Owing to the latest dental appointment a later than usual start to my mid-week birding was once again necessary. I was to meet up with Paul around 1000 at Guardbridge. He was very keen to make up for lost time, having been in the middle of the North Sea for much of May. Our intention was to head for the Fife Ness/Crail area where 2 Red Backed Shrikes had been seen. I had a feeling we would be out of luck when we got there but I was also hoping to squeeze in some sea-watching if the opportunity arose.
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| Black Throated Diver |
I chose to save time by taking my birding gear with me to the dentist, rather than heading for home to collect it after my appointment. Just before 0845 I ventured out to walk to City Quay, where my dentist's surgery is. The list got off to a reasonable start with Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Blackbird, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, House Sparrow and Starling all seen on my walk. An Oystercatcher flew over as I crossed the road to City Quay. When I emerged again after the appointment I heard Swallows twittering overhead and headed to the bus station.
From the bus to Guardbridge I managed to add a few more species. Rooks near St Michaels, Jackdaws in Leuchars, Swifts and House Martins near the railway station as well as a Pied Wagtail. A pair of Mute Swans were on the Motray at Guardbridge. I joined Paul in the hide where things were very quiet out front with the usual seasonal lack of birds (especially waders). Paul let me use his scope to spy some distant Lapwings and a Shelduck, but other than gulls and a few Carrion Crows there was little point in hanging around, so off we went for Crail.
Rather than stop at Denburn Wood, we decided to head first to Kilminning and Balcomie to try for the Shrike(s). As aul was still needing Corn Bunting for his year-list I suggested taking it slow on the road out. I pointed out where I usually see 1 perched on a fence post, then realised there was 1 perched on a fence post a bit closer to the road than where we were looking. Good news for Paul. As we parked up at the top end of Kilminning, we spotted Harry Bell and had a brief chat. Harry had just arrived as well, and was hoping to see a Shrike. He wandered into the eastern grassy area to see if he could find anything and Paul and I had a slow wander up the driveway to the farm.
A Blackcap was spotted up in the trees, and a Dunnock on the wall of the walled garden. Unfortunately there was no sign of any Shrikes. A walk down to check the overgrown garden added Magpie, Yellowhammer and Meadow Pipit, as well as a Gannet passing offshore. A Skylark and a Greenfinch were added before we walked back to Kilminning for a proper look there. A Grey Heron flew over and a Stock Dove flew past us. A Green Veined White butterfly flitted around by the grass verge. A Great Black Backed Gull circled over the fields back towards Crail.
A Great Tit was seen in the trees by the netrance to Kilminning and I spooked two small Rabbits when I clambered over the earth and concrete barrier to check the bushes and trees. An Orange Tip butterfly was seen, as were a Whitethroat, Chaffinch and a Blue Tit. An interesting looking small bird which seemed to cock its tail regularly vanished before I managed a photo (maybe a Red Breasted Flycatcher?). We wandered down the track to the Oilseed Rape field beyond the go-kart track where Skylarks, Yellowhammer and a Corn Bunting were seen. A male Pheasant ran up the grass embankment as we headed back up the road to the car. A Buzzard passed to the north with a corvid harassing it. A Song Thrush sang loudly from a bush as we neared the car.
Rather than trying the bottom end (having had a "nothing to see" hand signal from Willie McBay as he passed in his car), we decided to head to Fife Ness for some sea-watching. A Bonxie or an Arctic Skua were the birds I thought we had a chance of seeing, though Paul has already seen Great Skua offshore this year. As Paul was retrieving his scope from the car I was adding Kittiwake, Fulmar, Guillemot and Razorbill to the list for the day, as well as more Gannets. Once seated in the hide having been surprised by a large black shiny spider dropping onto my hand when I opened the door, we quickly began adding more birds to the list.
Cormorants, Shags, Eiders and Sandwich Terns all passed by as well as more auks, Gannets and Kittiwakes. After around 10 minutes I spotted a couple of Manx Shearwaters approaching, not too far out, and managed a few photos as they passed by. 5 minutes or so later, the first Red Throated Diver went north. Common Gull and Common Tern were added, followed by more Manx Shearwaters and more Red Throated Divers. A diver heading north at around 1350 initially appeared to be a Red Throated Diver but photos showed that it was in fact a
Black Throated Diver, a bird I've never seen on a seawatch before. It was also my first of the year, as well as my 150th species seen in May, and my 190th species of the year.
A single drake Velvet Scoter went south and a Shelduck went north close in to shore, before Paul spotted a group of Arctic Terns fishing well out over the water. A pair of sunner plumaged Turnstones landed out on the rocks but the incoming tide soon moved them on a little. I'd suggested to Paul that we gave the seawatching until 1430 and then reassess the situation to see if it was worth sticking around for longer or heading elsewhere. Paul packed up his scope at about 1425 which meant that he missed out on the Puffin that was leading a flock of auks northwards. A minute later, I spotted a sleek dark bird low over the waves and quickly got Paul onto it. An
Arctic Skua. My first of the year, and 151 for May/191 for the year. So many times the hoped for bird shows up just as we're about to give up.
Despite the Skua's appearance it was clear Paul had seen enough seabirds for the day (he sees a lot of the sea when he's at work, and sometimes some birds), so I suggested we try for the Yellow Wagtail just outside Crail for Paul's year-list. A Curlew and a female Goosander were on the rocks with the Eiders, Cormorants and Shags. As we drove back towards Crail we had to pull in to let a tractor pass and I spotted a pair of Grey Partridges in the cops close to the car. When we arrived at the Yellow Wagtail site we discovered that unfortunately the roadside track had been bulldozed flat meaning no muddy puddles and no Yellow Wagtails to be seen, though the strong winds didn't deter the Meadow Pipits or Skylarks. Back at the car we decided to try Kilrenny, as it was relatively close and has had shrikes in the past, most notably Britain's first ever Masked Shrike.
A pair of Collared Doves were seen at the car park in the village, and a Linnet was on the ghrass by the play park along with a Pied Wagtail. As we wandered through the wood we added Tree Sparrow and Robin. A pair of Mallards were on the pool halfway through the wood. We wandered further out along the field edges stopping to try and see singing Sedge and Willow Warblers but failing to see either. A Red Admiral butterfly was my first of the year, and a Brown hare skulked away from us in the field. As we headed back to the car park, a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew from a tree on the field side of the track into the wood. Goldcrest was heard but not seen.
As there was a bus back to St Andrews due relatively soon I suggested we call it a day so Paul wouldn't have to make any major detours. From the bus back to St Andrews I failed to add anything new but between St Andrews and Leuchars I added Black Headed Gull. Mute Swans and a Grey Heron were on the Motray.
All in all, a successful day's birding despite the lack of Shrikes, with the seawatching in particular worthwhile. 12 Manx Shearwaters, 5 Red Throated Divers, 1 Black Throated Diver, 1 Arctic Skua, 4 Common Terns, 20+ Arctic Terns, 1 Velvet Scoter, 1 Puffin and plenty Sandwich Terns, Kittiwakes, Gannets, Razorbills, Guillemots, Fulmars, Gulls, Cormorants, Shags and Eiders, mostly relatively close in and in good light. I've yet to find anyone who enjoys seawatching for much longer than 2 hours which is a pity as another pair of eyes looking could mean spotting birds that I miss at the moment. 66 species seen including 2 year-ticks (in bold), plus 3 butterfly species and 2 mammal species.
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| Blackcap |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Starling |
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| Starling |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Skylark |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Common Gull |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Shelduck |
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| Fulmar |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Razorbill |
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| Gannet |
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| Common Tern |
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| Gannet |
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| Common Tern |
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| Common Gull |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Shag |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Black Throated Diver |
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| Black Throated Diver |
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| Turnstone |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Eider |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Fulmar |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Cormorant |
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| Arctic Skua |
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| Arctic Skua |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Cormorant, Shag, Eider, Curlew, Goosander & Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Grey Partridge |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Collared Dove |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Yellowhammer |
Species seen -
Arctic Skua, Arctic Tern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull,
Black Throated Diver, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Tern, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Red Throated Diver, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Turnstone, Velvet Scoter, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
Butterfly species seen - Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Red Admiral.
Mammals seen - Brown Hare, Rabbit.
