Riverside Nature Park, Dundee. (3 Viewers)

[Stonefaction]

29th April

A lot more greenery around making the smaller birds more of a challenge to see, and a lack of waders around too. Highlights were few and far between but a nice Lesser Redpoll and a Kestrel hunting over the airport were probably the two best birds. Plenty singing from Blackcaps around the eastern end of the park, with a Chiffchaff also in one tree with a male Blackcap. A grumpy female Linnet wasn't too keen on the attentions of a male and a couple of Meadow Pipits chased around the compost area.

Other birds seen were Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Skylark, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.

Walked out to Kingoodie afterwards and saw two Sparrowhawks at the west end of Invergowrie, and a couple of Teal at Kingoodie.

 

[Stonefaction]

2nd May

Rather rushed visit after work. Tide well out but few waders around again. Just 1 each of Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher. Mostly Carrion Crows and Shelducks on the mud with a Cormorant and a Grey Heron out towards the end of the pipe. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls bathing towards the hide. A pair of Mallards in the burn near the railway line along with a single Mute Swan. A few vocal Blackcaps singing, a pair of Willow Warblers chasing through the bushes north of car park. A pair of Swallows hawking behind and a potentially breeding Buzzard (heard what may have been youngsters from the trees and the Buzzard perched atop after a brief flight). Linnets still in a small flock near the compost area. A pair of Teal still at the Lochan.

Other birds seen were Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Long tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Woodpigeon.

 

[Stonefaction]

9th May

Popped in to the park after work but the tide was "wrong" and as most of the waders have left for their breeding sites the bay was pretty quiet. Only 22 species seen.

Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Willow Warbler.

 

[Stonefaction]

13th May

A few hours at a wild and very windy Riverside yesterday. The wind was blowing right down the river and didn't even seem to be gusting. It was like being stood in a constant blast of wind. At least it wasn't wet or particularly cold.

Most of the birds in the bay were hunkered down against the wind with a Grey Heron tucked in behind the pipe looking the most sensible. Five species of gulls bathing and roosting, mostly Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls with a couple of Common Gulls and a few Black Headed Gulls plus one young Great Black Backed Gull. A pair of Mute Swans roosted in the bay, while Mallards fed and slept. The Teal all appear to have gone now, though Shelduck numbers are up. Very few waders around with Oystercatchers being by far the most numerous (though still probably only single figures). A single Curlew and a Black Tailed Godwit were the other waders. The female Goosander was also around.

A single Whitethroat was singing near the hide as was a Willow Warbler (a Chiffchaff was calling from opposite the underpass near the western entrance to the park). A lot of Swallows and a House Martin were feeding in the shletered areas behind the trees, low over the ground. Another Whitethroat was singing in bushes around the same area where one was last year (think I had 3 seperate distinct territories last summer).

Other birds seen were Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Linnet, Pied wagtail, Feral Pigeon, Starling and Woodpigeon.

 

[Stonefaction]

15th May

Off on holiday this week so managed to fit in an early afternoon visit today as the tide was on its way back out. Plenty birds around in the bushes near the eastern end of the park, with a noisy male Blackcap singing away, a Long Tailed Tit family all contact calling, Chaffinches feeding and a Lesser Redpoll calling from the very top of a tree, and at least one Blue Tit. Swallows zipped around too.

Further on, a Blackbird was by the edge of the bushes and a Pied Wagtail flew over calling as it went. A couple of Carrion Crows wandered around. Herring Gulls flew over towards the bay.

At the hide the bay was quite busy, considering that most of the waders and ducks have moved on - Oystercatcher and Mallard being the main exceptions. Once again there were five species of Gull present (Herring, Common, Lesser and Great Black Backed and Black Headed). A couple of Cormorants were out at the far end of the pipe and a Grey Heron was skulking along the edge. A pair of Mute Swan and some Shelduck were also present. A few Feral Pigeons and Jackdaws meandered around between the gulls and a Woodpigeon flew by. Willow Warbler and Whitethroat both sand from the bushes around the hide again but neither was seen today. Star bird however was an unusually pale drake Pintail preening by the water in front of the hide. The bird was mostly white (rather than grey) with pale brown primaries and an overall white and pale orange-brown look to it. Quite a striking looking bird and a new species for the park list.

Wandering further round, Linnets flew over as did Starlings and Goldfinch.

87. Pintail

A few more photos on my flickr page ....
www.flickr.com/stonefaction

 

[Stonefaction]

Well, took a trip down to the park today after work in glorious sunshine to see what was around before Sunday's BioBlitz. Only 25 species seen, the best of which was a male Sparrowhawk soaring upwards on a thermal before stooping downwards and disappearing from my line of sight behind trees. A few Whitethroats and Willow Warblers also seen. The only waders were 8 Oystercatchers. Just 4 species of Gull in the bay (no Great Black Backed today). Mute Swan, Mallards and Shelduck were the only wildfowl. A Cormorant flew in and landed on the pipe as the tide came in. A few Swallows and House Martins around. The usual Carrion Crows and Jackdaws dotted about plus Feral and Woodpigeons. Smaller birds seen were Blackbird, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Starling and Yellowhammer.

Unfortunately there were a few less welcome visitors around as well. First up was at least a couple of (older?)teenagers down in the bushes by the waters edge overlooking the bay. Didn't get a clear view, so don't know if sunbathing was the only thing they were doing in among prime nesting area.
Worse was to come round by the car park. A couple (late 20s/early 30s) with a dog and football passed me. The guy then booted the football for the dog to chase. I shouted to him "hey mate, dogs are meant to be under control in the park at this time of year because of ground-nesting birds". The woman replied "it's a dog park". I said "No, it's a nature park". Guy says "Well, he's part of nature" and walks off with dog still running wild. :C

Spotted them later as I was leaving the park, up near the viewpoint angrily shaking the blanket they had been sat on, sending a couple of empty cans flying through the air into the grass where they left them, before stomping around trying to get the roaming dog back and I assume heading back to their car. Hopefully they will find a "dog park" to leave their litter in where they can let their dog run riot. If that is what the sun brings to the park, then I hope we get a wet summer.

 

[Stonefaction]

On the subject of the BioBlitz.

This Sunday (27th May) from 1pm till 6pm there is an attempt to catalogue as many species in the park as possible (not just birds, but plants, insects, animals etc also) being run by the Countryside Rangers.

Everybody is welcome (well, maybe not quite everybody - see above!), so why not take the opportunity to come down and see what the park has to offer, and play your part in recording the variety of wildlife that is around within the park.

There is a guided birding walk at 1.30pm being led by the very knowledgable Bob McCurley (well known among the local - and further afield - birding fraternity), and other things going on as well. Weather forecast looks pretty good too.....

 

[Stonefaction]

What a day at Riverside today for the Bioblitz. Scorching weather, (although some sensible precautions meant I've escaped the sunburn pretty much all over, except for the back of my right hand!) and lots of interested people.

Headed to the park for around 1030 to see what I could find before it got too busy. A walk along the fenceline produced Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and a pair of Mallards on the Lochan. A flock of Jackdaws flew in, and a Herring Gull flew over, as did a couple of Swifts. Turned round in time to see a raptor flying over Ninewells. An Osprey which a Herring Gull took exception to, before I lost sight of them behind the trees. My first for the park this year, and a great bird to get on Bioblitz day.

First stop inside the park was at the hide where Lesser Black Backed Gull was added, along with Whitethroat, a family of Long tailed Tits, Dunnock, Mute Swan, Black Headed Gull, Feral Pigeon and a solitary Lapwing. Looking further out towards the river, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Grey Heron and Cormorant were seen. A few Starlings and a Swallow flew past, and a small flock of Goldfinches flew over as I left the hide area.

Walking round the paths I added Yellowhammer, Blue Tit and Chiffchaff, and a few House Martins skimmed overhead. I heard a House Sparrow but it stayed hidden. Not a common bird in the park. Chaffinches were much in evidence and a Greenfinch did a display flight. A couple of Linnets called as they flew over towards the compost area. Nearing the car park, I could hear a Willow Warbler singing but it took a few minutes of searching before it appeared at the top of a tree showing well. A Wren flew low across the car park, and a Song Thrush sang in the trees.

Popped into the Countryside Rangers marquee to introduce myself and give them my list as it stood. Had lunch and a blether before heading back out to try and add a few more to the list. Didn't have to go far to add Robin which was singing just behind the car park in the trees. A few Skylarks were singing over towards the airport and I managed to see a couple of them. I could hear Blackcaps singing so I searched for them and eventually managed to see one. A pair of Stock Doves was next on the list and a pair of House Sparrows were feeding in the long grass, with another seen towards the horses later on. Had a further wander round later but didn't add anything to my own list until I was leaving the park at just after 6pm when I finally managed to see a Lesser Redpoll in the trees beside the car park.

39 species for my own list today which is a site record for me. However, others added another 5 species to the list which were Buzzard, Pied Wagtail, Common Gull, Great Tit and Sedge Warbler - which is a new species for the park list. 44 species for the day which is exactly half of the total recorded in/from the park since it opened last June.

There were other birds that weren't seen which on a normal day might have been expected such as Meadow Pipit, Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Grey Wagtail, so 50 species in a day is do-able.

88. Sedge Warbler

In addition to the birds, there were plants and insects (moths and butterflies especially) and animals noted too (Otters were seen in the bay last night apparently). Hopefully when it has all been collated I'll be able to post a list here.

 

[delia todd]

I'll look forward to seeing the list you get Barry. I've just added Sedge Warbler to the Opus article.

Did the dogs behave today?

 

[Stonefaction]

Mostly, Delia. There was an excitable Spaniel tearing through the bushes later on in the afternoon. A good day in the sun with plenty of folk visiting, including the TV news - possibly being shown on ITV Breakfast news tomorrow as an "and finally" section on the Scottish news (think on the hour - 6, 7 and 8am).

Next event at the park is the unveiling of the information plinths at the viewpoint on the hill on June 16th. There are a couple of guided walks that day too, and stuff for kids to do etc, so hopefully the weather will behave again and plenty folk will come along and see the park.

 

[shedboy71]

If only locals could get the 'mutts' under control, I've had that problem walking with the young lad.

Certainly a lot of species seen recently that we have never seen, we got excited with a Willow Warbler near the hide once.

 

[Stonefaction]

I've had a few dogs jump up - "it's ok, he doesn't bite!" - as I've walked round the park. Their dogs maybe don't bite, but they do leave muddy footprints on my trousers.....

It was suggested at one of the meetings (held to try and set up a "friends of Riverside Nature Park" group - more details to follow on that front later in the year) that dogs be limited to the eastern end "fields" area of the park. That would probably be better than banning dogs entirely from a "usage of the park" point of view (dog walking is probably the most common usage that I've seen), but from the "nature" perspective there are plenty other areas where dogs can be exercised with less disturbance to wildlife (Magdalen Green/bottom end of Technology Park - [visible from the hill in the park], to name 2 relatively close by). Unfortunately a percentage of dog owners don't think rules (and even laws - dog fouling) apply to them and their dogs, and there is not really much can be done to change that easily. Some large "dogs in the park must be kept on a lead between March and July" signs might be a handy addition for next year. Possibly something for the prospective "Friends of RNP" group to try to raise funds for, as the small printed message on the signage is most likely not read by most park users.

 

[Stonefaction]

Think there are a Willow Warbler and a Whitethroat with territories around the hide area, with both singing regularly in that area.

 

[Stonefaction]

A colleague at work today mentioned that she'd seen a small flock of Geese flying from the direction of the bay (she lives near Ninewells) early this morning. I suggested the possibility of the Canada Geese that stop by in the area for a while in Summer, and tonight I have heard of some being seen in Fife, so maybe the 'local' visitors are back. They are not yet on the park list, so it may be worth keeping an eye out for them if you are visiting the park.

 

[Stonefaction]

Debated where to go today and was en route to look for a locally reported Bee-eater (seen yesterday near Carnoustie) when I received a text saying that a Little Gull had been seen to the west of Invergowrie Bay. As the tide was on its way in, I figured there was a good chance the bird would join the usual gull flock in the bay, so I headed for the park instead.
The tide was quite far in and there were plenty of gulls around, so I scanned through the nearer birds from the bridge over the railway before heading round to the hide. Despite only having binoculars with me it didn't take long to spot a likely candidate, swimming alongside a Black Headed Gull, looking distinctly smaller. Took a few record shots before the bird flew a little closer, allowing a better view. I sent a text to the local bird club grapevine to say that the bird was in the bay, but while I was texting it must have flown off, as I couldn't relocate it after that. 6 species of Gull today though - Great and Lesser Black Backed, Herring, Common, Black Headed and Little.

The rest of the birds seen were fairly standard fare - with a Buzzard hovering in the wind at tree-top height just above me being the other highlight of the day.

29 species in all seen - 10 down on last Sunday's visit, but at least a new bird for my own list, and the park list this week. Other birds seen were - Carrion Crow, Chaffinch (one ringed male), Curlew, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Linnet, Long tailed Tit (& youngsters), Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Starling, Swift, Swallow, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon. Yellowhammer, Blue Tit, Skylark and Blackcap were all heard but not seen. No sign of any Canada Geese either, but I did see a flock of 21 birds moving down the coast at Auchmithie yesterday.

89. Little Gull

 

[kawwauser]

well done on the new additions here barry,i searched for the little gull just after 11.am today,(2 couples with binoculars were also searching)no joy but most of the bh gull flock were near the shore midway between the hide and the earth viewing point ,views from the path were distant ,i took lots of pics and checked them on my computer ,but no joy,only one mute in front of the hide, i thought the other one might be sitting on a nest but it has been too long for this,i seen/heard most of the birds on your list above apart from blackcap(this bird evades me at kinnordy too)2 birds not on your list above were cormorant(resting on the pipe then diving cathching a medium sized flat fish)and dunnock,15 swifts flying together was great to see and a willow warbler singing right in front of the hide was a real treat

 

[kawwauser]

i walked around the park in the blustery conditions at 7.30 tonight,great views of a buzzard hovering above a tree just before the enterance,lots of swifts enjoying the wind tonight,they were flying really low and 2 swallows 1 house martin were with them,in front of the hide the tide was right in and 12 shellducks were making their way onto dry land ,a heron was resting,and some mallards were sitting nearby,a second mute has appeared and was sitting in the grass,couldn,t see any cygnets but it may be sitting on them,a willow warbler was singing in the bushes to the right and a dunnock was flirting about,a kestrel was hovering over the grass area and i saw it perched on a lampost later,a pair of eiders were out in the bay,a yellowhammer was calling here and pied wagtail/jackdaws/carrion crows were seen

 

[Stonefaction]

An excellent morning visit to the park, despite the greyness of the sky. When I arrived at about 9.30 I had a quick scan of the bay from the path down to the hide. First birds seen were 2 Common Terns - a new species for the park. Then another Little Gull (less of a hood than last weekend's bird). Another 4 species of Gull - Common, Lesser Black Backed, Black Headed and Herring sat out on the pipe as the tide receded. The Little Gull and Common Terns kept being bullied into moving further along. A pair of Sandwich Terns then showed up and moved the Common Terns again.
Down to the hide where a Mute Swan, Shelducks, Mallards and Feral Pigeons were down in the burn outflow. Among the Mallards was another nice surprise. A drake Tufted Duck, another new bird for the park list. A Cormorant flew in, and a flock of Oystercatchers appeared, landing briefly but then taking to the air and being joined by a previously un-noticed pair of Bar Tailed Godwits. Then three Grey Herons flew out to the pipe, one being harassed by the gulls as it tried to land. Two Goosanders swam out into the bay, the first time I've seen more than 1 here.

A Whitethroat was near the hide, as was a Blackbird and Carrion Crow. House Sparrow and Goldfinch were further round. A male Yellowhammer sang loudly from a tree near the hill, and a Greenfinch dropped into the same tree. Linnet, Pied Wagtail and Dunnock were in at the compost area. A Skylark lifted from the hill and flew a short distance skywards before having a change of heart and dropping back down. At the car park there were a few Lesser Redpoll displaying, a Song Thrush flew over from one side of the car park to the other and numerous Chaffinches called in the bushes.

Moving further round, a flock of Long Tailed Tits fed in the bushes near the field with the horses in. A juvenile Robin was here also, and a Buzzard lifted from the centre of the wooded area. Flyovers here included Starling and Woodpigeon. Moving further round towards the Lochan a family of Blackcaps were calling from in the bushes, alongside a few Blue Tits. At the Lochan, a Jackdaw fed along the edges and Swift, Swallow and House Martin hawked insects above.

Forty species in all (a new personal best), with 2 new additions to the park list.

90. Common Tern
91. Tufted Duck

 

[kawwauser]

the tufted duck was still in the bay 11/06/12 ,a female whitethroat was collecting grubs 2 feet from the hide

 

[Stonefaction]

Somehow managed to miss Kawwauser's mention of Eiders in his post from 7/6, so that takes the list to 92, in just under a year.

92. Eider