I wasn't sure where to go for my midweek outing this week, but an exchange of messages on Tuesday with Nat resulted in us arranging to head to Fife Ness for some sea-watching in the hope of seeing Manx Shearwaters and maybe a skua or two. Anything else would be a bonus. I had to wait in for an early morning visit so I arranged to meet Nat at Guardbridge once I was able to get out. I would message her to say which bus I'd catch and see her there. Unfortunately floor painting was due to happen so it would be birding from outside while waiting, for whichever of us got there first.
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| Willow Warbler |
As it happened I made it out the door at 0855 and hurried to the bus station hoping to catch a bus at 0910. I made it with a minute to spare, only to find the bus was actually at 0915. On the fast walk down I had managed to see 9 species which for that time of morning was quite unexpected. A Blackbird on the pavement across the road as I left, then a melee of high flying Swifts, and a few gliding Herring Gulls followed. A singing Wren was next then the first of two Magpies seen on the walk as it perched atop a chimney on a tenement. Two minutes further on and I added a Lesser Black Backed Gull and a Woodpigeon both perched on buildings as well as the second Magpie. Crossing Victoria Road, I could hear Long tailed Tits contact calling and as I made it to the other side of the road I was able to count at least 8 of the birds flying across the road behind me. Feral Pigeons overflew as I neared the bus station.
Another batch of birds were added on the bus journey with Starling, Carrion Crow and House Martin all seen as the bus exited the roundabout at the Fife side of the Tay. A Chaffinch flew into a field just outside Leuchars and a Blue Tit and a few Jackdaws were also seen as the bus headed through the village. Mute Swans were on the Motray. Pied Wagtails were on the grass at the park as I walked in towards the hide to meet Nat. As expected there wasn't too much to see out in front, though another 8 species were added - Shelduck, Mallard, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Heron, a few more Canada Geese than seen on Sunday, Oystercatcher, Sand Martin and one distant flock of Goosanders on the river. A Song Thrush was on the grass as we headed back to the car.
The journey to Crail was uneventful from a bird point of view with nothing much added, only a few Swallows and a Skylark as well as some of the species already seen earlier. We headed straight down to the hide at Fife Ness across the golf course. The sea looked very calm and visibility appeared good. There didn't initially appear to be much happening offshore, though through binoculars it was clear there were birds moving. A House Sparrow was on the wires behind the static caravans and a singing Whitethroat showed quite well when it moved over onto the fence by the former coastguard station building entrance.
Gannets could be seen heading north and a Sandwich Tern flew over a bit higher and a bit closer than the Gannets. Once we were organised inside the hide, with the scope set up, we started adding more species to the day list almost immediately. Shags and Guillemots could be seen on the sea and slightly unusually there were good numbers of Puffins passing by. Most birds weren't particularly close in to shore but the lack of heat distortion over most of the viewing distance meant that there was no real difficulty in identifying them. A Razorbill flew by much closer in and Nat found some sleeping Eiders on the rocks out front, alongside a Great Black Backed Gull.
Ten minutes or so into our stint in the hide and I picked up the first
Manx Shearwaters of the day, and my year (Nat had already seen them on the west coast recently). The lack of wind meant they were not behaving as they normally would but they were still easily recognisable. Another single bird passed a few minutes later, then another pair. A couple of slightly larger groups also headed northwards during our hour or so of sea-watching. A Mallard drake flew south. A Fulmar was added, then a couple of Kittiwakes. What appeared to be a larger shearwater headed north but I failed to find it with the camera - I suspect Sooty as the most likely candidate, but it will need to be "one that got away".
As I was following a small group of Manx Sheawaters through the scope, I caught sight of a dorsal fin above the waves beyond the birds. Given the apparent large size at the distance of the sighting and the time it took for the fin and back to disappear back underwater, I think the only possibility is Minke Whale. We had no further sightings of it, but reading the literature later at home, both the behaviour and the fin shape etc seem to fit. Although it would have been nice to confirm the ID of what will be my first ever whale sighting, I think 'probable Minke Whale' will have to suffice.
A small flock of waders flew low over the water and photos showed them to be Sanderling, mostly in breeding plumage. We had decided to move on at around 1130, so we walked back to the car. We had good views of a singing Whitethroat on the way and a Common Gull flew over. A Pied Wagtail was on the rocks near Stinky Pool, and as we turned around I spotted a hovering Kestrel. It flew closer before perching on the telegraph pole in the garden of the 'pink cottage'. A few seconds later it dropped from the pole. I hurried along to see if it had caught anything but it flew off as it saw me. I was able to see from photos that it had made a successful catch - a vole.
We headed for Kilminning and an early lunch next, adding Linnet and Sedge Warbler as we crossed the golf course. At the bottom end of Kilminning we stopped and had lunch, adding Yellowhammer, Dunnock, Willow Warbler, Goldfinch and Meadow Pipit as we ate. We also had very brief views of a bird in fast flight that I initially thought was a Cuckoo, but then decided Sparrowhawk was more likely, though as two Cuckoos were seen later in the day at Kilminning, maybe it was a Cuckoo (another one that got away).
We headed next for Kilrenny in the slim hope of maybe finding juvenile Tawny Owls. At least 2 Corn Buntings and a Skylark were seen on the stretch of road between Kilminning and Crail. At Kilrenny we wandered up towards the wood stopping to look for a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker which we glimpsed flying off through the trees, and a family of Great Tits. A Tree Sparrow showed well not far along the path through the wood. A Juvenile Robin hopped along the track in front of us. Further on a pair of Dunnocks were spotted and a singing Wren gave us good views, as did a male Yellowhammer. An unusual call turned out to be a pair of recently fledged Willow Warblers almost hidden below a branch on a sycamore tree below eye level, which I located by listening to where the sound came from as I walked back and forward. An adult bird was nearby.
A Stock Dove flew out from the trees near where we hoped to see Tawny Owl. As expected, we saw no owls. A juvenile Blackcap was being fed by both parents ahead of us and we watched for a few minutes as the group moved through the trees. A Chiffchaff was seen from the small bridge, and a pair of Roe Deer wandered through the long grass in the field. A walk back along the edge of the field failed to add anything else though Swallows and a Wren were seen. A few Carpet moths were seen, probably Silver Ground Carpet, as well as a few different micro-moths. A Sedge Warbler was seen by the small burn and we had additional views of Great Spotted Woodpecker and Tree Sparrows.
A Collared Dove was seen high in a tree with Jackdaws as I got into the car back at the car park. We headed next to Kilconquhar Loch, adding a Buzzard being harassed by crows on the way. At the Loch, a short and unexpected shower of rain started. Out on the Loch we could see a few Great Crested Grebes, a few Coots, some Tufted Ducks and some Mallards. Overall it was rather quiet and the view from the quiet garden was rather limited by vegetation. A Pheasant was seen on the way back to St Andrews and we made one last stop at Guardbridge Reservor where a single Shelduck and a trio of Pied Wagtails were seen on the mud. Nat dropped me off at Leuchars station and the bus appeared immediately.
A very decent day out with 64 species seen (and 2 other possibles), including a year-tick (in bold) as well as my first Whale sighting, even if the species is only a 'probable Minke'. Some relatively good photos taken too.
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| Guillemot & Puffin |
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| Guillemot |
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| Fulmar |
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| Razorbill |
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| Eider |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Sanderling |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Eider |
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| Shag |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Kestrel |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Robin |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Wren |
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| Blackcap |
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| Roe Deer |
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| Song Thrush |
Species seen - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Corn Bunting, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard,
Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
