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| Jackdaw |
While I was at work on Tuesday, word came through from Riverside Nature Park that Keith had found a Ruff in Invergowrie Bay. With waders on the move just now, I didn't expect the bird to hang around for long, expecting it to continue onwards to wherever it was going. Regardless, while there was a chance that it might stick around I knew I would have to head for Riverside Nature Park on my day off on Wednesday, just in case it had chosen to linger. The park would also give me a chance of catching up with some of the other migrants at this time of year with Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Swallow the most likely with an outside chance of Tree Pipit, Wheatear and House Martin. The way my luck has been going of late, my expectations were for one at most, with Blackcap the most likely.
I headed out at just before 0845. Rather than my usual route to the Nature Park I decided to route via the city's 2 main hills - the Law and Balgay Hill. Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow and Herring Gull made for an underwhelming start though another 5 species were just around the corner - Lesser Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Blackbird, Dunnock and Carrion Crow. As I passed Dens Park I was able to add Jackdaw, Magpie, Blue Tit, Wren and Woodpigeon. A trio of Oystercatchers flew over as I started up Canning Street and a Chaffinch was heard singing from behind the tenements. As I wandered up towards the back of the Law the day's first Starling and Goldfinches were seen.
A Chiffchaff could be heard singing from the trees on the northeast slopes of the Law and as I got closer I could hear my first Blackcap of the year singing too. I made my way up through the trees to get a view of the bird till the track was blocked by a fallen tree. Given that I'm likely to encounter plenty of Blackcaps over the summer I wasn't too bothered that it was a heard-only record. A Song Thrush was heard singing further along the northern side of the hill. I decided not to take the Saggar Street route up onto Balgay Hill, instead I went in the Pentland Avenue entrance. I could hear a Blackcap singing almost as soon as I entered the park and another could be heard from somewhere nearer the first set of steps up the hill.
As I stopped to listen, I heard (and recorded via Merlin) the unmistakeable sound of a singing Willow Warbler from further up the hill. I headed up the hill for a look but only managed a few possible sightings of warbler-like behaviour among the branches of a fallen tree. As Willow Warbler is also likely to be a regular sight I wasn't fussed that I didn't get a sighting or a photo and continued up onto the hill to see what else I could find there. A WhatsApp message came through from Mark to say he'd drawn a blank on the Ruff at the Nature Park. This was disappointing, but not particularly unexpected news. I added Nuthatch, Jay, Goldcrest, Stock Dove, Robin and a Grey Squirrel as I wandered the length of the hill. I then decided to head down Ninewells Avenue which got me Bullfinch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker about half way down and a Greenfinch nearer the bottom. I reached the park's eastern entrance at 1000.
Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, Chiffchaff, Magpie, Woodpigeon and a few Rabbits were all easily found around that end of the park. Skylark, Robin, Jackdaw, yet another Blackcap and Oystercatcher were all added as I wandered along the back of Buzzard Wood. A bird flying along the line of the railway track caught my eye and I quickly raised my binoculars for a better look. I did not expect to see a Swift hurrying along with the distinctive rapid downward flapping style the species often utilises. My view was too soon blocked by a tree and as I stepped over for a better view I lifted the camera to get a photo but failed to refind the bird again. Given that the species doesn't usually turn up for another month, it was very much a shock to see the bird (and an expletive did accompany the initial realisation as a result).
I put word out on the local WhatsApp group and continued on towards the Lochan. Just as I arrived there a message came through from Keith that he'd just refound the Ruff down in the bay. I had a very cursory glance at the birds on the Lochan - Moorhen, Teal and Mute Swan, before hurrying round to meet Keith at the end of the raised banking. He quickly got me onto the Ruff via his scope and I had my 4th new bird for my #2025Dundee150 list. I took a few photos of the bird and then started scanning through the other birds down in the bay and out on the river - Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank, Common Gull, Cormorant, Shelduck, some rather distant Pink Footed Geese and a Grey Heron. A Buzzard was seen off to the north.
Keith headed for home just before 1100 and I headed back towards the Lochan for a better look there. Although I failed to find anything else on the Lochan I did hear a Reed Bunting calling from the hedge. A Sparrowhawk and a Song Thrush were noted as I headed back round to check the bay again. I managed to add Knot and Bar Tailed Godwit to the morning's list as well as Blue Tit, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Feral Pigeon and Rook. A pair of Mallards flew out of the bay and after a bit of disturbance I spotted a high flying adult Peregrine overhead. A Black Headed Gull down in the bay was a bit of a surprise, with most of the species having moved on to their breeding grounds already.
As I headed back along the raised banking a pair of Swallows (another first for the year) zipped across in front of me and out over the bay before I could react with the camera. Round at the hide I added Curlew and Long Tailed Tit but failed to see any sign of a Turnstone which Keith had seen earlier. Keith had also seen a distant Osprey before I arrived which would have been another new species for my Dundee list for this year. More wandering added Starling and Dunnock. By around 1300 it was rather warm and butterflies began to appear - Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Orange Tip were all seen in the top half of the park.
Another circuit of the top half got me Pied Wagtail and Yellowhammer plus a Comma butterfly which posed rather nicely and a Small White taking my list for the day's visit to the park to 51 species of bird, 5 of butterflies and 1 of mammals. I left the park at around 1445 and headed for Balgay Hill. Small White, Peacock and Orange Tip butterflies were all noted as I followed the railway line back towards the Botanic Gardens. As I headed up Glamis Road a few minutes later a skein of Pink Footed Geese headed over towards the river. Nothing new was seen at Balgay with another search for my first Speckled Wood of 2025 drawing a blank, but a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was seen by the allotments on the western side of the Law as I continued on homewards.
The walk down Kinghorne Road from the Law added a Sparrowhawk tussling with a Crow, a little to the south and as I passed Gussie (or should I say, "Recreation") Park I picked up a high flying Buzzard drifting over northwards. I finished the day with a total of 59 species of bird of which 5 (in bold) were new for my #2025Dundee150 list. To get 5 new species in a single day was very unexpected and certainly very welcome. Hopefully I can add a few more Summer migrants to the list over the course of the next couple of months to take me closer to my target figure and then after that, see what the rest of the year will bring. Will it be a struggle like 2024, or will I exceed expectations like 2023?
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| Bullfinch |
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| Blackbird |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Knot |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Ruff |
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| Redshank & Dunlin |
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| Ruff & Redshank |
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| Rook |
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| Buzzard |
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| Peregrine |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Teal |
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| Peacock |
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| Orange Tip |
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| Skylark |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Comma |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Jay |
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| Nuthatch |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great
Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds
(at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit,
Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull,
Jackdaw, Knot, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow
Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon,
Rook, Ruff, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Comma, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit
