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Long Tailed Tit
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A combination of less than ideal weather, a bit of birding burn-out as well as a general malaise meant that I didn't get out birding on either Sunday the 6th or Monday the 7th of October. As I hate being stuck at home anyway, I forced myself to get out birding on Tuesday the 8th. With the schools being off on holiday, I settled on Riverside Nature Park as my destination. The park doesn't tend to attract too many school age kids/teens (at least during the day) probably as a result of the slightly out of the way location, though unfortunately the dog walkers with their cars definitely know where it is (even though there are plenty more easily accessible and better suited areas to exercise dogs locally, without disturbing wildlife, if you have a car).
Heading out at 0840 meant a relatively late start to the day's birding. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Robin, Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail and Magpie got things underway. An Oystercatcher was heard calling as I passed Dens Park. Goldcrest and Woodpigeon were noted on Byron Street. Wren, House Sparrow and Dunnock were next onto the list as I made my way towards Balgay Hill via Tullideph Road where Coal Tit and Chaffinch were found. A Meadow Pipit passed by overhead as I headed down Glamis Road. Song Thrush was noted on Glamis Drive with a Grey Squirrel, Blue Tit and Long Tailed Tit found in the trees at Hazel Avenue. Jackdaw was my final addition before I reached the park just before 0945.
It was rather grey and overcast at the park but Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Dunnock and Skylark kick-started the list there. Herring Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Pink Footed Goose, Goldfinch, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Meadow Pipit and Chiffchaff soon joined them on the park part of the day's list. An Oystercatcher overflew as I headed round to check the bay. Grey Wagtail and Wren were added before I got there. Down in the bay I was able to pick out Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Teal, Grey Heron, Curlew, Dunlin, Mallard, Black Headed Gull and Cormorant. Yellowhammer, Starling and Swallow were seen overhead. A Pheasant flew in and landed in the fenced off area behind the wooden gate, and a Greenfinch was heard calling from above.
A Lesser Black Backed Gull flew over shortly before a Sparrowhawk being harassed by a Jackdaw was spotted. At the Lochan, a small flock of Tree Sparrows were seen in flight while the usual Moorhens shared the water with a Little Grebe. I wandered round the top half of the park again noting Blue Tit, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush and Great Tit. I spent some time at the top of the hill adding Pied Wagtail and Linnet. Returning to the Lochan for another look, a Snipe showed rather well again across the opposite side feeding along the front of the reeds. My final sightings at the park were a small flock of Bar Tailed Godwits over the bay and a Speckled Wood butterfly near the eastern end as I headed for the exit.
The walk home proved to be short on birds with only a Sparrowhawk tussling with a Magpie, added to the 'outwith the park' list, as I walked along behind the Amazon warehouse. This took the 'outwith the park' list to 21 species of birds and 1 of mammal. The park list made it to a slightly disappointing 47 species of bird, and 1 of butterfly. The combined total for the day was 49 species of bird, 1 of mammal and 1 of butterfly. The weather remained rather grey and overcast all day which meant that I didn't actually take too many photos overall, though I did make the most of the opportunities offered by the Snipe's uncharacteristic behaviour as it wandered around mostly in the open once again.
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| Skylark |
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| Swallow |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Magpie |
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Little Grebe
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| Skylark |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Skylark |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Starling |
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Meadow Pipit
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Meadow Pipit
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe |
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Fly sp.
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Sparrowhawk & Magpie
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Magpie & Sparrowhawk
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Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blue Tit, Carrion
Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling,
Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds
(at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull,
Black Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion
Crow,
Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Cormorant, Curlew,
Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great
Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long
Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Oystercatcher,
Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose,
Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Snipe, Song
Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Speckled Wood.
