation and a seasonal lack of birds there anyway, plus the difficulty in seeing birds in the trees and bushes around the park due to the summer foliage, it just doesn't feel like somewhere I really want to go. However, it is still one of the better areas of the city for less common species turning up, and with an influx of Red Backed Shrikes in recent weeks across much of the east coast, I had to head for the park on the off-chance that one would pass through (with the date only a few days short of the date of last year's unexpected adult male on the 28th).
I headed out rather later than I prefer to, at just before 0845 for the hour's walk to the park. Herring Gull, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Feral Pigeon and House Sparrow got the day's list started....only for it to go very quiet for the next 5 minutes. Starling, Magpie, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow got things restarted as I passed Dens Park. Blue Tit, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Dunnock were found on Canning Street. A Chaffinch was heard on Byron Street, with a Chiffchaff likewise a bit further on. As I crossed Cobden Street, an Oystercatcher flew over. Just before I reached the football pitches at Lochee Park, a Greenfinch was seen in one of the trees by the road, followed almost immediately by a Wren.
Balgay Cemetery added Jackdaw, Song Thrush, Stock Dove and Blackcap to the morning's selection of species, along with a pair of Coal Tits. Robin and Goldcrest were both heard from the Botanic Gardens as I walked along a short stretch of Perth Road to Riverside Drive. A Skylark was heard from the direction of the airport and once again, there were a few Rabbits around near the foot of the steps from Riverside Drive, by the railway line. I spotted a couple of Swifts above the trees as I neared the Nature Park just short of an hour after having left the house.
As is often the case, there was plenty going on at the eastern end of the park though House Sparrow isn't always the easiest bird to get at the park, so seeing one almost immediately was a wee bit unusual. A beakful of beasties suggested it might have had a nest close by. In addition, Starling, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Herring Gull, Oystercatcher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Skylark and Jackdaw made for a fairly busy first 10 minutes within the park. There were also a number of Rabbits around. A Blackcap was heard singing, Rook and Feral Pigeon overflew (though not together), a pair of Stock Dove took flight from the former horse/cow field and flew a wide circuit to the south. Great Tit was added as I wandered up into the quieter top half.
Magpie and Robin were noted as I wandered in the direction of the Lochan. Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler were visible in the hedge. A Green Veined White butterfly flitted past. At the Lochan there were at least 3 young Moorhens with an adult bird just out in front of the screen, mostly partially hidden by the vegetation. A drake Teal was a bit of a surprise, though Mallard and a Mute Swan on the nest were much less so. Continuing on for a look at the bay, a singing Willow Warbler was (where else?) in the single Willow tree. A Yellowhammer was in the bushes overlooking the 'bowl'. Checking the bay added Black Headed Gull and a pair of Shelduck with 8 black and white bundles of fluff in tow. A Sparrowhawk shot through just above the bushes down in front and out over the bay.
With the tide quite far out, 'new' birds proved tricky to get. I picked out a very distant group of 10 geese, which I was fairly certain were Greylags. Thankfully, later in the morning they flew past downriver, allowing me to confirm that they were indeed Greylags. The Pheasant called from somewhere unseen as I did some more scanning from the top of the hill. I found a flock of Goosander in one of the 'channels' through the mud. A Common Gull was found among the bathing birds in the burn. A Greenfinch landed in one of the nearby trees and a very distant Grey Heron was picked out next to the rocky 'island' off Kingoodie, where Cormorants and gulls could be seen roosting. I found a few Curlew down on the mud before the sun came out from behind the clouds. I managed to find a couple of Azure Damselflies at the small 'newt' pond, and had a brief glimpse of what looked like a newt, as it dived back into the murky water.
A Collared Dove flew past as I sat at the top of the hill, trying to add some more species to my list without too much extra effort. I did actually succeed in getting Wren, Linnet, Buzzard and Small Tortoiseshell butterfly from there. I spent the next 3 and a bit hours attempting to add to further the list though Bullfinch and Coal Tit were the only avian additions. A Common Carpet moth was seen, as was a Lacewing (sp.). I finally exited the park around 1515 having managed a total of 52 species of bird for the visit, as well as 3 of butterflies, 1 moth species, 1 of damselfly and 1 species of mammal. Although I hadn't really been too enthused by the thought of the park when I left the house, it hadn't turned out too bad in the end, even without any rarities or additions to my #Dundee150 list.
Heading up to Balgay Hill, Swallow and Buzzard were both spotted. The 10 Greylag Geese I'd seen earlier in the day well out on the mud to the west of the park, and which had eventually flown off downriver around lunchtime, flew over Balgay Hill just as I was reaching the toilet block at the western end, which did mean I managed to get some reasonably decent photos of the birds with the sun on them. A Treecreeper was heard further on in the cemetery. Orange Tip butterfly and Common Carpet were both seen on the walk back from the cemetery to home, though I failed to add anything new to the 30 species already seen. The combined total for the day's birding was 54 species of bird, 4 of butterfly, 1 of damselfly, 1 of mammal and 1 of moth.
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| Jackdaw |
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House Sparrow
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| Swallow |
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| Moorhen |
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Mute Swan
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| Teal |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Shelduck |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Shelduck |
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| Pheasant |
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| Buzzard |
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Sedge Warbler
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House Martin
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Greylag Goose
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Small Tortoiseshell
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Azure Damselfly
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| Rabbit |
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Lacewing sp.
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| Whitethroat |
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| Bullfinch |
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Buzzard & Carrion Crow
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Greylag Goose
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue
Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull,
House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Orange Tip.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
Moths (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Common Carpet.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap,
Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit,
Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull,
Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit,
Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser
Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen,
Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Reed
Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sedge Warbler,
Shelduck, Skylark, Song
Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler,
Woodpigeon,
Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Green Veined White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.
Damselflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Azure Damselfly.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
