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| Osprey |
The same feeling that had blighted Friday's birding efforts lingered into Saturday morning and I contemplated just staying in bed rather than getting up and heading out for some birding. However, I decided I should really take a walk out to Riverside Nature Park to see if I could find something for my #2025Dundee150 list. As high tide was very early, there seemed little point in dragging my scope and tripod with me as by the time I reached the park, most of the waders would already be relatively distant. I knew that might not work out in my favour, but travelling light made sense. As well as lacking motivation, the 'not quite right' feeling was also still hanging around me.
It was just after 0745 when I set off for the park. Robin, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon and Starling provided a fairly standard start to the morning's birds. Magpie, Pied Wagtail and Blue Tit were next as I wandered up past the football grounds. A small skein of 5 unidentified geese headed over silently. A Grey Wagtail flew over near the start of Byron Street and the day's first Herring Gull was perched atop a lamp-post by the school. Great Tit, Wren and Chiffchaff were all heard around the Byron Crescent area. House Sparrow and a flyover Siskin were noted at the western end of Byron Street. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the roof at Barnett's and a Tree Pipit flew over. Jackdaw and Coal Tit were added around the bottom of Loons Road. There were a few Black-headed Gulls at the Lochee Park football pitches. Jay, Chaffinch, Goldcrest and Bullfinch were all 'heard only' birds as I cut through Balgay Cemetery. Long-tailed Tits were in the trees by the railway line at the foot of the steps down from Riverside Drive. Nothing else new was added as I walked along to the eastern end of Riverside Nature Park.
I reached the park at just after 0850, a little over an hour after I had headed out. I still wasn't really feeling in the mood to spend too long at the park and I toyed with just giving the park a quick 'once around' then heading back home again. That did feel like a bit of a waste of the energy used just to get to the park and then to get home again, so I decided to just try to make the most of having actually made it as far as the park. My expectations were rather low, just like my energy levels and overall mood. Woodpigeon, Robin, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Carrion Crow and 2 Jays started things off at the park with Blackcap, Coal Tit, Jackdaw, Goldcrest, Magpie, Wren, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Buzzard, Black-headed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Chiffchaff and Swallow making for a busy first 10 minutes in the eastern half of the park. A few Rabbits were seen in amongst the saplings. Meadow Pipits overflew as I headed round to check the Lochan, which proved completely fruitless. I scanned out over the bay from the raised banking noting Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mallard, Common Gull and Great Black-backed Gull. I spotted Keith further on and wandered along to join him. Teal, Redshank, Curlew, Little Egret, Cormorant and Goosander were picked out while Siskin, Goldfinch, Grey Wagtail, Starling, Greenfinch and Tree Pipit either overflew or were seen in the bushes nearby.
Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and a very distant Osprey were all added to the list over the next wee while. A few migrant Skylarks put in an appearance. Curlew Sandpiper and Knot were picked out down on the mud and a small flock of Redpoll headed out over the bay. A sleeping duck that looked a bit odd turned out to be a young-ish Shelduck. Keith headed off homewards and I contemplated doing likewise, but decided to stay for a little while longer. A Rook flew over towards the airport and a few Oystercatchers were seen out over the river. A Pied Wagtail was heard but not seen, and the morning's first Grey Heron was seen distantly towards Kingoodie. A Red Admiral was the first butterfly of the day. I wandered in to check the 'bowl'. Another Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat were spotted up the northern end before a small skein of half a dozen Pink-footed Geese appeared from the north, tracking southwest. A Common Darter dragonfly was hunting near the end of the bushes at the 'bowl'. I wandered up to the top of the hill for a look from there. House Martin and Lapwings were seen from the viewpoint before I wandered back down and round past the still empty lochan. A Large White butterfly was noted a bit further round the path.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker and some Long-tailed Tits were added near the car park. I decided to check the buddleia alleyway up from the car park in case there were any grounded migrants hiding away in the bushes there. I spotted a Buzzard drifting over from the direction of the hospital. As I raised the camera to get a few photos, I noticed another bird much higher in the sky travelling in the same direction. With the Buzzard being much lower it didn't take long for it to disappear over the bushes. I decided to see what the other bird was. This proved to be a very good idea. I quickly refound the bird. Almost immediately I realised it was something very good - a bird I had suspected should be possible on passage over Dundee, but which had eluded me until now. I made sure to get as many photos of the bird as possible, all the time saying to myself "that has to be a Honey-Buzzard". The plentiful photos showed that it wasn't wishful thinking, and I had another new bird for my #2025Dundee150 list.
I spent a few minutes trying to get a photo from my camera screen using my phone so I could report the sighting on the local WhatsApp grapevine(s). This took longer than it should have which meant that by the time I got put word out, the bird was likely well on its way towards Cupar. I sent word to the Fife chat group but the bird (with distinctive asymmetric damage to both wings) wasn't seen again - though a different Honey Buzzard was seen crossing the Forth the next morning (Another was seen in Shetland on the same day as mine, suggesting the species was on the move likely from Scandinavia). Needless to say, my mood was lifted considerably by the Honey Buzzard and I ended up spending over an hour longer at the park though the only addition during that extra time was a Small White butterfly. My final totals for the park were 58 species of birds, 3 of butterflies, 1 of dragonflies and 1 of mammals. The walk home added Treecreeper and Swallow around the football pitches at Lochee Park and a Buzzard circling near the Law. House Martin and a Red Admiral were spotted as I wandered up Kilberry Street and a pair of Buzzards were seen together over Byron Street.
The totals for outwith the park were 30 species of birds and 1 of butterflies and the combined totals were 61 species of birds (1 new for my #2025Dundee150 list - in bold), 3 of butterflies, 1 of dragonflies and 1 of mammals. To say I was glad that I had persevered at the park rather than returning home after a quick look as I had considered doing would be an understatement. Hobby is now the one remaining 'realistic' raptor target species still to find from within the city, and a migrant bird passing over would be the most likely scenario to get one. I would also like a better view (and photos) of a Goshawk over Dundee. Far less likely raptors would be Golden Eagle, Pallid Harrier and Red-footed Falcon. Not impossible but any of those is likely to require a LOT of luck, but you just never know with birds.
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| Blackcap |
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| Buzzard |
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| Great Black-backed Gull |
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| Osprey |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Shelduck |
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| Skylark |
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| Blackcap |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Lapwing |
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| Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Honey Buzzard |
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| Blackcap |
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| Blackcap |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
Birds - (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blue
Tit,
Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring
Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black-backed
Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Swallow, Tree
Pipit, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Red Admiral.
Birds
(at Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard,
Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant,
Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted
Woodpecker, Great Tit,
Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Honey Buzzard, House Martin, Jackdaw, Jay, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Egret, Long-tailed
Tit,
Magpie, Mallard, Meadow
Pipit, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Rook, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Starling, Stock
Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Pipit, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Large White, Red Admiral, Small White.
Dragonflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Common Darter.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
