STONEFACTION BIRDING: 0333 : One That Got Away (9/10/16)

0333 : One That Got Away (9/10/16)

Having missed out entirely on Yellow Browed Warbler in Angus on Saturday with Nat, we decided to try to rectify that with a trip to the Crail area. The original plan had been to head for Lothian but neither of us could really be bothered with the travelling, so it made sense to stick a bit closer to home while still having a good chance to get the bird we were after. I arranged to meet Nat in Leuchars around 0820 as Sunday service on the buses ruled out our usual rendezvous point.

Redstart

Herring Gull gliding over and a Magpie down on the opposite side of the road started off the list for the day with a Blue Tit in a bush a bit further on. Feral Pigeons circled round and a lone Starling flew between houses. A Grey Wagtail high above Dens Road couldn't seem to decide where it was actually going. Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon were added nearer the bus station. There was plenty of activity in Leuchars when I got off the bus with a Collared Dove landing in a tree, House Sparrows flying across the road and a Jackdaw a bit further away. Just as we were about to leave a car drew level with us - my old plane-spotting pal, Geoff, who I hadn't seen for a few years. He had been at Leuchars to see the executive jets visiting in relation to the Dunhill Cup golf tournament. I had a quick catch-up for a few minutes then it was off to Crail.

A Pied Wagtail was in a field with Herring Gulls and Woodpigeons near Wormiston. We decided to head for Denburn Wood first, just in case.... Things were a bit quieter than Wednesday hoowever with a more typical haul of birds here - Blackbird, Robin, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Wren, Blue Tit and Woodpigeon. There were Skylarks overflying and a skein of Pink Footed Geese tracked southwards towards the Forth. The ploughed field to the north of the wood had Herring Gulls, Carrion Crows, Black Headed Gulls and I spotted a distant Buzzard. A Coal Tit was a final addition in the wood before we set off for Kilminning, though 4 Corn Buntings flying towards the fields were added as we walked back to the car. As we headed out Nat stopped to offer a lift to a birder she had been chatting to in the wood, Anne Galbraith.

We parked at the top end and started looking and listening. Song Thrushes were in the trees and more Skylarks were passing over. Just as in Angus the previous day, there were plenty of Goldcrests around. a Cormorant flew over, looking slightly out of place. I heard a call that I immediately recognised. I hurried over to where the sound was coming from and we had glimpses of the bird through the branches. A Yellow Browed Warbler. The first for the year (though the warbler we had in Denburn Wood on Wednesday seems to have been a YBW, based on jizz and behaviour etc) for both of us. Nat spotted, and I managed to grab a photo of, some overflying geese which turned out to be Barnacle Geese.

There were more birds seen, though Robins and Goldcrests seemed to be the most numerous, though there did also seem to be quite a lot of Song Thrushes. I spotted a Redwing atop a conifer. A Dunnock was perched in a bush near the golf course and a charm of Goldfinches were in the bushes. John Anderson and Willie Irvine popped by, and another Fife birder, Dave Clugston arrived. I found a Chiffchaff quietly working its way through the branches in the small rectangular wood just beyond the earth barrier. Dave Clugston spotted a Redstart and after a few minutes I managed to find the bird which was working its way along the outer edge of the small wood, low in the trees with short forays down to the ground. The bird was a rather nice 1st-winter bird, more brown on the back than the usual blue-grey. I kept still and crouched low among the trees, eventually being rewarded with close views of the bird perched in a tree nearby, though a few branches spoilt what would have been an almost perfect shot.

Meadow Pipits and more Skylarks overflew and after more Yellow Browed Warbler hunting, we headed down to the bottom end for some lunch and hopefully some more new finds. Willie Irvine and Anne Galbraith were already scanning the bushes when we arrived. There were Greenfinches feeding among the rose-hips, and Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Redwings in the trees. A 'kettle' of 6 Buzzards soared high above us. With nothing too exciting around we had a walk around the lower part of the site. Golden Plover overflew several times in varying sizes of flock. I spotted a distant trio of Barnacle Geese to add to the small group seen earlier. A young Great Black Backed Gull glided over us, and out over the Forth we picked out some Gannets passing, and a few Shags. A distant Grey Heron flew past to the north. With nothing else to add, we headed back up to the top end.

It was similar to earlier in the day, though we were joined by Dave Waters from St Andrews, though most of the others had left to go elsewhere. We split up to work different areas of the top end again, concentrating on getting some nice photos in the sunshine. As the afternoon progressed, I wandered over to chat to Nat in the grassy area on the east side of the road in. As I stopped a bird called loudly. It was similar to a Yellow Browed Warbler but shorter/quicker and the tone was different. I said to Nat, that I didn't know what it was but it certainly wasn't a YBW. Obviously I wanted to find out what it was. After a few minutes watching the trees nearby a bird popped out into the open in a sycamore in front of me. The very quick check through the binoculars suggested Yellow Browed Warbler, so I immediately switched to the camera, which wouldn't focus. The bird then flew across to a bare branch on another bush where it sat for a few seconds. I fumbled with, and cursed at, the camera which refused to focus. Needless to say, the bird disappeared into a bush and then the camera decided to work.

I spotted Dave by the entrance, so shouted him over and told him about the bird. The bird called a few more times before going quiet again. Dave was in agreement, it didn't sound like it was a Yellow Browed. From the brief glimpses I'd had I thought Pallas's was a possibility so we listened to the call, and it sounded close to what we'd heard. Dave managed to download Hume's call as well, which also seemed to sound like a possibility. (Dave also checked Greenish Warbler at home and that also seemed to fit based on call, though not on the views I'd had which were more YBW-like). Goldcrests frustrated the search, popping up everywhere, as we tried in vain to re-find the bird. Dave headed off after 1600 and we decided to have one more circuit of the top end. A young Pheasant flew up from the bushes, and a single Lapwing overflew.

Just as we were heading back to the car, I spotted a Blackcap in the trees by the road. A nice 'new' bird to round things off, though we did add Rooks on the way home. We'd managed to spend almost all day at Kilminning and although the list for the day was only 45, we had managed to get the target bird, and almost had a lifer into the bargain. I did consider putting it on my list as a Pallas's Warbler, as that seemed to tally at the time (both on call and limited views). Having since heard other calls that sounded similar, I can't be 100% sure and also as I didn't see either the pale rump or the crown stripe on the bird - interestingly, Nat had managed a blurry photo of a "YBW" earlier in the day which appears to have a crown stripe, but it could also just as easily be a trick of the light/shadow. It will just have to be one that got away.

45 species seen (year-tick in bold) - Barnacle Goose, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Dunnock, Gannet, Goldcrest, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redstart, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shag, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellow Browed Warbler, Yellowhammer.