As it wasn't confirmed that Nat was going to be able to join me for a spot of mid-week birding this week, I decided to have a lie-in. Unfortunately for me, that decision coincided with a neighbour having double-glazing fitted and the hammering which began not long after 0830 prompted me to get up and head out anyway. I had decided on Fife, but as I was just putting my coat on, Nat messaged me to say that she was available too, and was ready to leave. We arranged to meet in Leuchars and to head to Crail to search for the Lapland Buntings reported earlier in the week by Will Cresswell.
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| Stock Dove |
It was around 0940 as I headed out and I arrived at the bus stop a few minutes before a slightly late running bus was due, so I chose to wait for it rather than walk to the bus station. The wait proved relatively productive with Redwing and Blackbird feeding on berries, a couple of flyover Goldfinches, plus Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull and Carrion Crows all seen. Blue Tit and Woodpigeon were added near the bus station. As the bus windows were all steamed up and rather dirty there were no additions to the list on the way to Fife.
However, on arrival in Leuchars, there appeared to be birds everywhere with Jackdaws on most chimneys, Black Headed and Common Gulls on the lamp posts, House Sparrows in a garden as well as a few Blackbirds. Off we went headed for Crail. A pair of Curlews flew over as we crossed the Motray at Guardbridge and there were a few Starlings seen further into the village. A pair of Cormorants flew over the bridge across the Eden as we headed for St Andrews. A small flock of Whooper Swans were in one of the fields near Coble Shore.
Arriving in Crail we got organised for the 2 mile walk to Wormiston, and the fields near the golf course. With time not really on our side we decided to forego the walk up through Denburn Wood choosing instead to route through the churchyard. The trees were full of Rooks and a flock of Goldfinches with a few Greenfinches circled round before landing in the treetops to the north. A Chaffinch was seen in the top of another tree and a pair of Stock Doves seemed fooled by the higher than normal temperatures into believing Spring was here with the male displaying to the female before she hurried off elsewhere. A Robin was seen briefly as we passed the caravan park.
Walking up across the track between the fields we put up a few Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. A female Kestrel was perched on the end of one of the old airfield buildings with a few Feral Pigeons wandering around nearby unconcerned. A skein of Pink Footed Geese passed over us heading towards Fife Ness. A Yellowhammer was spotted perched atop a tree and another few were seen further on up the track. The first Linnets flew up from the stubble before we reached the access road in towards the farm buildings.
As we were passing the farm buildings a male Kestrel came and hovered above us giving us nice views. A charm of Goldfinches were rather active among an overgrown patch of weeds at the brow of the hill before it sloped down towards the holiday cottage and the fields we were hoping to find our target birds in. There were lots of birds around though mostly Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks as far as we could tell. The trees and bushes around the cottage held more Goldfinches as well as a few Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows and Greenfinches. A covey of ten Grey Partridges burst out from the side of the track and flew low over the stubble before dropping out of sight again.
More large flocks could be seen flying around further away with presumed Linnets, Starlings, , corvids and pigeons as well as at least 4 Golden Plover all seen in the air at the same time suggesting the passage of an unseen raptor. Twite were heard calling from within the Linnet flock (and there are a few possibles appear in a few of my photos). A trio of Roe Deer ran across the fields before we wandered down to check over the shoreline from the end of the field. Mallards were in the water, with Oystercatchers on the rocks, as well as a few Herring Gulls, a single Great Black Backed Gull, a Grey Heron, a few Turnstones and Redshanks and well out on the water, a number of Eiders. Cormorants and Shags were seen further east on their usual rocky island perch. A Buzzard, possibly the cause of the earlier disturbance, was perched on a fence post.
We walked around the edge of the eastern stubble field but most of the birds appeared to be around the other, though the Partridge covey was seen again, as were a number of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. The Pink Footed Geese could be seen in the other field. We decided to walk part of the way in along the edge of the stubble, as the geese were quite relaxed. We reached the line of the wires which was as far as we intended going but as the geese decided to fly off as we stopped to head back we changed our mind and continued along to the wall at the end of the field. No Lapland Buntings were seen or heard just more of the same - Skylarks, Linnets and Meadow Pipits. A larger flock of Golden Plover overflew us.
As we headed back across the field we saw a trio of birders coming down the track. These turned out to be from the west coast and had come from seeing the Firecrest in Glasgow earlier in the morning. We let them know what we'd seen and wished them luck. We added Goldcrest in the bushes at the cottages. Another couple of birders who I did recognise, though couldn't name, were bumped into nearer the farm and after a brief chat we continued on back towards Crail. A few Blue Tits were seen high in the trees near the gate by the bend in the road. A Pheasant was heard but not seen as we neared Denburn Wood. A Sparrowhawk flew out of one of the trees in the churchyard.
Having had a quick spot of lunch we headed back towards Guardbridge. I weighed up my options for the rest of the afternoon's birding. St Andrews bay for Divers was a possibility though I quickly ruled it out as Black Throated Diver was unlikely. Guardbridge was considered but the tide state was already almost fully in, so that left a walk out to Earlshall Muir in the hope of maybe adding an owl as dusk fell. A Sparrowhawk flew over the car near the paper mill buildings in Guardbridge. Nat dropped me off just north of the military base at Leuchars and I walked out along Earlshall Road. A flock of Chaffinches were in a roadside tree and a pair of Redwings were heard then seen in flight.
A Buzzard was seen on one of the poles at the motocross track and a bit of scanning added a male Pheasant by the fence there too. Siskins were added a little further on as a pair flew over. Wren was heard but not seen. I spotted a couple of Jays flying south towards Reres Wood before wandering slowly along the boardwalks stopping every now an then to scan again. A Buzzard was in one of the trees north of the bend. A flock of Long Tailed Tits were feeding in the trees near the track and a Wren was finally added to the list as the light faded. No owls of any description were found, nor were any Woodcocks. The walk back to Leuchars was unsurprisingly fruitless as darkness fell.
A decent enough day out with some nice birds seen among the 49 species, though not the hoped for Lapland Buntings. The stubble fields around Crail certainly seemed to be popular with easily more than five hundred birds around in various flocks.
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| Stock Dove |
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| Goldfinch & Greenfinch |
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| Common Gull |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Kestrel |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Rook |
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| Feral Pigeon |
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| Kestrel |
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| Kestrel |
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| Grey Partridge |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Linnet |
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| Roe Deer |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Starling |
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| Linnet (& Twite?) |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Linnet (& Twite?) |
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| Skylark |
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| Buzzard |
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| Golden Plover |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Curlew |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Carrion Crow |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Eider, Goldcrest, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Great Black backed Gull, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shag, Siskin, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Tree Sparrow, Turnstone, Twite, Whooper Swan, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
