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| Brambling |
Following Sunday's success, I had an even better sighting on Monday while at work, when Michael Wilde messaged me to let me know he was watching a male Hen Harrier over Riverside Nature Park which was drifting towards my work. I rushed to a window to try to see it, and was thankfully successful. A very unexpected addition to my #2026Dundee150 list (and my 'work list). The weather forecast for Tuesday the 6th of October was fairly decent. Not too windy, bright and sunny and not too cold. My plan was to return to the hill at Riverside Nature Park for more vis-migging. With sunrise a bit later again than Saturday, I could afford a few minutes longer in my bed. With high tide around early afternoon, I decided not to bother with the scope and tripod, which would allow me to travel light and concentrate on the small stuff without the distraction of scanning across the bay every few minutes.
I was a little later than intended leaving the house, only making it out the door at 0630. Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird made for a very slow start and I was halfway along Byron Street before I added anything else with Herring Gull and Jackdaw there. A Wren was in the bushes near Cobden Street. Magpie, Song Thrush, Bullfinch and Jay were found in Balgay Cemetery as the sky started to lighten. Blue Tit and Woodpigeon were noted near the bottom of Ninewells Avenue, with Chiffchaff and Dunnock seen as I headed down to the underpass under the railway line, opposite the eastern end of the park. Travelling light had allowed me to reach the park in around the same amount of time it takes me to get to work.
Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Wren, as well as a Rabbit or two got things started at the park, though once again my main focus was on getting to the top of the hill in time for sunrise. Pink-footed Geese began to leave the river as I neared the hill-top and a Pied Wagtail flew over. Once again the bay was full of Pink-footed Geese with more out on the river. A quick scan added Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Redshank and Teal, with Common Gull, Curlew, a heard-only Grey Plover, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Cormorant, Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Goosander added throughout the rest of the day's vis-migging efforts, which finally came to an end around 1100. Other non-migrants spotted from the top of the hill were Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Jackdaw, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard.
The actual visible migration was relatively steady as well as being fairly varied. Linnet, Greenfinch, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting, Song Thrush, Starling, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Mistle Thrush, Siskin, Skylark, Bullfinch, Swallow, Grey Wagtail, a rather vocal Brambling and a small unexpected flock of Twite, which were a new bird for my #2026Dundee150 list. Likely non-migrants also noted round the hill, either in flight, or in the trees and bushes were Goldfinch, Blackbird, Dunnock and Great Tit. I called it a day at the top of the hill at 1100 as things had started to peter out over the course of the preceding hour. A quick look at the Lochan added Moorhen. A visit to the hide added Knot and Long-tailed Tit.
Only later at home did I spot a wader in a flight shot as many of the Dunlin flew off to roost elsewhere, which looked different. It turned out to be a White-rumped Sandpiper. The lack of scope and reliance on the camera for enhanced views of the waders down in the bay likely played a part in it being overlooked, though given the number of Dunlin around, it may have been hidden anyway. Chiffchaff and a Red Admiral butterfly rounded off the morning's visit to the park. The walk home was relatively unproductive though Coal Tit, a Speckled Wood butterfly and a Field Grasshopper were noted as I detoured by the Law. A skein of Pink-footed Geese were seen as I neared home again. My combined totals for the day were 58 species of birds (56 at the park, and 16 outwith), 2 of butterflies (1 each at the park and outwith), 1 of grasshoppers (outwith the park) and 1 of mammals (at the park). The overlooked White-rumped Sandpiper did sting a little however. I would need to hope it could be refound and my plan for the following day was to try to do that.
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Starling |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Pink-footed Goose (also Carrion Crow & Herring Gull) |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Swallow |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Skylark |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Magpie & Sparrowhawk |
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| Curlew |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Siskin |
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| Brambling |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Black-tailed Godwit |
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| Skylark |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Twite |
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| Dunlin & White-rumped Sandpiper |
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| Dunlin & White Rumped Sandpiper |
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| Lapwing |
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| Robin |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chiiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Pink-footed Goose, Robin, Song Thrush, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Speckled Wood.
Grasshoppers (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Field Grasshopper.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Brambling, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Twite, [White-rumped Sandpiper], Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Red Admiral.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
