STONEFACTION BIRDING: 0209 : September Sunshine (19/9/15)

0209 : September Sunshine (19/9/15)

As it had been a while since I had last been out birding with birding buddy, Doug Lucas, I messaged him recently to see if he fancied an outing sometime. We arranged to head out at the weekend but with other things to squeeze in, Doug would only be able to bird until around 2pm or so. With an early start we would still be able to fit in around 6 hours of birding and I had the option of birding the rest of the afternoon also.

Sparrowhawk

As I wandered round to meet Doug I picked up Blackbird, a singing Robin and Woodpigeon, plus a Carrion Crow was spotted from the car before we set off for Fife Ness and a spot of sea-watching and maybe some rarity hunting, although conditions weren't really ideal for either with light winds from the west instead of easterlies to push the birds in close, or to help them across the North Sea. We added Lesser Black Backed Gull on our way to the Tay bridge. A selection of other species were added on our way through Fife. Swallows swooped low above the fields fattening themselves up for their monumental journeys south. Rooks were in the stubble fields near Leuchars. A Mute Swan was seen on the Motray at Guardbridge, while House Sparrows were by the roadside further on in the village. Curlews were on the playing fields as we entered St Andrews and Goldfinch and Collared Dove were seen at Kingsbarns.

We crossed the golf course at Balcomie and parked up. A quick look out over the water gave us Black Headed Gull, Cormorant, Great Black Backed Gull and Eider. A pair of Goosander stood at the edge of Stinky Pool and a few Redshanks probed around the edges. On the rocks with the Cormorants and Shags could be seen more Great Black Backeds as well as a Grey Heron and a few Oystercatchers. As we walked to the hide, we added a fly-over Meadow Pipit and a Pied Wagtail while a Herring Gull glided over. Sandwich Terns called as they passed by northwards. We decided to sit out on the rocks instead of in the hide so we would be able to see anything passing over above us, or behind us.

Passage offshore was fairly steady, though unspectacular. A Rock Pipit flew past us and landed somewhere behind us on the rocks. A few Turnstones flew in to feed among the seaweed covered rocks by the water's edge. A Common Gull drifted by, while the first of a few strings of Common Scoters headed north at speed. I heard a call behind us that sounded a bit raptor-like, but which turned out to be coming from 1 of a small group of 4 waders. A Grey Plover, a Knot and 2 Bar Tailed Godwits. A Fulmar, wings held straight out, glided low over the water out towards the horizon. An auk was seen whizzing low over the water, passing another going the opposite direction. Photos showed it to be a Guillemot and a Razorbill.

A Red Throated Diver passed northwards, with another heading southwards a few minutes later. As things were relatively quiet we gave up on the sea-watching at around 1000 picking up 3 high flying Red Throated Divers directly overhead on their way south, the sun catching their white bellies. We headed up to check out Fife Ness Muir (the Patch) picking up Great Tit and Linnet as we headed up past the cottage and along the edge of the golf course. We could hear Magpies chattering away loudly and eventually managed to see them. In all there were 10 birds together and they flew off in pairs back across the golf course when they spotted us. Dunnock and Wren were both seen among the bushes on the patch and a pair of Buzzards were seen circling up to the west of the golf course above Kilminning.

We explored the patch but there was little else to see, or hear, with the exception of lots of butterflies (Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Peacocks) and Silver Y moths. We saw lots more of these later at Kilminning too, especially the Silver Ys. A Kestrel was spotted over the golf course just before we wandered back down to the car and a Goldcrest was one final addition at the Patch before we headed up to Kilminning in the hope of finding some incoming migrants.

A Sparrowhawk circled overhead as we got out of the car. A check of the top end found almost no birds except for the Swallows passing over, and a distant Buzzard. I heard Skylarks calling and succeeded in picking them out against the blue sky. A minute later I heard a Crossbill calling and we spotted it passing westwards directly above us. A nice bonus bird. A Yellowhammer flew past and a Song Thrush shot out from a Rowan tree where it had been feeding on berries alongside a Blackbird. We headed down to the bottom end but it was equally as quiet with only Greenfinch added. A Willow Warbler was heard but went unseen. A pair of calling Siskins were noted when we made it back to the car. We debated where to go for an hour or so, eventually settling on Guardbridge.

House Martins were spotted from the car near Kingsbarns and as we arrived at Guardbridge a large flock of Lapwings could be seen arriving from beyond the bridge to the south. The hide was full of birders so we decided to pop down to the south side of the bridge to see if there was anything of interest there. From the bridge I spotted a Kingfisher on a small seaweed covered stump by the old bridge supports but it flew off downstream before I could get a photo. A Curlew swallowed a legless crab below us. There were Mallards on the river and hundreds of gulls strung out along the banks but not many waders. The sun was in the wrong place for a decent view but photos showed at least a pair of Ruff and a Greenshank as well as a possible, but unconfirmed, Spotted Redshank. A Jackdaw harassed a Buzzard overhead which caused the gulls to take flight.

With time against Doug we headed back to the park. I decided to hang around for the rest of the afternoon while Doug headed for home. I headed into the hide just as a few of those inside were leaving. Chaffinches and Tree Sparrows were on the feeders alongside Greenfinches. Redshanks and Lapwings could be seen opposite the hide, but a few minutes later they all took flight. It had to be a Peregrine and I soon managed to spot it passing south at medium height. A minute or so later, there was a bit more panic as a female Sparrowhawk circled above the hide, while higher in the sky soared a Buzzard. It was relatively quiet overall but a few species were added including Blue Tit and Coal Tits on the feeders. Feral Pigeons flew back and forwards from the old paper mill site.

We had good views of the Kingfisher out on one of the posts in front of the hide and I shot a nice wee video clip of the bird, which showed it to be a female. George Adam spotted a lone Shelduck out on the mud and as a group of Redshanks landed down by the bend in the river I spotted a Ruff among them. I managed to get everyone onto the bird as it wandered along the opposite bank. A white shape on the mud opposite us turned out to be a Little Egret which had sneaked in unseen while we were all pre-occupied with the Ruff.

A few of the visiting birders from the Forth valley RSPB group left to head for home as did George Adam leaving just me and another birder. I picked up a few distant Black Tailed Godwits in flight and eventually spotted my first Starlings of the day, out over the saltmarsh. A small group of ducks in flight turned out to be Teal, as expected. The tide was coming in, but with high tide sometime around 1930 it wasn't going to be quite quick enough to put the waders in front of the hide before the nice light faded. There was some movement of waders which brought in the first Dunlin of the day and a pair of Greenshanks which were almost hidden among the mass of gulls in the water near the point. A small group of Wigeon were the final addition before I decided to pack up and head for home.

Surprisingly I'd managed to see 72 species, though nothing new for the year-list. The weather had held with decent sunshine and at times summer-like temperatures. Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Crossbill, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Ruff, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.