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| Redshank, Greenshank & Oystercatcher |
Despite having been to Riverside Nature Park at the weekend, I surmised that if I was going to add anything to my #2026Dundee150 list on Tuesday the 1st of September, then the Nature Park looked the better option, rather than Broughty Ferry/Balmossie. Although the Ferry is better for Skuas, Terns and Auks, there is far too much disturbance along the beach for any less common waders or gulls to stick around for any length of time and even those that were regular (Sanderling in particular) are increasingly difficult to catch up with there. The opposite is true at Riverside Nature Park though passing trains will sometimes clear the mud of birds, if the flock is set off by a panicking Redshank or similar.
I headed out the door at just after 0700. Woodpigeon, Robin, Herring Gull, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling, Great Tit and Jackdaw made for a relatively slow start over the course of 10 minutes. Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Lesser Black-backed Gull were noted along Byron Street with House Sparrow and Blue Tit on Loons Road. Black-headed Gull and Common Gull were at the Lochee Park football pitches. A bit of a surprise was a skein of Canada Geese over Ninewells Avenue from the direction of the bay. Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Tree Pipit and Chiffchaff completed the first half of the 'outwith the park' list for the day before I reached the western end of Riverside Nature Park at 0810.
Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Redshank, Mallard, Teal, Grey Heron, Dunlin, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit and Knot were added from the hide before a Wigeon swam into view down on the burn. I had been joined by Keith and as the tide receded we were able to add a 'heard only' Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Egrets, Cormorant, Greenshank and Lesser Black-backed Gull before Keith picked up a distant Wheatear perched on a rock across the bay. A Goosander was also seen down on the pipe before we wandered into the main body of the park around 0910. A Painted Lady butterfly, Buzzard and Chiffchaff were all found before we set up our scopes on the raised banking.
This different angle added Curlew, Great Black-backed Gull, Sandwich Tern and Shelduck. The 'bowl' proved to be rather quiet with only Robin and Blackcap there and Keith headed off around 1000. I had a look for the probable Migrant Hawker but the weather wasn't particularly helpful and I wasn't surprised to not find it. Swallow, Goldfinch, Stock Dove and Wren were found as I did a lap of the top half. Another look at the bay added Canada Geese. Great Spotted Woodpecker and Coal Tit were found before I called it a day at the park. The walk home was disappointing too with only Goldcrest and Swallow noted. I finished the day's birding with a combined total of 51 species of birds (40 at the park, 23 outwith) and a single butterfly species (at the park).
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| Common Gull, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit & Teal |
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| Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit & Curlew Sandpiper |
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| Dunlin, Common Gull & Teal |
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| Dunlin, Teal, Black-tailed Godwit & Black-headed Gull |
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| Redshank & Wigeon |
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| Lapwing & Redshank |
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| Redshank, Greenshank, Oystercatcher & Mallard |
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| Greenshank & Redshank |
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| Redshank, Greenshank & Oystercatcher |
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| Redshank, Greenshank & Mallard |
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| Knot |
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| Wheatear & Lapwing |
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| Lapwing, Little Egret & Wheatear |
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| Black-headed Gull |
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| Blackcap |
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| Wigeon |
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| Teal & Wigeon |
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| Teal, Mallard & Wigeon |
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| Canada Goose |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Starling, Swallow, Tree Pipit, Woodpigeon.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackcap, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Egret, Mallard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Wheatear, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at Riverside Nature Park) - Painted Lady.
