Despite being off work on holiday my enthusiasm for getting out birding was being severely tested by the continuing strong westerlies that were making it highly unlikely that I would be able to add many new birds to my year-list. However, on Tuesday, 2 rare ducks had been reported at Loch Leven RSPB (Vane Farm) reserve. It was one of the options I'd considered for Wednesday, but a bus journey to Kinross followed by a long walk in both directions with no guarantees that either the Ferruginous Duck or Lesser Scaup would still be around. Both birds were prospective lifers but walking 5 miles into a strong wind isn't my idea of fun. So that idea was shelved.
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| Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Pochard & Wigeon. |
However, on Wednesday as I lay in my bed completely unmotivated to go anywhere I receieved a message from Jacqui suggesting that we head to the reserve in the afternoon to see if we could see the 2 ducks. I arranged to meet her at Guardbridge between 1130 and 1145. I headed out at 1055 but the winds meant that only Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull were seen. Even the bus journey to Guardbridge proved fruitless. Although the hide was busy with all windows already taken up, though only Jacqui and Harry were actually looking outside for birds. I was able to squeeze in between Jacqui and Harry to see what was outside. Lapwing, Little Egret, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Curlew, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Osprey, Black Tailed Godwit, Buzzard were all noted while at the feeders I added Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow and Blue Tit. Meadow Pipits passed overhead and the Buddleia out front held a bouquet of colourful butterflies - Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Large White.
House Sparrow and Swallow were seen as we headed out to the car and on to Vane Farm where we arrived at 1240. I scanned first from the cafe using the scopes provided but the combination of distance, light and windows conspired to make trying to ID some of the ducks rather tricky. I did note Wigeon, Mallard and Teal plus Tufted Duck and a Ruff. On the walk down to the hides we spotted a Kestrel hovering high above the hilltop. The Ferruginous Duck had been seen earlier in the day but thee had been no further sign of the Lesser Scaup. I dug out my small Opticron scope and scanned through the ducks that were visible out on the water. A Magpie flew past. Goldeneye and Pochard were noted before I picked up an all wine-coloured duck with a white patch below the tail bobbing around with a mixed flock of ducks. My first ever
Ferruginous Duck. I managed a few rather poor record shot photos before a bush blocked my view of the bird. A pair of Ospreys perched atop wooden fenceposts.
With no further sign of the bird we decided to check the other hides. A flock of Curlews and Greylag Geese were put up by a girl on a small tractor out on the reserve which also put up some of the ducks from the bay and Shoveler were noted flying to the pools by the 3rd hide. Little Grebe and Moorhen were seen along with Shoveler and Mallard at that hide before we relocated back to the 2nd hide where I felt the angle gave a better, and possibly closer, view of the ducks in the bay. I found a Pintail hiding in the flock and had fleeting glimpses of birds that looked like they might be the Lesser Scaup but photos showed otherwise. An interesting looking female-type bird was photographed but is unidentified to species, so far.
A large flock of (feral) Barnacle Geese as well as a trio of newly arrived Pink Footed Geese were seen flying out over St Serf's to the east. Great Crested Grebe and a flypast Snipe were seen, as was Mute Swan, a Skylark and a low flying Sand Martin. A Goldfinch was seen in trees near the road and a burst of unidentified song stopped us for a few minutes but we eventually decided it was likeliest just a Robin. With the time now after 1530 and no further sign of either duck we decided to call it a day and head back to Guardbridge. Woodpigeon, Rook and Jackdaw were all seen from the car on the way back as was a Pied Wagtail.
Neil Redpath and 1 other birder were in the hide and I was able to add a few new species despite the very high tide state which resulted in the Kingfisher I'd heard calling being relocated perched on the corner of the green fence. A female Eider drifted by and a Dunnock showed well below the feeders. A Robin perched brifely on the fence outside. A few Knot were seen as the birds on the saltmarsh changed places as the water rose further. A single Canada Goose was spotted out on the water in a small patch of almost submerged vegetation. Goosander were seen down by the Motray outflow. A Common Gull flew past and a Great Black Backed Gull drifted by. An Osprey circled out over the estuary with a Jackdaw giving it some grief. A Collared Dove flew up into the trees outside as I was packing up to head for the bus and a House Martin was seen high above Main Street along with Swallows. Starling was seen in Leuchars rounding off the list for the day.
A total of 62 bird species seen including a year-tick/lifer (in bold) and 4 species of butterfly. Had Jacqui not messaged me then I doubt I would have ventured outside at all, so would not have added anything new.
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| Little Egret |
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| Kestrel |
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| Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Ferruginous Duck, Mallard, Pochard & Wigeon |
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| Tufted Duck, Pochard & Gadwall |
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| Tufted Duck, Pochard, Gadwall |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Osprey |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Tufted Duck, Mallard, Pochard |
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| Barnacle Goose |
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| Osprey |
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| Curlew & Greylag Goose |
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| Teal, Wigeon & Gadwall |
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| Shoveler |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Shoveler & Mallard |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Unidentified Aythya duck |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Tufted Duck, Mallard, Wigeon |
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Osprey |
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| Canada Goose |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Goosander |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Eider |
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| Goosander |
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| Osprey, Jackdaw & Herring Gull |
Species seen - Barnacle Goose, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider,
Ferruginous Duck, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Knot, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Pintail, Pochard, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Ruff, Sand Martin, Shoveler, Skylark, Snipe, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies seen - Large White, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell.
