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| Redwing |
While I was at work on Friday morning, word came through that Keith Edwards had added yet another new species to the Riverside Nature Park list (number 173). The species in question was a (Greenland) White-fronted Goose. This was a long expected species, given the numbers of Pink-footed Geese that pass through in Autumn, Winter and very early Spring. I had found a possible European White-front in a few photos of a fairly distant flock a few years ago, but there wasn't quite enough detail to clinch the ID, so it wasn't counted. Keith's bird was relatively close and there was absolutely no doubt. However, it disappeared shortly after Keith put word out. Nevertheless, I knew where I was going on Saturday morning.
I would need to get to the park for before sunrise, probably no later than around 0800, so the alarm was set to allow me to get organised and down to the park in time for the geese departing from the bay and the river. Needless to say, I rolled over and went back to sleep for the best part of another hour. I still managed to get out for just after 0715, which meant I would probably reach the bay a few minutes after sunrise. With relatively decent conditions forecast I had a feeling that might be just a bit too late. Robin, Herring Gull and Blackbird in the pre-dawn gloom close to home were first on the day's list, then an overflying Redwing near the start of Byron Street. Magpie and Carrion Crow were added near the western end of the same street, along with a noisy Wren. A Song Thrush was singing from beside the Miley and both Black-headed and Common Gulls were at the Lochee Park football pitches. Bullfinch, Dunnock, Siskin, Blue Tit and Goldcrest were found as I cut through Balgay Cemetery.
Unfortunately, the first few hundred Pink-footed Geese headed northwards even earlier than I had thought they might. I cut down through Ninewells Arboretum, behind the hospital. Even more Pink-feet headed over, leaving me wondering if there would be any left by the time I reached the park. Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Long-tailed Tit, Rook and Coal Tit were seen at the Arboretum along with Grey Squirrel and a few Rabbits. I made it the park's western entrance for 0820. There were still Pink-footed Geese leaving the river, heading low overhead northwards. However, the light wasn't too great, meaning trying to pick out any detail on the birds was rather tricky, and there were way too many to really check every single bird properly before they passed overhead. Blackbird, Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tit, Redwing, Siskin, Redpoll and Wren were all noted as I hurried round to the raised banking. There were still a handful of Pink-footed Geese in the bay but scanning through them with my scope confirmed my suspicion that there would be no White-front with them.
There was however a rather large, and very distant, raft of perhaps a few thousand birds much further out on the river, beyond Kingoodie.This raft of geese was way too far away for me to see any detail with my small scope. I was able to find a few Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Gull, Cormorants, Teal, Grey Heron and a pair of Greylag Geese (not the non-Pinky species I was hoping for), while a Dunnock showed nicely close by. A flock of Fieldfares flew over quite low. A few minutes before 0900, I heard an unusual bird call from a small bird which circled round once over 'the bowl' behind me. I fumbled with my phone, trying to get a recording of the call with the Merlin app to confirm my suspicions, but the bird went quiet after a single burst of the call and before I even got my phone unlocked. I tried to get the bird in the camera viewfinder and failed with that also. The bird was a Snow Bunting and it flew off in the direction of Invergowrie. I was annoyed at myself for not getting any photos, or a recording, but while the memory of the call was still strong in my head, I double-checked with the Collins Bird Guide app and Merlin's recordings to be completely certain. It was a new bird for my #2025Dundee150 list - either number 150 if you don't count the previous week's Ring-necked Parakeet, or number 151 if, like me, you do.
A few Linnets, a trio of Meadow Pipits, Woodpigeons and some Greenfinches were added during the time I continued scanning out over the bay. Oystercatchers, Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and Mallard were all found before I spotted Keith and headed over to talk to him. There were still small flocks of Pink-feet taking off from the distant raft, but we failed to see any possible White-fronts amongst those that came close enough for us to check as the light improved a little. Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Great Tit and Feral Pigeon were all noted as I accompanied Keith round towards the eastern entrance before he headed homewards and I had a wander round the park slowly to kill time until the tide recded enough for waders to begin to reappear on the mud. Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Jackdaw and Song Thrush were around but I failed to find any Woodcock. I had a chat to a lady with binoculars who was visiting the park for the first time, who mentioned that the tide had started to recede and that the waders were back on the mud. At the hide, the view was very much improved thanks to Ian Ford, Lainy, Keith and others who recently cleared a lot of vegetation and tidied things up. I was able to add a quartet of Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks aplenty, a number of Dunlin and eventually 3 Knot and a decent number of Curlew, before I headed back round to the raised banking for a wider angle view.
Mistle Thrush was noted on the way, and a Treecreeper was heard from the trees and bushes near the lone Willow. A Great Black-backed Gull and also a late lingering Lesser Black-backed Gull were on the pipe. A female Wigeon with what appeared to be white 'armpits' (as American Wigeon has - though so do some Eurasian Wigeon too) was seen just beyond the pipe but it flew off westwards after a few minutes. More scanning failed to add anything else on the river, or down in the bay, except 3 Bar-tailed Godwits. From the top of the hill, a Buzzard was seen perched over at the airport fire training area. My final addition to my park visit list for the day was a Goldfinch near the eastern end. This took me to 49 species which is fairly decent for late November there, though there were still a few species I might have been able to add had I stayed but I decided to head homewards via Balgay instead. Needless to say some geese started to return as I headed up past the Invercarse Hotel.
A Mistle Thrush and a Redwing were in the bushes next to the hotel. House Sparrows were seen in Eton Street and a Cormorant overflew high towards the river as I crossed the grassy area between there and Elliot Road. My back had started to ache by this time but I continued up through the cemetery. A trio of Stock Doves circled round over the wooded hill part of the cemetery and there were numerous Woodpigeons and more Stock Doves dotted around in the bare trees. I spent a bit of time trying to get a photo of a Grey Squirrel jumping the gap between trees in Royal Victoria Hospital grounds and those on the lower slopes of the hill, but when it did finally make the jump, there were too many branches blocking my view and I failed to get the hoped for photos. A bit further on I had brief views of a Nuthatch before being distracted by a Red Squirrel glimpsed high in a tall conifer. I spent a while trying to get a clear view but wasn't successful though I did get an almost in-focus photo. There were a couple of Jays chasing each other round among the trees behind me. Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and Chaffinch were spotted and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard before I finally called it a day at the hill.
Goldfinch and Feral Pigeons made it onto the list as I headed along Pentland Avenue. I couldn't face the steep walk up towards the Law so instead took the more gradual climb up Cobden Street to Loons Road where a single Starling overflew. A Sparrowhawk was seen in flight as I passed Byron Crescent and what may or may not have been the same bird was seen flying up to land on the tall chimney behind SCAN Building Services. I ducked down behind parked cars to get the camera out of the bag for a few photos of it stood atop the rim, but it flew off before I was quite ready. I did however manage to get a few very dark flight shots. The Sparrowhawk took my total outwith Riverside Nature Park for the day to 34 and a combined total of 57 species of birds, including one #2025 Dundee150 list addition (in bold) and 3 species of mammals. Despite failing to get the White-fronted Goose (which I believe took Keith's total number of species at the park to the same as mine again), it had actually been a fairly decent day's birding with a nice mix of species found, relatively decent weather and some pretty good photo opportunities, although I really could have done without the sore back.
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Fieldfare |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Redwing |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Black-tailed Godwit |
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| Curlew & Redshank |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Knot & Redshank |
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| Red-breasted Merganser |
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| Fieldfare |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Wigeon |
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| Grey Heron & Black-tailed Godwit |
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| Dunlin, Herring Gull & Teal |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Siskin |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Goldcrest |
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| Goldcrest |
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Red Squirrel |
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| Jay |
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| Sparrowhawk |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long-tailed Tit,
Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Pink-footed Goose, Redwing, Robin,
Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove,
Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Red Squirrel.
Birds (from Riverside Nature Park) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock,
Fieldfare,
Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull,
Jackdaw, Knot, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit,
Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Pink-footed
Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Redpoll, Redshank, Redwing, Robin,
Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Snow Bunting, Song Thrush, Teal, Treecreeper, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (from Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
