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| Kestrel |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Small Copper |
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| Shag |
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| Skylark |
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| Common Tern |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Common Gull |
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| Gannets |
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| Eider |
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| Fulmar |
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| Sanderling |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| House Martin |
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| Buzzard |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Green Veined White |
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Grey Heron & Carrion Crow
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After the success of the Friday, I wondered whether to try the same area on the Saturday or maybe head for Montrose Basin and the surrounding area. In the end, the smaller distances between potential sites for hoped-for migrants around Crail determined the outcome. Back to Fife Ness again.
Rather than the very early start of the day before I settled for catching a later bus and left at the more sensible time of around 0815 to walk into town to catch a bus to St Andrews in plenty of time for the 0927 bus to Crail. With fairly decent weather again the Swifts were the first bird on the day list as they swept the skies for insects. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Blackbird soon followed. Herring Gull put in a slightly later appearance than normal as I reached Victoria Road. Walking down the steep footpath to King Street I heard Long Tailed Tits in the trees and soon managed to see a small family group flitting through the branches. A nice sight so early in the day.
House Sparrows were in plentiful supply on King Street but only a few were seen, the majority staying hidden in cover. From the bus station, more Herring Gulls and a flyover Oystercatcher were added. As we set off for St Andrews, the first Lesser Black Backed Gull of the day was seen perched atop a lamp post near the new Olympia. Passing through Fife, the roadside was quiet until we reached St Michaels where Sand Martins swooped around over the golf course. A few Jackdaws perched on the chimneys in Leuchars, and a Goldfinch and Starling were both picked out in flight as the bus picked up a few more passengers. Mute Swans were on the Eden as we crossed the bridge.
From the bus station in St Andrews I had a short walk to a small raised area overlooking a car park with trees down both sides but within a minute's walk of the bus station. From here I watched as a few Swallows zipped low over the bus station. A Blue Tit flew across the car park disappearing into the trees and a Dunnock landed on the wall a few feet away from me but disappeared before I could get my camera out of my bag. A much larger 'bird' was photographed from here however, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 overflying Fife on its way across the Atlantic to New York. From the upstairs of the bus, Rook and Feral Pigeon were watched as they fed in the garden with feeders next to the bus station.
Once again it was relatively quiet travelling through Fife with only Swallows and Woodpigeons in the main being seen until near Kingsbarns where Yellowhammer was seen just outside, with House Martins and Swallows over the village itself. On arrival in Crail I headed for Denburn Wood with Starlings, Blackbirds and House Sparrows by the houses as I got my camera gear and binoculars organised. In the wood I managed to see the calling Chiffchaff, and a few Blackbirds and Woodpigeons though there was no sign of any Stock Doves. A Wren was seen at the lower end of the wood near the burn.
Walking out along the main road to the golf course, Collared Dove was seen near the hotel while a Song Thrush sang loudly from a roof opposite. Not too far along the road a Skylark headed upwards singing loudly. I heard the jangling of a singing Corn Bunting and watched it fly up onto wires near where I had found the Shrike the day before. Unfortunately it flew off again before I got anywhere near it. A Buzzard circled up over the fields towards Wormiston and the male Kestrel hovered and circled quite close by, allowing me a short sequence of nice photos. Once again, Yellowhammer and Pied Wagtail males were seen among the ruined buildings.
On reaching Kilminning, I spotted a singing male Chaffinch with Robin and the resident Willow Warbler soon joining it on the list. Woodpigeons, Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow and the Buzzard all put in an appearance but overall it was still rather quiet, with no sign of the roosting Tawny Owl either. Goldfinches and Blackbirds were seen as I walked down to check out the lower end of the area. Pied Wagtails wandered around in a few places. Starlings were the most numerous bird at the bottom car park area, though again there were a few Goldfinches around plus a Yellowhammer. I wandered back up intending to take a detour over to the walled garden at Balcomie. Another Pied Wagtail was seen in the field by the driveway but the walled garden was empty except for a Goldfinch. I wandered through the farmyard where House Martins and Swallows were feeding around the buildings to check out the overgrown garden that often turns up rarities. However, there were only a few Greenfinches and a Whitethroat seen here. Walking back along the track I spotted the first Great Tit of the day. A Song Thrush was singing loudly from the trees opposite the end of the driveway.
I walked down the road towards the golf course, a few Linnets fluttering around in the rough and bushes on the course. Two Grey Herons chased each other, their harsh calls audible despite the distance. A Meadow Pipit displayed over the golf course. A Black Redstart had been found the previous evening by the new house being built but there was no sign of it. House Sparrows and Swallows were around by the houses at the golf course as normal. A Red Admiral butterfly put in an appearance sunning itself on the wall that runs by the road over the golf course. A Small Copper butterfly was by the bushes at Stinky Pool as was the Sedge Warbler which has territory there. Another Whitethroat was by the pink cottage, feeding along the edge of the back garden wall. Eiders, Gannets and Shags could be seen offshore making their way past the Ness headland.
Things appeared a bit more promising than the relatively quiet conditions of the day before so I settled down for a spot of sea-watching. Great Black Backed Gulls and Herring Gulls glided by. A few Cormorants shuttled back and forward to and from fishing offshore. A Curlew flew low past in front of me having been spooked by a walker on the rocks. Kittiwakes with their distinctive flight moved northwards in ones and twos, the black wingtips confirming the suspected IDs. Guillemots and Razorbills raced by in small groups, wings whirring. A few Fulmars glided past much closer in expending a lot less effort than the auks. A Puffin joined the lengthening list. It was more of the same for a while until the first Common Terns went north. rather surprisingly, a smallish bird came in from the northeast and headed inland. Photos showed it to be a Skylark.
Sandwich Terns announced their arrival in their usual loud way, their calls ringing out loud and making them easy to pick out against the sky. A wader shot past heading out over the water calling as it went. Photos showed it to be a Ringed Plover. A young Common Gull passed southwards over the rocks and a few minutes later an Arctic Tern was seen a bit further out. I spotted movement on the rocky shoreline which turned out to be a few summer plumaged waders. After a brief bit of pondering I came to the conclusion that they were actually Sanderling, looking very different to their more usually seen plumage of light grey and white. They kept disappearing from view so numbers were hard to judge. However as I tried to get decent photos of them a larger wave caused them to fly up in a small flock. There were actually at least 20 of them, and 2 Dunlin also in summer plumage.
I spotted Rab Shand coming down from "the patch" (Fife Ness Muir) and stopped to chat for a few minutes. He confirmed there was little to see in "the patch" but he had found a 1st year Common Rosefinch at Balcomie earlier. He had also seen a Common Scoter and a Red Throated Diver go by while I was trying to photograph the Sanderling flock. Sometimes you need more than one pair of eyes when you're birding....
I decided to try and see the Rosefinch as I have only had brief views (and 1 rather poor record shot) of a bird in Glen Devon a few years ago. Rab headed along the shore to look for waders and I crossed back over the golf course and headed uphill. A Meadow Pipit with food in its bill watched me pass before dropping back into the rough. I drew a blank on the Rosefinch at Balcomie with only the House Martins and Swallows plus the Whitethroat seen. A Yellowhammer sang from the roof of the cottage and a Reed Bunting flew into the bushes. I watched House Martins collecting mud for nest material by a puddle by the farm sheds.
I wandered back down through Kilminning. Once again the Buzzard soared up from the trees at the top, mewing loudly. A Carrion Crow made a half hearted attempt to intercept before flying off. The Willow Warbler was still singing in the trees as was the resident Song Thrush by the road. Further down, I saw a male Reed Bunting shuttling back and forward to a probably nest site on the airfield opposite the karting track. Goldfinches and a few butterflies (Small Tortoiseshell and Green Veined White) provided the main interest until I reached the bottom car park where Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and surprisingly the first Magpie of the day were seen. With a bus due around 1605 I headed back to the road to walk back. A Carrion Crow gave chase to a Grey Heron over the fields at Balcomie.
Walking back proved to be an anti-climax compared to the previous day with Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Swallow the only birds seen before I reached Crail. House Sparrows and Starlings plus Collared Doves were seen as I headed for the bus stop. I had an interesting chat to a fellow independence supporter all the way back to St Andrews on the bus and passed on a few badges and Aye Right flyers for him to give out. Mallards were seen on the Motray as I got the bus back to Dundee.
I finished the day on 61 species seen, though nothing new for the yearlist despite the easterlies. Species seen - Arctic Tern, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Reed Bunting, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.