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| Tawny Owl |
Having been rather limited as to what birding I could do for the past few weeks, I wanted to get out and about on Wednesday the 18th of June, but wasn't really sure where I wanted to go. Windy conditions are never really particularly helpful (except sometimes during migration, or when seawatching). High tide was also around 0800 or so, meaning that unless I made a proper early start I would be working with a receding tide. If I went to Broughty Ferry/Balmossie, then the birds would be mostly distant for most of the day. Riverside Nature Park seemed to offer a slightly better variety of potential species, but neither filled me with much optimism. Another option was to head for the driveway at Balgay Hill where I'd seen young Nuthatches being fed by their parents on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning on my walk from/to work. The downside of that option was that if I was successful, I would then need somewhere else to go anyway.
In the end, circumstances helped to make up my mind. By the time I was ready to head out it was 0845. Having got a new pair of specs last midweek (my first varifocals) along with a 'grace' period in case I found varifocals problematical, I had a second free pair to choose. I decided to pop into the opticians just after 0900 and then wander out to Riverside Nature Park, by which time, the tide should have started to recede. Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Robin, Wren, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Lesser Black Backed Gull were all noted as I made my way down to Victoria Road where a Chiffchaff was heard from near Dens Brae. A second one was heard closer to the Wellgate, where the first Woodpigeons of the day were seen. A Carrion Crow was seen in Reform Street before I reached the opticians. It was a brief visit and it didn't take long to choose a second pair - same style as those I'd got, just in a different colour. A Pied Wagtail flew over as I wandered along the Nethergate.
I cut along the path that runs between Perth Road and Riverside Drive, which runs parallel to the railway line. A few Rabbits were seen but birds were in short supply, with only a Greenfinch being added on the way. Having crossed the rainway line at Magdalen Green, I then crossed the road. With the tide in, and it being windy (plus I had decided to only wear a t-shirt, expecting the sun to come out - it didn't), I decided not to bother with the river or the football pitches. At the university playing fields I was slightly surprised to see a Kestrel flying quite low along the road. It flew into a tree on the opposite side, where a second Kestrel flew in to join it. The first bird didn't stay long and flew back over for a spot of hunting over the rough ground between the playing fields and the airport. It successfully caught a rodent (vole?) and flew back across the road and over the railway line, where again, a second Kestrel flew up to meet it. I continued on past the airport hearing a Whitethroat singing from the vegetation by the rail tracks. A pair of Sparrowhawks were seen over the Botanic Gardens and both House Martin and Starling were spotted before I reached the eastern entrance to the Nature Park at 1005.
My expectations were low and with the sun having failed to show up, I wasn't exactly relishing scanning over the bay with the wind in my face. Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch and the day's first Siskin flock - there appears to be a bit of an ongoing influx at the moment and there were several flocks of 20 or so birds seen throughout the course of this particular visit. Herring Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull were seen to the north and a Yellowhammer was singing from the short section of hedge between the two fields bordering the road. There was a flock of Jackdaws in the field behind the hedge and a Whitethroat was surprised to see me as it flew up from the ground, intent on settling on the fence. Instead it flew into cover on the opposite side of the path. Heading up into the top half of the park, a House Martin was seen over the trees and a Wren was in the bushes by the path.
A couple of Skylarks were singing over the hill and Chaffinch, Great Tit and Reed Bunting were all noted as I headed in the direction of the Lochan. A Chiffchaff was heard en route. At the Lochan most of the view is now obscured by the reeds and other vegetation which is very frustrating. A couple of drake Mallards were all that were visible, though a Pheasant was heard. I continued on round to scan across the bay. Oystercatcher, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull and Shelduck were all seen but I had time to kill before I was likely to be able to see much more in the bay. I headed up the hill first of all. A few Lapwings on the rough ground to the west of the airport were a bit of a surprise, though it turned out there were around 100 of these birds across the bay as the tide receded. There were some Starlings visible on the airport fence and a Swift was seen to the north.
There were a few Redshanks visible on the mud, though the height of the bushes and trees was making it tricky to get a clear view and a Common Sandpiper was seen in flight beside them. I headed round to check the view from the hide and the bridge. The view from the hide is now almost completely blocked by vegetation, though I did see a Lapwing and a Jackdaw, plus a couple of Mallards in a few of the small 'windows' from the hide. I wandered back round towards the raised banking having added a Song Thrush near the hide and a Swallow seen from the bridge. I stopped to photograph and film a singing Sedge Warbler before disturbing a Small White butterfly from beside the path. Feral Pigeons and a pair of Stock Doves were seen passing overhead. Back round at the bay again, I added Curlew for the day.
As the tide receded further, the number of visible Redshanks doubled to around 20. I spotted a couple of Common Sandpipers on the mud, then another few, then another. Somehow I managed to miss one - which I only noticed later at home, on a video clip I'd taken, meaning there were actually 7 of them, which I think is quite a high total for mid-June at the park (though Keith has just blown that out the water with 21, on the 27th!). A very distant Cormorant was seen on the distant island and a Buzzard was seen to the north. A single Sandwich Tern was perched on a rock across the far side of the bay and a Greenfinch was in the bushes behind me. I wandered back round for another attempt to see something at the Lochan. This did get me a Moorhen, and a Stock Dove briefly dropped in, before the Moorhen chased it off. My first couple of Ringlet butterflies of the year were flitting around between the fence and the reeds.
I headed back to the bay again, which got me a couple of Grey Herons but nothing else. Back near the car park there were a few Green Veined White butterflies over the nettles, and a Red Admiral showed for a few seconds chasing one of them. A Silver Y moth settled just beside me, allowing me to get a decent photo with my phone. A Buzzard flew over, spooking a Pied Wagtail as it did so and a second Buzzard was seen to the north circling up, with a small rodent hanging from its beak. A very fresh looking young Dunnock was my final addition at the park, taking the total there to 44, which was better than expected. As it was still only around 1330, I wasn't really in any hurry, though I did want to try to photograph the Nuthatch family at Balgay.
I weighed up my options on which route to take to get to the driveway on the north side of the hill. Head up through the Technology Park, past Carseview and through Ninewells Arboretum, or head out past the airport and up Windsor Street then Seymour Street and Blackness Avenue to the eastern end of Victoria Park (this option would let me check for White Letter Hairstreaks), or along Perth Road and up Farrington Street and into Balgay via the steps at Kelso Street, or just take my usual route. All of them meant a wander uphill regardless, so once I made up my mind which to take I set off. A flock of Siskins overflew just after I left the park, and a family group of Long Tailed Tits were seen. What I wasn't expecting before I reached the Balgay driveway was a couple of vocal young Tawny Owls 'branching' and a fairly well hidden adult in the same tree. Had I not been curious as to what the strange call that I didn't recognise was, I would have walked past them, blissfully unaware.
The owls sighting put a bit of a spring in my step. A couple of high flying Swifts, a Dunnock and a singing Blackcap were noted along the next part of my route. On my walk through Balgay I added a few more species - a Buzzard being chased by Carrion Crows, a few Stock Doves, a vocal Treecreeper, a Bullfinch and a Jay. I managed to find at least one adult and one recently fledged Nuthatch in the same trees as earlier in the week, though I missed out on a few photos when a passer-by stopped for a chat. However, I did eventually manage to get some reasonable photos of them. A Swallow was seen zipping around low over the football pitches, though nothing else was added on the rest of the walk home. I ended the day with a total of 56 species, made up of 44 at Riverside Nature Park and 37 outwith, with the Tawny Owls the obvious, very unexpected highlight by far.
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| Kestrel |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Skylark |
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| Redshank |
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| Lapwing |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Curlew |
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| Common Sandpiper & Black Headed Gull |
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| Ringlet |
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| Siskin |
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| Buzzard |
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| Silver Y moth |
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| Dunnock |
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| Soldier Beetle sp. |
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| Tawny Owl |
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| Tawny Owl |
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| Tawny Owl |
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| Tawny Owl |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Nuthatch |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tawny Owl, Treecreeper, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue
Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock,
Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring
Gull, House Martin, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed
Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Feral
Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow,
Swift, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterfly (at Riverside Nature Park) - Green Veined White, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small White.
Moths (at Riverside Nature Park) - Silver Y.
