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| Whitethroat |
With a week off work on holiday coming up at the end of the week, I decided to head for Riverside Nature Park for my midweek birding on the 30th of April. I had considered trying again for Grasshopper Warbler but I knew I would have plenty of scope to do so, over the course of 9 consecutive days when I wouldn't be working. Grasshopper Warbler is a species that we don't have on the list for the park - despite it appearing to be suitable in a few parts, so I figured there was a slight chance that I might be able to find one anyway. A Lesser Whitethroat had been found by Keith the previous day and despite a rushed visit during my lunchbreak from work I had failed to connect with the bird, which wasn't particularly surprising. Although I though it likely the bird would have moved on, the thought that perhaps it hadn't was my main incentive to head for the park.
It was a bit of a later start than I had intended (not for the first, or indeed the last, time) but I was out the door for just after 0720. House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Blue Tit, Feral Pigeon, Robin, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Starling, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Magpie made for a fairly steady start to the day's list, though without there being anything at all out of the ordinary. The run of the unspectacular continued with Lesser Black Backed Gull, Wren, Blackcap, Goldcrest and Sparrowhawk as I headed for Balgay Hill. At the hill I found Stock Dove, Song Thrush, Coal Tit, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch and Goldfinch. Greenfinch was noted, as it often is, on the walk down Glamis road, along with Great Tit. A couple of Swallows swept overhead as I passed the Botanic Gardens and Long Tailed Tits were heard by the railway line before I reached the eastern entrance to the park just before 0825.
The rather 'normal' nature of the day's 'nature' continued with the list for the visit to the park starting off with Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Long Tailed Tit, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Wren, Robin, Magpie, Curlew (heard from the direction of the airport), Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Blackcap, Blackbird, Skylark, Chiffchaff and Chaffinch being noted in the lower half as I made my way along the northern edge path. A trio of Mallards flew over as I entered the top half of the park. Great Tit, Dunnock and the day's first butterfly - a Green Veined White, were noted on the way to the Lochan. Moorhen and Reed Bunting were seen when I got there. Grey Wagtail, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat were next onto the list before a message came through from Keith to say he had a partially summer plumaged Ruff down in the bay.
I headed round to join him and attempted to get photos but as the bird was walking away from us and was already over by the far side of the bay, these turned out to be mostly a waste of time. still, the Ruff had at least added something more interesting. There were Shelduck, Redshank and Oystercatcher down in the bay and a mixed flock of 7 Ringed Plover with 5 Dunlin flew in, and Keith picked out the rather distant lingering Pintail pair. An Osprey appeared but caught a fish before it reached the bay and headed off westwards again. Starling, Song Thrush, Pheasant and Yellowhammer were all seen before Keith had to head off just before 0930. A few Black Headed Gulls overflew as we packed up our scopes. I wandered back with Keith just in case he chanced upon something else 'good' along the way. At Buzzard Wood I spotted a Cinnabar Moth on the path, before we found Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma butterflies.
Keith headed homewards and I had another wander noting Swallow, Willow Warbler and Buzzard on a slow walk back towards the Lochan again. Just after 1030, I was trying to see a singing Sedge Warbler when I glanced upwards just in time to see a small-ish falcon fly over northwards. It didn't look quite right for Kestrel so I quickly grabbed a few photos and was pleaantly surprised to see it was a female Merlin - a full park tick for me, as well as being a new bird for my #2025Dundee150 list. Given its direction, I phoned Lainy to let her know it might be headed her way and to keep an eye to the skies if she was out at her patch. She was, and had been watching both Garden Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler already (both birds I 'needed'). It turned out she'd actually visited the park earlier, after checking her moth trap and had seen the Ruff but wasn't completely confident in her ID so hadn't put word out.
I continued on to the hide following the phone call noting Rook, Feral Pigeon, and a surprise pair of Pink Footed Geese on the pipe. More wandering added Peacock and Small White butterflies and a return to the bay eventually produced a few Dunlin in summer plumage and a single Common Sandpiper. Distant Mute Swan and Cormorant followed. Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Sand Martin, Grey Heron, Common Gull and Black Tailed Godwit were added over the course of the next hour before I decided to see if any of the Wheatears were still around at the airport. It turned out there were still 2 - a male and a female though they didn't appear to be 'together'. I decided to call it a day at the park around 1330 having managed to reach a total of 55 species of birds at the park.
The walk back along Riverside Avenue found a few more butterflies flitting around - Green Veined White, Orange Tip and Peacock. A Buzzard was seen as I wandered up towards Balgay where I decided to try for Speckled Wood. I found a few around the hill, my first this year. Willow Warbler was heard as I wandered up towards the Law having left Balgay after an hour or so of wandering in the cool shade of the trees. Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were seen by the allotments on the western side of the Law and after a brief visit to the top of the hill, I headed home, rather tired by what was a long day in the warm Spring sunshine. The outwith the park list was 29 species of birds, 5 of butterflies and 1 of mammals giving me combined totals for the day of 62 species of birds, 7 of butterflies, 1 of mammals and 1 of moths.
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| Blackcap |
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| Mallard |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Ringed Plover & Dunlin |
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| Comma |
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| Cinnabar Moth |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Merlin |
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| Merlin |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Dunlin |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Rook |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Black Tailed Godwit & Dunlin |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Carrion Crow & Buzzard |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Beetle sp. |
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| Green Veined White |
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| Buzzard |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Carrion Crow |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great
Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull,
Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Merlin, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Pintail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush,
Starling, Swallow, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Comma, Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Moths (at Riverside Nature Park) - Cinnabar.
