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| Blackcap |
Although I had managed to add Curlew Sandpiper to my #2026Dundee150 list on the 29th of August, Mark had managed to find another Sanderling in Invergowrie Bay during the following week, along with a Mediterranean Gull. Both of these species were still on my 'needed' list, so having been stuck at home on Friday the 4th of September waiting on a parcel that didn't even make it to Scotland that day (and fitted through my letterbox anyway, once it did), I decided to try Riverside Nature Park again, in the hope that I might see one or both, or maybe even another passage wader or resting passerine migrant. At this time of year, anything can happen (though here in Dundee, mostly it doesn't - which does make it a wee bit more enjoyable when it eventually does).
An early start was very much on the cards due to the tide times, so it was just after 0600 when I stepped outside for the walk to the park. Herring Gull, Robin, Jackdaw, Wren, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Meadow Pipit, a mewing Buzzard, Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail and Starling made for a reasonably decent first 20 minutes or so. Lesser Black-backed Gull was added on Ancrum Road, along with Dunnock. Both Black-headed and Common Gulls were at the Lochee Park football pitches. Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Goldcrest and Chaffinch were found in Balgay Cemetery. Chiffchaff and Blackbird rounded off the journey to the park. I headed in the eastern entrance.
Carrion Crow, Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Herring Gull and a small flock of Godwits (mostly Bar-tailed but with at least 1 Black-tailed) got things underway. Wren, Meadow Pipit, an unexpected Jay, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were all noted before I'd gone very far. A small flock of white birds catching the early morning sun were seen in flight to the north. These weren't the expected gulls, but 5 Little Egrets heading east (more or less on the same 'route' as the Great White Egret I saw in 2024 from beside the airport, perhaps following the railway line/Perth Road). A few Swallows swept by. Greenfinch and Chaffinch were in the trees as I headed up into the top half of the park. Feral Pigeons were spotted flying west. I failed to add anything at the Lochan.
A Curlew flew over as I made my way along to the hide to check the falling tide. Whitethroat and Stock Dove were both seen en route. I set up my scope and started scanning out over the assembled birds down on the mud and around the burn outflow. Mallard, Lapwing, Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Redshank and Greenshank were all found before I was joined by Mark. Knot and the lingering Curlew Sandpipers joined the lengthening wader list for the morning. Mark then managed to re-find the Sanderling and I eventually managed to get onto the bird (when there's a lot of birds in one large congregation it can be hard to give/follow directions to a single small bird). Number 138 for my #2026Dundee150 list and a welcome addition as it is no longer easy to get at Balmossie, where they used to be regular, not that long ago.
Grey Heron, Goosander, a calling Common Sandpiper, Moorhen, Pintail, Sandwich Tern and a Blackcap in the bushes behind us were all noted before we decided to go and investigate the rest of the park. We had been joined by Keith by this time and the three of us wandered along to 'the bowl' to see what we could find. There was some activity in the sunshine. Mark and Keith managed to see the Garden Warbler again but I failed to see it. A Grey Wagtail flew over. A Peacock butterfly was on the buddleia bushes near the larger of the 2 ponds. Goldfinches, Blackcaps, Dunnock, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit were all noted. A few Starlings overflew. The sunshine brought out a few more butterflies with Painted Lady, Small White and Speckled Wood all being seen. We wandered round to check the lower half of the park where Keith had found a Spotted Flycatcher the previous day, but there was no sign.
Coal Tit and a Red Admiral butterfly were found before Keith and Mark headed off (Keith finding an unexpected Sedge Warbler as he was leaving). I wandered back round to see where the receding tide had reached by this time and whether or not my decent luck for the day would continue. Great Black-backed Gull, Teal, a heard-only Tree Pipit, Cormorant, Sand Martin and Jackdaw made it onto the list. A Silver Y moth was found and a Collared Dove rushing out over the bay was another surprise (not a common sight at the park). It took a bit more effort than the previous week to find a Common Darter dragonfly but perseverance paid off. There was however no sign of the Migrant Hawker. Rohan had suggested meeting up and going somewhere once I was finished up at the park, so we had arranged to meet at the car park at 1300.
More wandering added Buzzard, Pheasant, Goldcrest and Long-tailed Tit before Rohan arrived to pick me up. I finished the park visit with a total of 58 species of birds (including 1 new for my #2026Dundee150 list - in bold), 5 butterfly species, 1 of dragonflies and 1 of moths. There was a decent variety of species seen, with a handful of relatively uncommon sightings among them. We had a brief discussion about where to go for the afternoon's birding, settling on Arbroath then working our way back along the coast via Westhaven etc. There wasn't much to see from the car bar a few Swallows, Woodpigeons, Carrion Crows and Herring Gulls (though a brief stop for Rohan to collect something got me a Painted Lady flitting about by the parked car). We reached Arbroath just after 1400 and headed along to the Victoria Park area first. Spotting a gull roost down on the rocky shore we parked up, set up the scope and started scanning.
Surprisingly, there were no Mediterranean Gulls in the flock though there was a Lesser Black-backed Gull. Starlings, Rook, Pied Wagtails and Jackdaws were on the grass behind us. I managed to find Sandwich Tern, Turnstone, Linnet, Redshank, Curlew and an unexpected young Brent Goose among the rocks. A few Ringed Plover were also around and a Rock Pipit was seen. A Meadow Pipit flew past over the grass. A message came through via the ADBC WhatsApp group from Lainy to say that she had found Curlew Sandpipers at Westhaven. I messaged her to let her know we'd found the Brent Goose. It turned out Lainy and Adam had started in Arbroath but hadn't ventured as far east as we had. They'd had no luck with any terns so we decided to head for Westhaven to get the Curlew Sandpipers on to Rohan's year-list.
A Sparrowhawk was seen over the golf course car park at Elliot as we left Arbroath. At Westhaven we were greeted by a Collared Dove on the houses before we crossed the railway line, and Lainy and Adam at the car park, plus plenty of bird activity down on the shore. It didn't take very long to get the Curlew Sandpipers in the scope. Bar-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Redshank and Knot were all noted. Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Sandwich Terns with a single Common Tern, Eider, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Shag, Great Black-backed Gull, Kittiwake, Sand Martin and Swallow were picked out over the course of the next hour and a bit before we called it a day (Lainy and Adam had headed off a bit earlier). We made a quick stop at Swannie Ponds adding Feral Pigeon, Coot and Mallard, taking the afternoon's list to 39 species of birds.
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Little Egret |
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| Blackcap |
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| Lapwing |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard, Grey Heron, Redshank, Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin & Sanderling |
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| Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Greenshank |
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| Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Redshank, Knot & Dunlin |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Buzzard |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Mallard, Redshank & Greenshank |
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| Silver Y |
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| Common Darter |
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Red Admiral ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull & Great Black-backed Gull |
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| Ringed Plover |
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| Brent Goose & Black-headed Gull |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Ringed Plover |
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| Sandwich Tern & Common Tern |
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| Sanderling |
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| Oystercatcher & Dunlin |
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| Knot |
Birds (Dundee, outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Egret, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Pheasant, Pintail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Pipit, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small White, Speckled Wood.
Dragonflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Common Darter.
Moths (at Riverside Nature Park) - Silver Y.
Birds (Angus & Dundee) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Brent Goose, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Ten, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Great Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Knot, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Turnstone, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies (Angus & Dundee) - Painted Lady.
