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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
With rather wet weather forecast for Wednesday I decided that I should really put maximum effort into attempting to clear my back-log of photo-editing and blog-posts, or preferably both. I did actually make a start to my photo-editing and was determined to not get easily sidetracked as is often the case. However, a message from Keith at Riverside Nature Park came through at 0908. It read "Little Stint on far side of the bay near boat". Little Stint isn't even an annual visitor to the park, or Dundee as a whole, so despite the weather (and being back at work on Thursday) I knew I would have to make the effort to try for the bird. The forecast was for the rain to get a bit heavier while still being relatively warm - which meant a 'big coat' would mean being too hot on the walk to the park. However, the winds were to be quite light, so an umbrella was actually an option.
Although I'm far from keen on umbrellas it would mean I could stay relatively dry - though an extra set of hands might be needed. I got organised and headed out just after 1000. On the plus side was the fact that by the time I reached the park, the tide was likely to have moved the waders down in front of the hide making searching through them a bit easier. However, as has happened many times over the years, a train passing could just as easily send every bird right out of the bay before I even got there. I would have to hope for the former. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Starling and Herring Gull were first onto the list for the day, though having a large umbrella above my head did limit my view somewhat. Jackdaw, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Goldfinch were next as I headed along Byron Street. Robin and Blackbird were heard around the bottom of Loons Road.
Black-headed and Common Gulls were seen on the football pitches at Lochee Park just before my phone rang. It was Lainy phoning to see if I was going to see the Little Stint. I told her I was already on my way. She offered to pick me up as she was just about to leave to try for it too. I added House Sparrow and Lesser Black-backed Gull before Lainy arrived to get me. It turned out that she and the guys she goes birding with weekly had been down in Northumberland the previous day and had actually 'dipped' on a Little Stint while down there. I suggested parking at the very end of the Perth Road and cutting down through the underpass to the hide at the park so we headed there instead of the car park, or Invergowrie. We reached the hide at the park just after 1055. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Long-tailed Tit were all noted on the short walk from the car to the park.
As I had hoped the waders were all strung out along the mud down in front of the hide. We set up our tripods and scopes and started scanning through the birds we could see. We were joined by Danny Rumble and shortly after by Ian Morrison, both of whom Lainy had let know about the Stint being at the park, before setting off. Both had been on the Northumbreland trip the day before. Danny and Lainy both managed to get onto the Little Stint first and we eventually all managed to see it. In addition to the Little Stint, there were plenty of Redshanks and Dunlin, as well as the Greenshank, Golden Plover, Ruff, at least 4 Curlew Sandpipers, a few Black-tailed Godwits, Bar-tailed Godwit and Knot. Other birds seen included Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Curlew, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Wren, Mallard and Feral Pigeon. A Grey Wagtail was heard and I managed to catch the Kingfisher as it flashed past heading towards the tunnel under the railway line.
A couple of German birders rather randomly appeared and Lainy let them view the bird through her scope before they headed off. Alex Kidd was next to arrive and he too managed to see the Stint and Curlew Sandpipers. As we were leaving to head home, Alex Smith, who I had spoke to the previous day when he was looking for Curlew Sandpipers turned up. Lainy and I stayed back to get him onto the 2 species he was hoping to see, though the views were of 2 partially hidden sleeping birds. However, he was happy with them and we headed homewards after just over an hour at the park. 16 species outwith the park and 25 at the park gave a combined total of 33 species, including 1 (in bold) that was new for my #2025Dundee150 list, taking me to 140, just 10 short of my target figure with almost 4 months to go.
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| Golden Plover, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Golden Plover, Curlew Sandpiper & Dunlin |
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| Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint, Dunlin & Redshank |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint |
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| Little Stint |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint, Dunlin & Redshank |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Mallard, Redshank, Dunlin & Little Stint |
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| Grey Heron, Curlew Sandpiper, Redshank & Dunlin |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Woodpigeon.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Golden Plover, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Knot, Little Stint, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Redshank, Feral Pigeon, Ruff, Woodpigeon, Wren.
