With 5 days off work (including the weekend) I wanted to try and add some year-ticks to my already ahead of last year year list. The main problem however was that it is still rather early for the bulk of incoming summer migrants. For some reason there have already been a lot of earlier than usual arrivals throughout the UK with birds showing well in advance of when they'd usually be expected to. I contemplated a visit to Kinnordy in the hope that Garganey which had been seen on Friday would stick around into Saturday. With Osprey expected to show up and Marsh Harriers already back, coupled with reasonable weather I figured space would likely be at a premium and decided to try Fife instead for my own migrant arrivals. With a bit of luck, I could maybe add a few to my list.
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| Grey Heron |
Instead of rolling over and going back to sleep as I almost did I got up and headed out at around 0750 to catch a bus into town and then to walk to the railway station for a train to Ladybank. The plan was to check out The Wilderness and then walk to Letham Pools and maybe Mountcastle Quarry. Sand Martin was expected and Garganey was hoped for. There were a few other possibilities but even 1 would be a case of "mission accomplished". The Blue Tit pair were again on the wires outside and a Blackbird wandered out across the road. Herring Gull and Goldfinch both flew over before a Feral Pigeon was seen landing on a roof. Woodpigeon was seen from the bus into town.
While waiting for the train I was able to add Lesser Black Backed Gull on the buildings to the north and a House Sparrow male perched under the platform roof. A Cormorant was on the Tay as we crossed the railway bridge. An Oystercatcher and a Grey Heron were seen in flight on the way to Leuchars. Between Leuchars and Cupar a Stock Dove, Jackdaws, Starlings, Carrion Crow and Mallard were seen. A pair of Grey Partridges were spooked by the train as we headed for Ladybank and a Buzzard pair were perched in a smallish conifer by the railway line as we neared my stop.
When I got out of the station, a skein of Pink Footed Geese flew over rather low. I took the road out of the village towards The Wilderness gravel pits. I could hear a Chiffchaff in the trees by the railway line but couldn't see it. A few Yellowhammers were in the roadside bushes and a pair of Skylarks dropped into the field giving me decent views. A pair of Shelducks flew over headed in the same direction as me. A little further on I stopped to watch a male Bullfinch tucking in to fresh buds on a tree just a few feet above me. Chaffinch and Goldcrest were seen a few trees further on. A Siskin overflew and a male Pheasant was seen in among the trees at the end of the gravel pits.
A small party of
Sand Martins flew across the field across the road from me giving me my first year-tick of the day. A small bird flew across the road and into the trees nearby but I couldn't see where it had landed. Thankfully it flew back across the road and I managed to see it as it clambered up the trunk of the small tree. A Treecreeper. A Wren gave brief views among the shrubbery as I neared the gate into the site. I stopped to scan every few feet along the wall and the list continued to grow - Coot, Goldeneye, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Linnet, Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall all added to what I'd already seen in the mile from the station.
A Meadow Pipit flew over into the field behind me. A small group of Shoveler were on the mud, alongside a pair of Black Headed Gulls. Reed Bunting was seen near the water and a Pied Wagtail surprisingly flew out from the branches of a tree as I scanned from below. A small group of Greylags flew over. Redshank, Oystercatcher and Moorhen were next onto the list before I turned my attention to the woods opposite. Long Tailed Tits, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and a Chiffchaff were all seen. Not a bad haul in the first hour of my walk with around 50 species already seen, including a year-tick. Continuing along the road a Great Tit was spotted in the trees before a Sparrowhawk shot out from the vegetation ahead of me and into the wood where the small birds alerted each other to its presence. A Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard calling, but I failed to see it, the first of several heard on the walk.
Tree Sparrows were in the garden of the house at the end of the road. A Song Thrush was heard singing but as with the Woodpecker I failed to see it. Rook was added as I neared the railway line and a Robin eventually showed near the level crossing when the train passing flushed it into view from wherever it had been hiding and singing. A Pied Wagtail and a Starling were perched together in a tree behind a house further on and a Robin sang from atop another. There was shooting going on nearby as I watched some Buzzards circling round above the trees. As I passed the nursing home driveway I stopped at the small bridge over the burn and was surprised when not the hoped for Kingfisher flew off, but a pair of Dippers. I suspect they are nesting either below the bridge or in the bank of the burn beside it. A rather nice surprise.
Mistle Thrush was seen in the trees as I neared Bow of Fife and once across the main road I spotted a Magpie on the road ahead of me. Nearing the pools, I watched a party of Curlews in a ploughed field. A male Pheasant and a few Jackdaws were in the same field. A Yellowhammer flew up onto the wires above and a pair of Reed Buntings were in the hedge by the drainage ditch. There was a nice selection of birds on the pools though I had already seen most of what was on offer - Lesser Black Backed and Black Headed Gulls, Coots, Moorhens, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Redshank, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Goldeneye and Little Grebes. There were a few Sand Martins high above. Once again I stopped to scan very regularly. A gaggle of Pink Footed and Greylags were feeding round by the main road. There were also a pair of Grey Partridges behind them (only discovered via photo later at home).
A small party of Wigeon were feeding on the grass by the quieter of the two pools but despite lots of scanning I failed to add anything new for the year. I stopped to chat to a Fife birder who recognised me, but my recognition skills failed me and I couldn't put a name to the face. With the time now around mid-day I decided to wander round to Mountcastle Quarry for a check of the pools there. A Dunnock sang from the roadside hedge. Things were rather quiet at the site with only a handful of Great Crested Grebes of note to add for the day. Heading back towards the pools undecided on whether or not to walk back to Ladybank, or to get a bus to St Andrews, I added a Collared Dove on a barn roof and another Pied Wagtail.
Having decided to walk back along the road to Bow of Fife and catch a bus there I hadn't gone very far before a rather heavy shower of rain began, turning quickly to hail. I abandoned my plan and headed back to the old bus shelter by the main road. When the rain abated enough I walked up to the wooden bus shelter in Letham village to wait for the bus to St Andrews. Another Collared Dove gave me good views just as the bus turned up. Birds were difficult to see from the bus as we caught up again with the rain shower and hail a few times. At St Andrews bus station I was fortunate to catch a bus immediately to Guardbridge and headed into the hide for a few hours.
I chatted to a couple from Berkshire who were hoping to see White Tailed Eagle and maybe an Osprey. Within a few minutes the man drew my attention to what he thought might be an Osprey well out on the river where he had seen it splash into the water. Scanning through binoculars I picked up a large heavy bird being mobbed by gulls and crows low over the water out past the radar tower. It disappeared out of view but I was in no doubt that it was an
Osprey and put a text message out to Fife Bird Club. A few minutes later we confirmed it when we spotted that the bird had perched on one of the 'Osprey posts' around 1.5 miles from the hide.
In addition to the Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches, Great Tits, Blue Tits and Coal Tits coming to the feeders I managed to add my first Greenfinch of the day. Scanning round the river I spotted a flock of Black Tailed Godwits, some already showing orange breeding plumage. Among the Herring Gulls were a few Lesser and Great Black Backed Gulls. A couple of drake Goosanders were on the river and a Peregrine swooped through spooking all the waders, most of which turned out to be Knot. Brian Williamson from Dundee Nats arrived just as the English couple were preparing to leave and we chatted as the tide began to cover more and more of the mud.
Among the Knot flock we eventually succeeded in finding a few Dunlin. A few Sinensis race Cormorants were spotted - one on the river out in front of the hide and a second one in flight. A large skein of Pink Footed Geese arrived overhead but decided against landing and disappeared again. We were joined by an elderly gentleman birder from Edinburgh whose patch is Bavelaw Marsh in Lothian. I spotted Eider on the river and Brian found a Great Crested Grebe. Scanning through the waders didn't produce anything else notable, but I picked up a distant pair of Pintail flying upriver and eventually managed to get Brian onto his first Sand Martins of the year as they circled above the old Paper Mill building. Brian spotted a Sparrowhawk circling up on a thermal in front of the hide.
With the time after 1700 and having had great views of a full rainbow and its full reflection in the very calm water we called it a day and Brian gave me a lift back to Dundee after a very successful day with 2 year-ticks (in bold) among the 73 species seen.
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| Skylark |
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| Shelduck |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Sand Martin |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Redshank |
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| Black Headed Gull, Shoveler & Teal |
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| Rook |
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| Pied Wagtail & Starling |
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| Buzzard |
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| Dipper |
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| Robin |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Curlew |
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| Lapwing & Gadwall |
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| Sand Martin |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull & Herring Gull |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Greylag & Pink Footed Geese |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Greylag & Pink Footed Geese & Grey Partridge |
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| Pink Footed Geese (& one with orange legs) |
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| Lapwing |
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| Collared Dove |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Osprey |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Knot, Dunlin & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant (Sinensis) |
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| Curlew & Redshank |
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| Cormorant (Sinensis) |
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| Redshank, Knot & Dunlin |
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| Cormorant (Sinensis) |
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| Pintail |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Eider & Great Crested Grebe |
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| Herring Gull & Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Goldeneye |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dipper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan,
Osprey, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Pintail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook,
Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Siskin, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
