Riverside Nature Park, Dundee. (1 Viewer)

Stonefaction · Oct 6, 2011

The Riverside Nature Park, Dundee thread.

Have decided to start a seperate thread for Riverside Nature Park, Dundee.

For those that don't know, it's a council run site built on landfill ground, next to the City dump and sandwiched between Dundee Airport and Invergowrie Bay. It offers decent views into Invergowrie Bay (although the "hide" is only useful when the tide is almost fully in), and has a mix of potential habitats for a range of birds.

I'll start with a list of birds that I've seen since it opened to the public on June 18th this year, and as and when others (and me) see new birds here, they can be added to the list and we can see how many different species we can see from/in the park.

Hopefully others will see that it is actually worth a visit and add their own reports.

(Avocet and Peregrine have both been seen here this year, but before the park opened, so won't put them on the list).

Stonefaction · Oct 6, 2011

1. Cormorant
2. Greay Heron
3. Mute Swan
4. Shelduck
5. Wigeon
6. Teal
7. Mallard
8. Sparrowhawk
9. Buzzard
10. Osprey
11. Kestrel
12. Oystercatcher
13. Lapwing
14. Knot
15. Curlew sandpiper
16. Dunlin
17. Black Tailed Godwit
18. Bar Tailed Godwit
19. Whimbrel
20. Curlew
21. Redshank
22. Greenshank
23. Common Sandpiper
24. Black Headed Gull
25. Common Gull
26. Lesser Black Backed Gull
27. Herring Gull
28. Sandwich tern
29. Feral Pigeon
30. Stock Dove
31. Woodpigeon
32. Swift
33. Skylark
34. Sand Martin
35. Swallow
36. House Martin
37. Meadow Pipit
38. Pied Wagtail
39. Wren
40. Dunnock
41. Robin
42. Stonechat
43. Blackbird
44. Song Thrush
45. Whitethroat
46. Blackcap
47. Chiffchaff
48. Willow Warbler
49. Long Tailed Tit
50. Coal Tit
51. Blue Tit
52. Great Tit
53. Jackdaw
54. Rook
55. Carrion Crow
56. Starling
57. House Sparrow
58. Chaffinch
59. Greenfinch
60. Goldfinch
61. Linnet
62. Lesser redpoll
63. Bullfinch
64. Yellowhammer
65. Reed Bunting

66. Goosander - seen by Kawwauser
67. Pink footed Goose - seen by Kawwauser

Stonefaction · Oct 6, 2011

Popped down after work today and added two new species to my list for here - Pink Footed Geese (5 flew over from the direction of the river) and a Wheatear - also a first within Dundee for me.
Low tide, so most of the waders etc were quite distant, but Wigeon and Teal near the bend out towards the airport, a couple of Linnets and a few Meadow Pipits around the same area of path. The Wheatear was on the mounds of earth where the path turns away from the bay heading east (hope that makes sense). Usual mix of waders (Dunlin/Oystercatcher/Redshank/Curlew), though no Lapwings. A few Jackdaws, lots of Robins skulking around but not a huge amount of anything. Tempted to visit early Saturday to try and catch the Geese leaving their roost.

68. Wheatear

delia todd · Oct 6, 2011

A great start Barry, thanks - I'll be following this with interest; it'll be great seeing how this site develops.

I've opened an Opus article and linked this thread to it. Any chance of uploading a picture or two here showing some habitat or views?

D

Stonefaction · Oct 6, 2011

I don't have many general views, Delia. That's not to say I can't get some though.....
I'll see what I do have, and try and remember to get a few more next time I visit.

delia todd · Oct 6, 2011

Thanks Barry. It does look nice there with that view over the Tay.

Those two pictures are a bit small though. I find 'normal' sized photos work best, say 800x600.

D

Stonefaction · Oct 7, 2011

Sorry, Delia. That was all I had (so far), and the first one I posted accidentally.

delia todd · Oct 7, 2011

No rush Barry... whenever.

D

Rhummy · Oct 10, 2011

I really need to get down to this nature reserve considering I spend most day approx. 10 minutes away.

Stonefaction · Oct 11, 2011

Popped down for a few hours around lunchtime to try and get a decent view of the waders with the sun on them as the tide came in. Not a huge amount of birds around but ended up with 29 species.
First up was a Buzzard along the roadside trees, and then over the park. A wee flock of Long tailed Tits were feeding along the hedge between the horse field and the car park path. Just the usual suspects in the bay - Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin and a couple of Black tailed Godwits, plus Mallard, Teal and Wigeon, also Cormorant and Feral Pigeons plus Carrion Crow and Jackdaw and four species of Gull. Unusually a small flock of Rooks were on the hillside. Had a few Meadow Pipits around the tip area and a small flock of around a dozen Mistle Thrush flew over headed west (vis-mig?). Robin, Wren, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Linnet were the smaller birds around. A few flocks of Pink Feet flew over.

Only thing to add to the species list was the Mistle Thrush.

69. Mistle Thrush

Delia, I do have a few photos to upload later showing a few views of the site.

delia todd · Oct 11, 2011

You had some sun, did you Barry - didn't get a lot here today!

D

Stonefaction · Oct 11, 2011

There was a wee bit. Also had a bit of showery weather too.

Stonefaction · Oct 11, 2011

As promised, a few photos.

1. The low fields at the eastern end.
2. Looking south east from near the hide towards the hill.
3. The view back towards the hide from the hill
4. Looking over the bay from the path to the hide (generally a better view than that from the hide)
5. The "Lochan". Only really viewable from outside the park, or through small gaps in the hedge.

delia todd · Oct 12, 2011

Oh they're great Barry. Thanks.

I'll use No 4 as the main one just now, and 'gallery' the others till there's more text to asorb them.

I could do with some help with some descriptions to go with the pics... umm... like.... "looking south from the hide" that sort of thing.

I didn't realise there was so much height above the river there. See you managed to get a plane taking off too LOL.

D

Stonefaction · Oct 12, 2011

You were too quick for me, Delia. I was adding descriptions as you were typing up your reply.

1. Another view of the low fields at the eastern end.
2. The path by the SCRI test site.
3. Looking northwest back towards the hide from the southwestern end of the path network.
4. Another view across the bay.
5. Looking southwest from near the hill, showing roughly where pic 3 was taken.

Stonefaction · Oct 12, 2011

And even more...

1. The "Hide"
2. Looking along the path into the park from near the hide.
3. Looking back towards the hide from the same path as in 2.
4. The path along the eastern side of the bottom of the hill, north of the car park.
5. Looking back into the bay from the hill.

Stonefaction · Oct 18, 2011

A wee bit of catching up now..... popped down on Sunday morning to see what was around. Lots of Geese visible a mile or so west off Kingoodie (1000+ easily). A few Skylarks went over, as did a single Redpoll. A family of 5 Mute Swans, and 4 Mallards, were visible through the bushes, on the Lochan (the big puddle in the field). Most of the waders were way out on the tide, but there were a few Redshank and Dunlin a bit closer in. Had a small group of Long Tailed Tits in the trees by the car park, and a Goldcrest (a first for me here) was in the bushes northeast of the car park. Overall pretty quiet though.

70. Goldcrest

Stonefaction · Oct 24, 2011

Popped down after work for what will possibly be the last after work visit of the year with the sun setting a lot nearer to my finishing time from next week. Quite a few Teal around including a couple of drakes at the Lochan (along with Mallard and Mute Swan again). Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew and Bar tailed Godwits out on the mud with quite a few Black Headed and Herring Gulls. One rather late for up this way Lesser Black Backed Gull which looked very dark winged (but was against the light, so may have been an optical illusion). Not many smaller birds around, just a single Meadow Pipit, a small flock of Starlings and a group of maybe 15-20 Linnets. One nice surprise (and a new site tick) was a Grey Partridge which flew down the hill from the direction of the viewpoint and into a fenced overgrown area in front of the small bay viewing area (with the built-up earth ridge in front - just out of sight to the right in picture 5 of the second batch up the page). Quite unusual to see just 1 of these birds, in my experience. maybe a youngster?

71. Grey Partridge

kawwauser · Oct 26, 2011

im not having much luck here at the moment im visiting twice a week and the last two weeks its either very windy or raining,last monday i had a walk around (very windy and drizzle)not long out the car when flares were let off at the runway right next to the dumping area,there is an emergency exercise on the 30th i presume this has something to do with this,the bang from the flares scared everything and the only birds i saw were flying rapidly,a cormorant flew low over the hide and a buzzard and heron both flew just above the ground heading inland,teals woodpigeon and carrion crows were also scattering,the windy conditions are also spreading rubbish about at the enterance of the reserve which is a pity as the last two weeks were a school holiday in dundee and the visitor numbers have increased(yet to see anybody with binos)last thurs i had 5 mistle thrushes and a flock of 30 linnits plus the mutes,hopefully we will have some calm weather before the 30th

here are a couple of pics of the reserve signs taken earlier

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/rns2.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/kawwauser/rns1.jpg

Stonefaction · Oct 28, 2011

Another short visit after work last night (Thursday), but the tide was all the way in, so waders were noticable by their absence with the exception of a flock of Curlew which flew into the bay as I was walking away from the bay end of the park. Mute Swans still at the lochan, with lots of white feathers dotted around, none very large though. Did wonder if maybe one of the foxes had had a go at a sleeping swan. A couple of Grey Herons were on the bank at the bay, and typically when I don't have a decent camera with me the Buzzard perched where I could have had a decent shot. Ah well. One Lesser Black Backed Gull seems to be lingering with the Herring Gulls still. Lots of Robins singing, and spotted a couple of Song Thrushes and a small group of rather dark billed Blackbirds (no Redwing/Fieldfare yet though), A single Meadow Pipit near the hill, and one Yellowhammer towards the eastern end. A small flock of Starlings flew over, as did lots of Gulls heading to roost. A single Pink Foot did a few circuits of the bay and there was a flock of Chaffinches in the bushes near the car park area. Not a classic visit, but did manage a few nice sunset sky photos.

Riverside Nature Park, Dundee. (1 Viewer)

Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2025).

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If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment

Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2025).

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If I said the wrong thing it was a Senior Moment

Dundee Birding....(target 150 in 2025).

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