STONEFACTION BIRDING: 0145 : Springy Ness (20/4/15)

0145 : Springy Ness (20/4/15)

Having to change my plans for the previous day owing to Steph's car trouble I now needed a different location for my Monday annual leave day off. With a very early doctor's appointment first a lot would depend on how early I was seen and was then able to get to a bus stop, or the bus station. I managed to come up with 3 or 4 options, all of which had potential for some good birding.

Starling

On the way to the surgery I got my list for the day off to a reasonable start with 6 species seen - House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow. I managed to catch a bus to the bus station a little earlier than expected (adding Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon) and managed to catch a bus for St Andrews. This also meant that I could catch the connecting bus for Crail and some birding around that area. While maybe not quite as good as in Autumn, Spring migration could bring in some good birds if I was lucky.

Cormorant on submarine rock, a Pheasant in a field near Drumoig, Rooks at St Michael's, Starlings, Blackbird and Jackdaw in Leuchars, Mallards on the Motray at Guardbridge and Oystercatchers in the fields between there and St Andrews kept me occupied as the bus rolled on through Fife. While sat at the bus station on the number 95 waiting to leave I watched some rather oversized visitors to feeders in the garden opposite. A Rook and a Jackdaw feeding on the peanuts. Not quite as nimble and agile as Blue Tits but showing their versatility nonetheless.

Heading for Crail I managed to add the firs Kestrel of the day as well as a few scattered Lapwings, a Yellowhammer on a roadside wire and a few Stock Doves in a flock of Woodpigeons in what appeared to be a recently planted field. I got off the bus at my usual stop in Crail and wandered along past the church towards the top end of Denburn Wood. First bird was a nice Goldfinch, followed by a Blackbird collecting food for young, a Blue Tit with nest material and a Song Thrush perched in the top of a small tree.

A few Woodpigeons flew off as I approached the burn, and a couple of Chaffinches were joined in a small tree by a Greenfinch. I wandered down through the wood noting a vocal Great Tit, a Wren by the burn and a few Blackbirds, but surprisingly no Chiffchaffs, Willow Wablers or even a Blackcap. This didn't bode particularly well for a mass of migrants. I had good views of a Woodpigeon and of a Collared Dove before I reached the end of the village and headed out along the straight road for Kilminning.

My main target bird for the day was Corn Bunting and it didn't take too long to hear one singing, and then it was a matter of checking likely perches for the singer in question. Within a few seconds I had my first Corn Bunting of the year, perched atop of a fence post between fields. A few Swallows swept low over the fields, and the first Skylark of the day took to the air singing loudly. A Meadow Pipit took flight also, calling loudly as it flew to another field and landed. Further on, a Buzzard was heard mewing and then watched as it glided over the buildings to the north beyond the cattle field. A pair of Woodpigeons displayed on a roadside pole before flying down to land on a brick building on the other side of the road.

A Pied Wagtail was by the edge of the very small puddle, rather than a much larger pool that it can be at times. A few finches, pigeons and tits were all that was seen until I reached Kilminning. As I wandered around what appeared to be a rather quiet site I heard a loud call that sounded a bit like a Blackbird but wasn't. It was clearly a relative though. I headed for the source of the sound and soon saw a bird land in the top of the small trees that back onto the former airfield and the industrial units. A male Ring Ouzel. My first of the year and nowhere near where I thought I might see one. A nice bonus.

I sent a text to the Fife Bird Club grapevine to put out the news and searched around to see if there was anything else of interest around. A possible second Ring Ouzel was heard but not seen, and it could have been the same bird. A Magpie flew into the conifers at the top end, and a Buzzard drifted over. I wandered down the track to check out the bottom end. Song Thrush, Coal Tit, Yellowhammer, Goldfinch and Dunnock were all that was seen though. A Gannet was seen out over the water.

I walked along the coastal path, a pair of Pied Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit or two but little else seen except for a passing Kestrel just after I had spotted a small rodent scurry across the path and into cover. A few Eiders on the water and a passing Great Black Backed Gull went on the list and I found the first few Linnets of the day as I neared Fife Ness. I considered sitting in the FBC hide but chose instead to perch out on the rocks.

Two male Wheatears which were perched atop the rocks, looking like new arrivals getting their breath back delayed me for a short while as I didn't want to cause them to have to move unnecessarily. Although the sea was relatively calm there was steady movement of birds offshore. Gannets mostly as is often the case but also a nice mix of other species. I finally moved out to the rocks for a closer view.

Great Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Kittiwakes, a few Sandwich Terns, Razorbills and a handful of Guillemots, three Red Throated Divers all at different times, Cormorants, Shags, Fulmars, a female Red Breasted Merganser and a pair of Puffins kept my attention for over an hour. Although the sun was shining it was still relatively cool, but thankfully the wind wasn't too strong. A Carrion Crow joined me for a short time, relatively close by and giving me some nice photo opportunities.

Around 2pm I headed up into the 'patch' to see if there was anything around in there, but a Chaffinch was as good as it got there. Out on the rocks offshore were a mix of Cormorants, Shags and Eider, but no waders. A Grey Heron stalked Stinky Pool and after I took a few photos I crossed the golf course and headed uphill. Another Magpie flew by and a Starling perched on the wires in the sun gave me some nice photos. I spotted the kestrel perched on the small wind turbine. I heard a bird calling which I didn't recognise but it had a wader-like tone. Whatever it was I failed to see anything though it sounded like it was flying around.

A woman stopped her car to ask about the Ring Ouzel and I told her it had likely moved on, but we decided to search for it anyway. Within a few minutes we were joined by Willie Irvine and the three of us wandered down through the site searching for it, and my 'mystery wader'. We found neither, though we did find another 3 Wheatears perched on the fence and tyres near the end of the old runway of the airfield. Willie dropped me off back in Crail and from the bus back home I managed to add one final species in the shape of Mute Swan as I passed through Guardbridge.

A reasonably good day with the target species added and a nice bonus bird among the 52 seen (year-ticks in bold).

Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Ring Ouzel, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Wheatear, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.