Hi All,
I was temporarily confined to the west end of Dundee between late March and early May due to the Covid lockdown. My daily walk often took in Riverside Nature Park, which I can recommend as a good birding site almost in the city! I found that the light was much better in the morning for looking into the bay than afternoons, late afternoon sunshine in particular made it awkward to see anything at all. Two hours either side of high tide was obviously better for closer views of birds, but I found a falling tide better than a rising tide for the number of birds present.
Highlights were the almost constant turnover of birds (though in fairly low numbers), most disappointing was my inability to find a single unusual gull despite much searching (peak counts were around 220 HG's, 25 LBBG's, 35 BhG's and 20 CG's)!
Below is a list of my more notable sightings, plus some photo's attached,
Cheers,
Mark
Great-crested Grebe one on 05 April
Little Egret one on 06 May
Whooper Swan 8 on 23 March
Grey-lag Goose 350 on 05 April
Pink-footed Goose 30 on 05 April, 150NE on 19 April
Teal up to 70 in March, gradually reducing to final m&f on 07 May
Wigeon 2mm&2ff on 10 April, m&f on 19 April
Pintail m&f on 05 April
Shoveler m&f on 19 April
Gadwall m&f on 07 May
Tufted Duck 2mm&f on 04 April, m&f on 10 & 12 April, m&f on 28 April
Goldeneye 3ff on 18 April
Red-breasted Merganser 1f on 12 April, m&f on 18 April, 1f on 24 April, 1m on 02 May
Goosander 2ff on 23 March, 1m on 04 - 19 April, 2mm on 07 May, 4mm&2ff on 09 May
Bar-tailed Godwit Peak of 37 on 14 April
Black-tailed Godwit 4 on 04 April, one on 09 April
Whimbrel one on 02 May and 05 May
Redshank Peak 785 on 08 April (roosting by railway during spring tide)
Greenshank one on 07 April
Common Sandpiper one on 08 April and 04 May
Common Snipe one on 04 April
Turnstone one on 30 March and 23 April
Knot 7 on 30 March
Dunlin Peaks of 22 on 30 March and 19 on 05 May
Ringed Plover one on 10 April, 2 on 05 May
Greater Black-backed Gull 2 ads on 12 April, one on 23-25 April (ad) and 06-07 May (3cy)
Sandwich Tern 2 on 28 April
Osprey one on 18, 22 and 26 April, 01 and 07 May
Buzzard Up to 3 present throughout
Sparrowhawk one on 11 and 26 April
Kestrel one on 30 March, and 04, 07 and 10 April
Peregrine one on 01, 18 and 22 April
Pheasant 1m on 26 April
Jay 2 on 11 April and 18 April, one on 29 April
Rook one on 27 April
Kingfisher one on 02 May
Greater-spotted Woodpecker Up to 2 present throughout
Redwing one of the dark Icelandic race coburni on 05 April
Wheatear one on 26-27 April, one on 07 May
Whinchat one on 26 April
Grey Wagtail one on 04 April
White Wagtail one on 08 April (Pied Wagtail regular)
Chiffchaff first on 29 March
Willow Warbler first on 09 April
Blackcap first on 11 April
Whitethroat first on 24 April
Sedge Warbler first on 27 April