Despite a lack of success in finding 'new' waders for my year-list the previous mid-week, it was decided that we would try Fife again for this Wednesday's outing. We would more or less follow the same route and hopefully we would have at least some success with maybe a Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper or Wood Sandpiper to add to this year's totals by the end of the day. I arranged to meet Nat at the usual time at the end of the roadbridge. For a change the weather forecast was rain-free.
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| Gannet |
Herring Gull, Blackbird, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon got the list started almost as soon as I was out the front door. A Lesser Black Backed Gull and a Magpie were added a bit further down the road with Carrion Crow seen from the bus to Fife as were Cormorants on Submarine Rock. Nat was running slightly late which allowed me to add Black Headed Gull and Jackdaw from the car park as I waited.
We headed first to Nat's local patch where as usual we were treated to a nice selection of species. Dunnock and Wren were seen as we got out of the car. Coots, Mallards and Moorhen were on a nearby pool, while a Pied Wagtail foraged around the edges. A Swallow swept low over the water, taking a quick drink on the way. A Yellowhammer was seen at the top of a tall tree, with a Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen high up in another further on. A few Chaffinches flew past us. A rather nice surprise was a Green Sandpiper by a trackside pool in a field, and we were able to get a few photos, at a much closer distance than previous sightings of the species, before it flew off.
A Sparrowhawk flew up into a tree and a pair of Stock Doves passed behind us. Another pool held Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans and Little Grebes. The bushes and trees surrounding it held Song Thrush, Goldfinch and 2 Blackcaps. A single House Martin hawked for flies above the water. Walking back to the car we were able to add a few more species - Robin, Greenfinch, Mistle Thrush, Reed Bunting and Blue Tit, plus a flyover Common Gull and a group of Canada Geese in two parts - a small group of 5 or 6 and a larger group of around twice as many.
From here we headed on to Letham Pools, once again hoping that there would be a few good waders around. There were plenty Lapwings around the edges and a few Snipe. The Teal numbers were up with plenty of the birds asleep in the small top end section of the northern pool. A Buzzard was perched on the fence across the field behind. Nat found a Redshank and a few minutes later our first Grey Heron of the day was discovered tucked in a small bay. Scoping around the edges I found a Water Rail out in the open, and a short distance away from the first another was showing slightly less well. We also heard calling Water Rails from behind the vegetation just in front of us, and another pair at least behind us across the road.
A Shoveler was spotted near the island, and a Greenshank wandered along the edges of the pool, past Moorhens and Snipe. Coots were on the other pool. Sand Martins swept over in small groups and I found a pair of Gadwall in eclipse plumage at the island. A Sedge Warbler was in the vegetation across the far side, and a second Greenshank was added. A pair of Grey Wagtails were found at the edge of the southern pool and a third bird was heard but not seen flying by. We then headed for the Wilderness next where we were hoping that a Wood Sandpiper which had been reported the previous day was still around.
Unfortunately, heat haze meant that it was rather tricky to ID the more distant back-lit birds, especially a wader wandering along the edge of a spit. Even trying to judge size and colour, and bill size was a nightmare but we eventually settled on Ruff, and it was joined by a second bird before something caused them to fly off where they joined a third bird. In addition, there were a number of Greylags and Curlews, mostly asleep by the eastern end, and I eventually counted around 15 Black Tailed Godwits mostly at the western end of the pool. A pair of Linnets were seen and Nat found a couple of Barnacle Geese (probably the 'locals' that hang around/pair with Greylags).
Our next stop was Guardbridge and we added Rook and House Sparrow on our way there. The windows were all taken but we sat back and scoped the mud which was disappearing due to the incoming tide. Oystercatchers, Curlew, Lapwing, Dunlin and Redshanks plus assorted Gulls made up the bulk of the birds on the mud but there were a few juvenile Shelducks around, as well as a trio of Turnstones. I found a Whimbrel and there was a Goosander in the river just in front of the hide. Once the tide was all the way in we headed in the direction of Fife Ness for some sea-watching.
We stopped in at Kingsbarns beach but it was rather busy despite the schools having gone back. There were a few Eiders, Gannets and Sandwich Terns but overall it was very quiet. Collared Dove was added as we passed through Crail. We decided to sit out on the rocks rather than go into the hide, though it was surprisingly chilly despite the blue skies and sunshine. There were plenty of Gannets passing by, some diving reasonably close, as well as Sandwich Terns. There were fewer Fulmars than the previous week, a single Cormorant flew by and there were numerous Shags. Our first Great Black Backed Gulls of the week were seen gliding by.
A small flock of Knot shot past low over the water, with a few Dunlin among their number. I found a few Kittiwakes further out. After about an hour we decided to give up on the sea-watching and headed back in the direction of St Andrews. We considered Balgove Bay but the thought of the walk across the golf course to the George Evans hide in the warm sun put me off. It was then a choice between Guardbridge again or Morton Lochs. A very late decision by indecisive me, and Guardbridge won, mostly down to the short amount of walking required.
Thankfully this proved to be a decent choice. The Redshanks were just returning to the small area of exposed mud as I sat down. A few Dunlin and a surprise Knot were seen among them. An Osprey with a small flatfish headed in our direction, before passing over the hide. Anotehr blue ringed bird though the code isn't 100% readable on the photos. I heard Common Sandpiper calling a few times and we were eventually treated to good views of one which landed on the wall in front of the hide. Another pair flew past. Tree Sparrow and Great Tit visited the feeders and I found a small group of Wigeon along the far edge of the mud. A Ruff wandered across the mud. A rather grey-ish pale looking young Buzzard gave us good views across the river. With the time just after 1700 we called it a day and headed for home.
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| Green Sandpiper |
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| Green Sandpiper |
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| Canada Geese |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Teal, Lapwing & Snipe |
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| Moorhen & Water Rail |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Gannet |
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| Cormorant |
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| Dunlin & Knot |
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| Gannet |
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| Shag |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Shag |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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| Gannet |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Gannet |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Kittiwake |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Gannet |
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| Goosander |
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| Dunlin & Redshank |
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| Redshank & Knot |
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| Osprey |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Ruff |
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| Buzzard |
78 species seen, though nothing new for the year-list among them. Species seen - Barnacle Goose, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gadwall, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Green Sandpiper, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Water Rail, Whimbrel, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
