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| Pink-footed Goose |
Following on from last year's vis-migging attempts in early October which provided both the pros and cons of various potential viewing spots and a decent variety of species on the move - though nothing actually new for the year, I decided that the first week in October would again be my main vis-migging week this year. I had said to the Nature Park regulars that I would be at the hill in the park on Saturday the 3rd from around sunrise, if anyone wanted to join me. With the likelihood of more interesting, and rarer, birds elsewhere I didn't expect anyone to join me, and so it wasn't a surprise when they didn't (except for a very brief stop from Keith on his way home after a park visit).
It was still dark when I headed out at 0610 to the sounds of a lone Robin singing. Byron Street added Carrion Crow and Jackdaw while Loons Road added the day's first Blackbird and Herring Gull to the list. At Balgay Hill, Song Thrush, Wren, Goldcrest, Dunnock and Magpie were all noted as the sky began to lighten in the run-up to sunrise. Woodpigeon on Glamis Road and Pink-footed Geese (plus Rabbits) from Riverside Avenue rounded off a rather short list before I reached the park just before 0715. As I was headed directly for the top of the hill there was no real attempt made to build a list on arrival though Robin, Wren, Blue Tit and a very close encounter with an equally startled Roe Deer buck got things underway within the park. Pink-footed Goose, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird and Rabbit were also noted as I hurried for the hill.
I more or less made it in time for sunrise though it can take a wee bit of time before the birds on the move reach the park after the sun comes up. The bay was full of Pink-footed Geese and I was able to add Teal, Mallard, Lapwing, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Greenshank, Redshank, Guillemot (spotted by Keith during his very brief visit to the top of the hill) and Great Black-backed Gull from my perch atop the hill over the course of the next few hours. Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Great Tit, Stock Dove and Feral Pigeon were most likely resident birds which were in the nearby bushes and trees, (or overflying in the case of the Jackdaws, Stock Doves and Feral Pigeons). Once the actual vis-migging got underway, it was relatively steady overall though with some distinct pulses of movement and quieter spots - though there did also appear to be more birds moving to the north and south of where I was.
My attempts to keep a note of numbers and species proved to be even more haphazard than usual but the main surprises were a Collared Dove (not particularly common at the park), a Brambling with Chaffinches and a couple of Redpoll. The other species were mostly the expected ones - Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Swallow, Skylark, Tree Sparrow, Mistle Thrush, Linnet, House Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Starling and Yellowhammer. A Sparrowhawk that put in a brief appearance may have been a local bird but could also have been a migrant following the smaller birds through. I ended up giving up on the vis-migging at around 0935, much earlier than I had intended. Withe the tide well on its way in, I headed along to the hide to see what else I could see from there. This added Bar-tailed Godwit, Goosander, Dunlin, Knot and Curlew as well as an overflying Redwing.
A Bullfinch was bathing in a puddle near the path junction as I headed back into the park around 1025. Moorhens were noted at the Lochan and a Lesser Black-backed Gull glided over. Back round at the bay, I spotted Oystercatchers out over the river and the Lesser Black-backed Gull down on the pipe. There was a lot of wandering for little return over the next hour before I added Buzzard for the day just after 1145. I eventually called it a day at the park just after 1220 having rather surprisingly managed to get a total of 61 species of birds (and 2 mammals), though disappointingly nothing new for my #2026Dundee150 list amongst them. Long-tailed Tits were noted on Riverside Avenue before the walk home took me through Balgay Cemetery and up Balgay Hill where Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Great Tit and Treecreeper (plus Grey Squirrel) took the 'outwith the park' list to 17 species of birds and 2 of mammals. The combined totals were 66 species of birds and 3 of mammals, which was higher than expected..
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| Chaffinch |
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| Mallard |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Collared Dove |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Lapwing |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Siskin |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Linnet |
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| Brambling |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Starling |
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| Redshank & Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Grey Heron, Black-headed Gull, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Black-tailed Godwit |
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| Carrion Crow & Sparrowhawk |
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| Knot |
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
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| Moorhen |
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| Skylark |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Swallow |
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| Nuthatch |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Pink-footed Goose, Robin, Song Thrush, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Brambling, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redpoll, Redshank, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit, Roe Deer.
