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| Stock Dove |
I decided on an early start and a visit to Riverside Nature Park on Sunday the 26th of April. Just for a change I actually managed to get out of my bed early and got organised. My expectations were relatively low but I was hoping to at least manage to run into a Sedge Warbler. A passing migrant wader would also be a nice bonus bird. Grasshopper Warbler probably should be on the list for Riverside Nature Park as there is some decent habitat dotted around the site, but for reasons unknown we still have not had one. Perhaps this would finally be the day that one was found there. I headed out the door just after 0625.
Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Common Gull and Blackbird were all noted as I headed up past the football stadiums. Starling, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff and Song Thrush were found between Dens Park and the bakery on Byron Street. A Willow Warbler was heard singing a little further on. Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Great Tit were all calling near the bottom of Loons Road. Balgay Hill got me Siskin, Nuthatch, Greenfinch and Stock Dove. The final additions before reaching Riverside Nature Park were Long-tailed Tit, Skylark, Oystercatcher, Blackcap and Jackdaw.
I reached the park's eastern entrance just before 0730. Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch, Magpie, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Swallow, Pheasant, Whitethroat, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Reed Bunting, Starling and Long-tailed Tit, as well as a few Rabbits, made for quite a productive haul as I explored the lower half of the park in search of any skulking migrants. None were forthcoming though. More exploring added Herring Gull, Song Thrush, 2 Shelduck (which unusually headed northeast in the general direction of Balgay Hill), Buzzard, Robin and Great Tit before I moved up into the upper half of the park. Moorhen was the only find at the Lochan.
A Willow Warbler was heard singing from the lone Willow on my way round to the raised banking. Scanning from there got me a few more species - Grey Heron, Goldfinch, Curlew, a pair of Common Sandpipers, Teal, Goosander, Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Dunlin in summer plumage, Redshank, Linnet, Feral Pigeon and Dunnock. I spotted a Little Egret flying round into Kingoodie Bay beyond the house out on the spit. Black-headed Gull, Common Gull and Mallard soon made their way onto the list. An unexpected skein of Pink-footed Geese headed over before turning back towards the river. A few Sand Martins were seen low over the bay before I decided to do some more wandering.
Near the Lochan, I heard the beginnings of some Sedge Warbler song and tried to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. I was able to see the bird moving through the bushes but couldn't get a clear view for a photo. Still, it was another new bird for my #2026Dundee 150 list. A Cormorant flew over eastwards as I headed back towards the lower half of the park again. Blackcap and Bullfinch rounded things off at the park. A potential Yellow-legged Gull had been seen at Clatto the previous day, so I decided I might as well wander in that direction. I spotted a possible, silent, Lesser Whitethroat in the same area just outside the park where I found one last year, but views weren't clear enough to be certain, though the behaviour was almost exactly the same as last year's bird.
I initially headed up towards the Carseview Centre but spotted a track leading across some rough ground. I decided to do a bit of exploring. Although I failed to find anything new it may be worth another look sometime. Lainy messaged me to say she'd had no luck scanning through the gulls and asked if I was still at the park. I said no, I was on my way towards Clatto, though there now seemed little real point in continuing. I suggested the possibility of meeting her at Balgay Hill, though I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about visiting the park. Neither was Lainy, as it turned out. There was a sort of Bioblitz event on at the Law between 1400 and 1600 that I had decided I would pop along to, given the success with the butterflies there the previous day. It didn't make much sense to continue up to Clatto to walk all the way back down to the Law a couple of hours later. I decided that Balgay actually made more sense after all.
I continued my rather meandering exploration of parts of Dundee I've had little reason to visit previously but eventually made it to Balgay Hill for around 1110. I had a couple of hours to kill before continuing on to the Law. Grey Squirrel and Buzzard were my first finds at the hill. A Red Squirrel and a Great Spotted Woodpecker as well as a couple of Nuthatches vied for my attention just before noon, with the Red Squirrel taking precedence, though I did manage a few photos of the woodpecker too, just before a Grey Squirrel showed up. My only other addition at Balgay was a Redpoll. I left Balgay around 1320 for the relatively short walk to the Law. I made a quick recce of the butterfly path which got me Small White, Small Tortoiseshell and Orange Tip butterflies.
While waiting for folk to turn up for the event by the car park, a Sparrowhawk flew out to the south. As things transpired, the butterfly path proved to be rather disappointing compared with the previous day, though more people meant more disturbance so in the end we had to make do with Holly Blue, Green-veined White and Speckled Wood around the hill. Dark-edged Bee-fly was noted again. I chatted to a few of the Friends of the Law members and was able to show one of them a number of relatively interesting insects. The rest of the group ended up calling it a day before we did. I had a wee bit more of a wander but failed to add to my list. My total number of species for the day was 58 species of birds (36 outwith the park, 45 at the park) with one (in bold) new for my #2026Dundee150 list, 6 species of butterflies (all outwith RNP) and 3 of mammals (1 at the park, 2 outwith). A reasonably decent day out.
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| Swallow |
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| Shelduck |
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| Buzzard |
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| Skylark |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Goosander |
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| Dunlin & Redshank |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Wren |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Great Tit |
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| Red Squirrel |
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Magpie |
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| Robin |
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| Long-tailed Tit |
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| Green-veined White & Bee sp. |
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| Hoverfly sp. |
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| Nomad Bee sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Dark-edged Bee-fly |
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| Hoverfly sp. |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Orange Tip |
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| Spider sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Hoverfly sp. |
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| Wasp sp. |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue
Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock,
Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House
Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Redpoll, Robin,
Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel, Red Squirrel.
Butterflies (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood.
Other interesting insects (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Dark-edged Bee-fly, Nomad Bee sp.
Birds
(at Riverside Nature Park) - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blackcap,
Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch,
Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied
Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
