A long overdue trip to the dentist early on Wednesday meant a later than usual start to my Wednesday birding and as I was trying to decide where to go to, I received a text from Paul asking if I was out and about. A quick exchange of messages and a plan of sorts was hatched. I would meet him at Guardbridge around 1130 and we would try a few spots in Fife to see what we could find. Although it would be a shorter than usual day out, there was always the chance of year-ticks for us both.
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| Mediterranean Gull |
I headed out at 1045 and immediately got Herring Gull and Blackbird for the day-list, followed quickly by Dunnock, Woodpigeon, then Blue Tit and Feral Pigeon. The bus journey over to Fife added a few more fairly typical sightings on the way - Lesser Black Backed Gull, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, House Sparrow and Starling. I headed into the hide to meet Paul.
Scanning from the hide while discussing potential spots to visit the list grew some more with a Pied Wagtail fly-by followed by a Magpie and Great Black Backed Gull. The female Great Spotted Woodpecker visited the feeders while out on the mud Black Tailed Godwit, Redshank and Oystercatchers could be seen roosting and feeding. Tree Sparrows visited the feeders on both sides of the building before a Buzzard landed in the trees opposite. A Grey Heron landed near the bend in the river and a pair of Mallard swam upriver. A Black Headed Gull dropped into the water outside the hide. A Grey Wagtail flew downriver. A few Goldfinches overflew the hide before a Sand Martin passed as we were packing up.
As we were getting into the car at the car park a commotion by the paper mill buildings heralded the arrival of a Sparrowhawk among the Feral Pigeons before the hawk flew down behind the trees near the hide. We had decided to concentrate on the variety of sites around the northwest of Fife so headed for Ladybank first and the Wilderness. We both got our first year-ticks when a
House Martin was spotted among a small group of Swallows and Sand Martins above a field. Roe Deer were seen in another field a few minutes later.
Arriving at the Wilderness, we scanned from the wall as an unseen Chiffchaff called along with a Reed Bunting. The water levels were rather high so the birds were mostly wildfowl - Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Tufted Duck and Mute Swan plus Coot and a pair of summer-plumaged Black Tailed Godwits. A skein of Pink Footed Geese passed over. The fields along towards the entrance held a Mistle Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Skylark and a Pheasant. The walk back to the car produced Great Tit, Chaffinch and Coal Tit.
Letham Pools was our next stop but again high water levels meant fewer birds than expected. The most numerous birds around were Black Headed Gulls, scarce almost everywhere else just now. There were a few Herring Gulls, Common Gulls and a surprise 1st winter plumaged Mediterranean Gull which was perched on one of the fence posts across the pool, quite near the road. The strong wind made it difficult to get a steady enough photo to be able to get detail from the metal ring on the bird's leg which was quite frustrating.
There were a few Lapwings around, as well as a few hundred Pink Footed Geese. Greylags Geese and a Great Crested Grebe were on the other pool. A reed Bunting flew across the road. Next we headed round to Mountcastle Quarry which was even quieter than usual though I did add Treecreeper, Long Tailed Tit and Chiffchaff. I missed out on Little Grebe, which seemed to be numerous, based on their calls but which failed to show for me, though Paul saw one. A Cormorant overflew before we headed for a basically empty (Woodpigeons only) Rosie Bog and then to Lindores Loch.
As it happened we decided not to stop at Lindores but chose to continue on to Newburgh instead to scan out across Mugdrum Island and the Tay. There were gulls downriver, too distant to identify. A pair of Woodpigeons fed a few feet from us as we scanned, and a pair of Jackdaws seemed to be collecting nest material a few feet in front of us. Most of the time however we were looking further out. A few Goldeneye and a drake Goosander were on the river. A Buzzard and a male (possibly 2) and female Marsh Harrier were seen over the reedbeds, much higher than usual, though 1 male was seen at a more typical reed-top height.
We decided to explore a single track road past Golden Loch and Black Loch. A pair of Stock Doves were under some feeders by the roadside at Golden Loch and a pair of Red Legged Partridges ran into the fields as the car passed further on. A Rabbit was on a the slope below a mass of Gorse bushes. We next stopped at Luthrie Pool where there was a mix of Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler and a few Pied Wagtails. Curlew and Robin were the only additions. We decided to call it a day but we found the roads to Cupar for Paul to drop me off closed so eventually settled on Leuchars. However, when we reached St Michaels, Paul decided a visit to Morton Lochs was a "might as well", so off we went.
This did indeed prove rather productive with Paul getting a couple of year-ticks and the addition of a few more day-ticks with male and female Blackcaps, Canada Geese, Little Grebe, Wren, Moorhen and Kingfisher all seen. Siskin and Goldcrest were heard but proved rather elusive. A Yellowhammer was seen in trees as we made our way down the pot-holed track back to the main road and Collared Doves were seen in Leuchars before and after Paul dropped me off.
A shorter than usual day's birding but still rather successful with a nice mix of species among the 71 including 1 year-tick (in bold) seen at a variety of sites. Waders may have been more in evidence at the Wilderness and Letham Pools had the water levels not been so high.
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| Feral Pigeon |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Buzzard |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Wigeon, Teal & Shoveler |
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| Shoveler |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Mediterranean Gull |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Black Headed Gull, Common Gull & Coot |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Blackcap |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Coot |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Canada Geese |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Moorhen |
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| Robin |
Species seen -Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull,
House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Mediterranean Gull, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Legged Partridge, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals seen - Rabbit, Roe Deer.
