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| Redwing |
With the weather forecast being much the same as the previous 2 days on the 3rd of January, I decided I might as well head for Riverside Nature Park to try to add a few more species there, towards my #2026Dundee150 list. The option of looking for Tree Sparrows and Pheasants around Dykes of Gray after visiting the Nature Park was also a possibility, though the other option of checking City Quay for Kingfisher did mean slightly less of a diversion from my route home. Having managed to get Nuthatch on the 2nd meant I didn't really need to spend any time at Balgay Hill. I decided I would see how my legs were feeling when the time came.
I wanted to be at the park early enough to have a chance at finding Woodcock there, with the time before the dog walkers arrive en masse tending to be the best time to see them around the park. I headed out just before 0755 to find Herring Gull outside, once again the day's first bird species. Robin and Carrion Crow followed but there was almost 10 minutes until the next bird - a Magpie, then a Blackbird followed by another lull until Blue Tit, Dunnock and Woodpigeon were added as I headed along to the south of the Law. Woodpigeon, Goldcrest, Siskin and Coal Tit were next as I made my way towards Balgay Hill via Pentland Avenue.
Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Great Tit, Wren and Stock Dove were all noted as I continued on through Balgay Cemetery. House Sparrow and Goldfinch were found as I wandered down Ninewells Avenue. A skein of Pink-footed Geese headed over northwards, my final addition before I reached the eastern end of Riverside Nature Park at 0900. Carrion Crow, a decent sized flock of Fieldfare, a huge flock of Woodpigeons, Pink-footed Geese by the skein-load, Herring Gull, Magpie, Chaffinch, a small flock of Mistle Thrush, and Robin made for a busy start, along with a few Rabbits dotted around the eastern extremities of the park. Blue Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Dunnock and Feral Pigeon were spotted as I made my way through the park. I spooked a Bank Vole as I peered into a gap between bushes opposite Buzzard Wood.
More wandering found Redwing and a female Pheasant which hurried off away from me. Great Tit and Black-headed Gull were noted as I continued up into the top half of the park. I spotted a Coal Tit flitting around in the trees before finding a Treecreeper in the small trees to the left of the path a bit further on. The day's first Song Thrush in the park was quickly added, though I had to be careful not to flush the bird as it fed on berries a bit further on from the Treecreeper. Hundreds of Pink-footed Geese streamed over from the direction of the river over the next hour or so, though I couldn't see anything obviously different amongst them (and nor did I while checking photos). As I continued on round towards the bay I saw an overflying Starling before a Sparrowhawk was seen in flight just beyond the Lochan.
As it was still rather windy most of the birds were huddled up together down in the bay near the railway line. Redshank, Teal, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Gull, Dunlin, a lone Mute Swan, a flock of Siskins and a few Mallards were piucked out there, giving me a few new additions for the year. A prowling Buzzard caused a little bit of panic as it circled over the waders down on the mud before being chased off by the local corvids. I headed round to the raised banking to see what else I could see from there. Oystercatcher and Curlew were soon on the list, before a young Peregrine arrived in hunting mode. A single Herring Gull and a single Carrion Crow gave chase, forcing the falcon down onto the pipe. It perched there for a few minutes before taking flight again. It then landed again, this time down on the mud on the Dundee side of the pipe, being joined by the pursuing crow. A Pied Wagtail overflew, before the Peregrine took off again and headed inland.
I wandered up to check the top of the hill and managed to find a couple of Meadow Pipits, another new addition for my #2026Dundee150 list. Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Grey Wagtail put in appearances before I wandered back to the hide. A Red-breasted Merganser female turned up down in the burn. I failed to find anything else new down in the bay, but I did accidentally spook a couple of Woodcocks from near the hide within 20 seconds of each other, both unseen until they panicked and flew off. With nothing else new found amongst the gulls, waders and ducks, I headed back into the main part of the park where a small group of Bullfinches showed nicely in the sunshine, tucked out of the wind, feeding on Buddleia seeds. These took my list for the day's visit to the park to 44, of which 7 were new for my #2026Dundee150 list.
I decided to head back along the river to City Quay to try for the Kingfisher there. A Buzzard was seen circling over the railway line on my way towards the airport and a flock of Siskins were feeding in the top of a tree near the Amazon depot entrance. A Pied Wagtail flew over. At the airport there was a large flock of a few hundred Oystercatchers (and a few Curlews) milling around just beyond the airport fence by the river. Black-headed Gull and Common Gull were feeding on the grass at the football pitches. As I walked back along the road, things appeared to be very quiet out on the river though I did manage to see a few Cormorants. Starling and Grey Heron, plus around 20 Cormorants, and a distant Eider out on the river were seen around the City Quay area, though I failed to find any sign of the Kingfisher. My total for the day was 51 species - a combination of 44 species at RNP and 30 species outwith, of which 7 (in bold) were new for my 2026 year-list, taking my running total to 79 species after just 3 days.
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Redwing |
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| Fieldfare |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Coal Tit |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Starling |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Teal |
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| Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Peregrine |
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| Carrion Crow & Peregrine |
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| Peregrine |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Buzzard |
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| Siskin |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Cormorant |
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| Grey Heron |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird,
Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest,
Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House
Sparrow, Magpie, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Robin, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock
Dove,
Woodpigeon, Wren.
Birds (from Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock,
Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull,
Jackdaw, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed
Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Robin,
Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Teal, Treecreeper, Woodcock, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (from Riverside Nature Park) - Bank Vole, Rabbit.
