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| Mediterranean Gull (& Black Headed Gull, Sandwich Tern) | |
This summer is proving to be relatively slow for new species for my #2025Dundee150 list with June having only delivered a Cuckoo on the 5th of the month. I'd hoped that things would pick up a bit in July with 'Autumn migration' already underway. As if to illustrate this movement, my first Tree Pipit of the year overflew on the 7th of July while I was walking to work, taking my total so far to 129 species. At the same point in 2023 my total was 124, but in 2024 the figure was 135. However, my final total in 2023 was 155, while 2024 proved to be lot less productive in the second half of the year with only another 15 species added between then and the end of the year. There are never 2 years the same, so this year could yet go either way, or even find its own completely unexpected route to somewhere around the finish line.
For my midweek outing on the 9th of July, I had been contemplating a trip to Broughty Ferry but with decent weather and the school holidays now underway, I decided a better bet would be Riverside Nature Park. Mark had found a summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull on Monday and I hoped that it would hang around, though often they are 'one day wonders'. My expectations were rather low, given how many times I've scanned through every single gull in the bay multiple times in search of a Mediterranean Gull from the park. I headed out just after 0700 as it was meant to get rather warm as the day progressed and I wanted to get to the park before the higher temperatures arrived. House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Swift, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon and Starling got things started off. Blackbird and Jackdaw were seen before a slight lull in proceedings.
Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Sparrowhawk, Magpie, House Martin, Dunnock, Wren, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and Great Tit were all added as I headed to the top of the Law for a quick look around. Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Goldcrest were noted before I set off back down the hill. A Siskin was heard on the walk down to Lochee Road. At Victoria Park, I found the day's first butterfly - a Green-veined White. A Nuthatch was seen near the bridge then Robin and Bullfinch were spotted as I headed for the Kelso Street steps. A Swallow zipped past me on Blackness Road. Greenfinch was heard as I passed the Invercarse Hotel. Song Thrush was my final addition before I reached the eastern entrance to Riverside Nature Park.
Things felt relatively quiet at the park initially. Blackbird, Goldfinch, Wren and Herring Gull were first onto the visit list. Woodpigeon, Siskin and Song Thrush as well as a couple of Meadow Brown butterflies were next. More wandering around the lower half provided me with Whitethroat, Coal Tit, Blackcap, Carrion Crow, Swift and Feral Pigeon. Chiffchaff, Magpie, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Green-veined White butterfly were noted as I made my way towards the car park. It was by now rather warm and there seemed to be plenty of butterflies about. Both Large and Small White and a Small Tortoiseshell were seen by the car park. A Robin was seen from the car park. A Red Admiral and a Comma joined the other butterfly species on the list for the day by the junction of paths to the west.
A trio of Oystercatchers overflew and the first Skylarks of the morning ascended above the hilltop. Curlew and Sandwich Tern were easily seen when I got my first view of the bay and the river. A singing Sedge Warbler, a flyover Swallow and a passing Linnet all added to the birds already on the day's list. The tide still had a fair bit to go on its way back in but a bit of scanning got Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Mallard, Common Gull and Redshank. A trio of Little Egrets could just be made out on the small island off Kingoodie. A couple of Sand Martins headed west out over the bay. A Ringlet butterfly was seen by the small pools and a vocal Great Black-backed Gull flew past. Dunnock, Grey Wagtail and Greenfinch were all noted as I headed round for a look at the Lochan (or at least what little of it is currently just visible).
A few Six-Spot Burnet moths were new for the day, as well as for the year. A Pheasant called loudly from beyond the wooden gate. A Reed Bunting sang from the hedgerow by the Lochan. A few Moorhens were seen at the Lochan, as well as a Great Tit above me and a Buzzard off to the north. A slow wander round the top half of the park again failed to add anything new, but by the time I made it back round at the bay, the incoming tide had covered around a third of what had been previously above water. A distant Mute Swan was picked out on the river towards the islet. After a lot of scanning through the Sandwich Terns and Black-headed Gulls across the far side of the bay, I picked out a gull with an obviously black hood, and a visibly orange-red bill. Photos, despite the distance and heat distortion, confirmed the ID. I had my hoped for Mediterranean Gull.
Over the course of the next hour, my only additions were Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Shelduck (an adult with 9 small ducklings). Across the bay, I'd seen a couple of potential Common Terns but they weren't convincing enough to be absolutely certain of the ID. Around 1255, I happened to glance upwards and was pleasantly surprised to spot a silent Common Tern above me. I quickly grabbed a few photos as it headed out towards the river. This was my second new bird of the day for my #2025Dundee150 list, and a very welcome bonus. Another wander added Jackdaw and Stock Dove from the hide, and back round near the picnic tables again, I had a brief look at a second Common Tern. Over the next couple of hours, I found a Speckled Wood butterfly, a small flock of Starlings and what was surprisingly the day's first Rabbits.
I finished the park visit around 1530 having managed to see, or hear, a total of 55 species of birds, 9 species of butterflies, 1 species of mammal and 1 species of moth. On leaving the park, I crossed the road and found a couple of Meadow Browns by the trees opposite. As I wandered along eastwards, I heard a Sandwich Tern calling and remembered that the Amazon warehouse often holds a Tern and Gull roost around high tide. I stopped to scan what I could see of the roof, through gaps between the roadside trees. It was full of birds - Sandwich Terns (including at least 3 ringed birds), a single Herring Gull, a single Common Gull and what was very likely the earlier Mediterranean Gull. Having taken lots of very poor record shots of the bird earlier, I was pleased to be able to get some decent views and photos of the bird. I spent around 15-20 minutes scanning through the roost from various spots in case I overlooked anything before moving on again (and later at home checking the photos found what appears to be the front half of a Common Tern too).
I had just left when the birds in the roost took to the air en masse and headed east towards the airport. I wondered if they might be headed in the direction of the football pitches by the Bridgeview Station restaurant and crossed the road for a better look. As I looked through the binoculars, something very reflective flew through my view and disappeared out of sight behind a tree. I had seen just enough to realise it was a vintage Douglas Dakota, so I ran down towards the airport fence to try to get some photos of the rare visitor to the airport (all the way from Switzerland). I even bumped into my old plane-spotting buddy at the fence and managed to rather cheekily mooch a lift up the road, saving myself from a long weary walk in the process (thanks, Geoff & Jackie). I ended the day with a combined total of 59 species of birds (including 2 new for my #2025Dundee150 list - in bold), made up of 55 species at the park, and 35 outwith. In addition I also managed to get 9 of butterflies and 1 each of mammal and moth. Given my low expectations for the day it had worked out much better than I could have hoped for.
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Siskin |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Large White |
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| Large White |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Little Egret |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Redshank & Common Sandpiper |
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| Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gull & Sandwich Tern |
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| Grey Heron, Oystercatcher, Carrion Crow & Black Headed Gull |
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| Common Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Large White |
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| Sandwich Tern, Black Headed Gull & Mediterranean Gull |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Tern, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Mediterranean Gull, Nuthatch, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Green-veined White, Meadow Brown.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird,
Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Mediterranean Gull, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk,
Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Comma, Green-veined White, Large White, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
Moth (at Riverside Nature Park) - Six-spot Burnet.
