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| Dunlin, Redshank & Little Stint |
The weather forecast for Sunday morning hadn't looked particularly promising with quite heavy rain coming through from around 0900, though brightening up later. Although I had considered heading down to Riverside Nature Park, the thought of getting soaked didn't appeal, so I had a long-lie instead. Rohan messaged me as I was thinking about getting out of bed to offer me a list down to the park as she had some recycling to take to the dump next door. I declined due to the weather forecast. However, as I had started typing up a blog-post after my breakfast, word came through from the park that Mark had found a Little Stint in the bay (there had been a small wader seen by Mark on Saturday but it proved difficult to get conclusive views amongst the larger birds, though it seemed to be a 'runt' Dunlin). I messaged Rohan to let her know about the Little Stint. She asked if I wanted to go for it. "Yes, please".
Rohan picked me up around 20 minutes later. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Robin, Meadow Pipit, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and Lesser Black-backed Gull were all noted as I waited for a minute or two for Rohan to arrive. From the car we added Magpie, Carrion Crow and Black-headed Gull. We reached the park around 0915. Robin, Carrion Crow and Goldcrest were noted near the hide. Mark was able to get us onto the Little Stint rather quickly and I had my second new wader species for the weekend, both courtesy of Mark. Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Knot, Common Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Stock Dove, Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull were all found over the course of the next hour as the tide moved the birds in closer. Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Blackcap, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Moorhen, Meadow Pipit, Mallard filled out the list a bit more before we called it a morning and Rohan gave me a lift back up the road, both of us with a new wader on our year-list. The morning's visit to the park produced a total of 27 species, which wasn't bad considering we'd spent the whole time at the hide.
The forecast rain briefly produced a bit of a shower but the hide provided enough shelter to keep us mostly dry and the umbrella I'd brought (just in case) wasn't required. As forecast the weather did improve and around noon I made my mind up to head out for a few hours rather than stay at home. I decided on the Law as my destination. Expectation levels were low, at best, but I was hoping that a passing migrant raptor might be a possibility, even if it was a minutely small one (the possibility, not the raptor). Blackbird, Starling, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Blackcap, Long-tailed Tit, Wren and Goldcrest were noted on the walk to the hill. Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaff, Tree Pipit and Chaffinch were all added from the top. A distant Cormorant down over the river and some passing Sand Martins provided a little bit of interest before I decided I might as well have a search to see if there were any interesting insects around.
Compared to earlier in the year, there were very few insects at all, though Marmalade Hoverfly (and another not yet identified hoverfly species - but only because I haven't had time), Field Grasshopper, 7-spotted Ladybird, Common Carder Bee plus Speckled Wood and Small White butterflies did provide a few photo opportunities before I headed home a little after 1530. The combined Dundee list (outwith Riverside Nature Park, morning and afternoon) was 25 species of birds, 2 butterflies, 1 grasshopper, 1 of ladybird, 1 bee and 2 hoverflies. The combined total of birds for the day was 39 species.
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| Dunlin, Redshank & Little Stint |
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| Dunlin, Redshank & Little Stint |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Little Stint |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint, Dunlin, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit & Lapwing |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Dunlin & Little Stint |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Little Stint & Dunlin |
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| Dunlin, Little Stint & Redshank |
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| Dunlin, Redshank & Sandwich Tern |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Moorhen |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Buzzard |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Carrion Crow & Buzzard |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blackcap, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tree Pipit, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Bees (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Common Carder Bee.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Small White, Speckled Wood.
Grasshoppers (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Field Grasshopper.
Hoverflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Episyrphus balteatus (& 1 to be ID'd).
Ladybirds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - 7-spot Ladybird.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackcap, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Knot, Little Egret, Little Stint, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon.
