Normally in December I'm a bit 'birded out' and it can be hard to get motivated to go out into what is usually rather cold, sometimes wet and sometimes windy weather. It is easier to stay in a nice warm bed. This year has been a bit different. Having already streaked past my previous best ever year-total I am determined to see if I can add more to it. With Saturday's successful twitch for Shorelark at Barry Buddon, I decided that I would get up and out early on Sunday to try for the reported Water Pipit in Fife even though I am not a big fan of sitting on buses for the best part of 2 hours but sometimes needs must.
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| Water Pipit |
It was a slightly later start than Saturday with a bus to catch at 0800. At 0740 I headed out into the early morning winter gloom though a clear sky did provide some degree of visibility. This allowed me to note Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Pink Footed Geese on the walk to the bus station. A few more species were added on the way to St Andrews as the sky lightened some more the closer that sunrise came. Rook at St Michaels and Jackdaw in Leuchars with a Redshank by the bridge over the Motray, a Woodpigeon in a roadside tree in Guardbridge and Black Headed Gull over the Eden bridge were all soon added. Feral Pigeons were seen as the bus reached St Andrews. There was more opportunity to see birds from the bus to Kilconquhar as visibility improved once the sun rose above the horizon. Starling was noted in St Andrews followed by the first Buzzard of the day near Boarhills.
As the bus approached Kingsbarns I was aware of a bird rising up above a roadside tree (though it may not have been perched in the tree previously). It was a Peregrine and from my top deck seat on the bus I had a ringside seat for what followed. The Peregrine flew across the road and dived in behind a Woodpigeon flying across the fields. The Pigeon pulled up and the Peregrine made a grab for it resulting in a small puff of feathers against the sky. The Pigeon dived slightly and swept round towards the road. The pair then flew across in front of the bus a metre or so in front of the window giving me a great view of both with the Falcon just a bird length behind the Pigeon. They then arced round across the field on the left side of the bus before swinging back again and the pigeon diving in behind the wall at the access road to Sandyhills Farm, with the Falcon overshooting and pulling up into a short climb. My last view was of the Peregrine diving back towards the wall so I have no idea if the hunt was ultimately successful or not. Amazing to see from a moving viewpoint with the action unfolding around me.
A group of 4 Stock Doves and 2 Woodpigeons were seen in a field on the other side of Kingsbarns. House Sparrow and Collared Dove were seen in Crail. A male Pheasant was added as we headed for Kilrenny. A trio of Grey Partridge were in a field on the north side of the road at Cellardyke. The first Magpie of the day was seen as the bus headed down through the streets towards Anstruther harbour. A few minutes wait there allowed me to scan the beach and add a few more species for the day's list - Great Black Backed Gull, Curlew, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Cormorant and Eider. Blue Tit was added at Pittenweem and I watched a flock of a few hundred Golden Plover circling round above the fields to the west. A potential Corn Bunting was perched atop a roadsign pole but the views were fleeting and inconclusive. Common Gull was noted in a field near St Monans with other gulls, with a smaller flock of Golden Plover overflying the bus just before reaching Elie.
Despite the nice collection of species seen from the bus I was keen to get off and do some proper birding when we reached Kilconquhar. I headed first for Barnyards Marsh to look for Snipe. A Robin showed by the gate. A covey of Grey Partridge burst out from among the reeds as I negotiated the sodden 'paths' but saw no Snipe. I then tried walking along the edge of the small burn that runs through the marsh. A pair of Snipe burst forth and another group of 5 soon followed. I decided to head next directly to the caravan park at Shell Bay and the Cocklemill Burn just to the north where the Water Pipit had been reported rather than detouring to the Loch for a look.
I heard the call of a Crossbill and managed to see the bird flying over the village eastwards. This was a surprise addition but a welcome one. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush and Greenfinch were seen in the hedges and trees on the outskirts of the village and a cursory glance at the Loch added Tufted Duck, Teal and Goldeneye to the growing list. I found a track leading into the trees from the access road to the caravan park and decided to explore. This was a good choice as I found the trees alive with birds and added Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch and Treecreeper. A Buzzard glided overhead just above the trees.
I found myself on the outer edge of the wood with the burn meandering along to the right of me. Ahead I could see 2 Grey Herons in the burn and added a pair of Mallard as I drew closer to them. I could see a few birders around with 2 women in particular looking like they might be watching the Water Pipit. As I reached them at one of the wooden footbridges over the burn I realised that I knew them both from around Fife - Anne and Caroline. They had seen the bird but it wasn't currently showing. I started scanning and the first bird I spotted looked very good for
Water Pipit and it was. I took a few photos before the bird ducked out of sight into the edge of the grass by a small section of sandy beach.
We were joined by Graham Sparshott, the Fife recorder who had also been watching a Water Pipit minutes earlier at Ruddon's Point. It was impossible to be sure that they were the same bird, or even different birds. There were plenty of Rock Pipits and Chaffinches around so each one had to be carefully checked. Anne and Caroline decided to head off into the marsh to look for Jack Snipe and Graham too headed off. I decided to try for more photos of the Water Pipit. I had a bird perched on the bridge that was very pale underneath but seemed to be a slightly different Rock Pipit. A Stonechat Meadow Pipit and a Pied Wagtail were added.
After an hour or so I decided I should probably see what else was around and headed round towards Ruddon's Point. A few Skylarks were seen flying over and a Shag flew by offshore. A small flock of Wigeon were just off the mouth of the burn with some Mallard also in attendance. I found more Rock Pipits round at the Point and a Turnstone among Oystercatchers. A flock of Common Scoters were seen to the south and Cormorants were on the headland. A small group of Grey Plover were on the beach and a small flock of Bar Tailed Godwits dropped in to roost with the Oystercatchers, Curlews and Cormorants.
I spent some time photographing some of the Rock Pipits there before heading back to the Burn to see if I could refind the Water Pipit, stopping to chat to Ken Shaw who for reasons unknown I addressed as John (sorry, Ken!). I then met a photographer at the bridge who seemed familiar and I eventually remembered I'd spoken to her recently in the hide at Guardbridge but hadn't got her name. We spotted a Water Pipit among the Rock Pipits and Chaffinches on the small pools behind the path and tried for a better view from the raised banking behind but couldn't find the bird from the different angle. We chatted some more before I decided tI should probably head off for the bus. As I was about to do so, John Anderson arrived and after a brief chat offered me a lift back to Crail later if I wanted to hang around for longer.
This worked out very well as we had further views of the Water Pipit before we were joined by another birder who turned out to be Andy Cage who I follow on Twitter but had never met. John got the name of the photographer I'd been talking to when he arrived - Claire Halliwell, and the 4 of us continued to hunt for the Water Pipit. Within a few minutes the bird had dropped into the pools again and we all headed round to the high banking for hopefully a closer view after carefully noting reference points for finding the bird. This worked out well and we found it easily. After a few minutes I noticed another pale bird near the one we had been watching and got everyone else onto the bird. This looked like another Water Pipit, meaning it was very likely that the discussion with Graham earlier in the day which had pointed towards the possibility of 2 birds had been confirmed.
I took plenty of photos before the birds relocated to the beach and we lost sight of them. Claire had headed off a few minutes before Andy, John and I decided to do likewise. We wandered back to the car park area and John drove me back to Crail saving me half an hour of being sat on a bus around the East Neuk. A Kestrel was seen along the way. We arrived back in Crail around 7 or 8 minutes before the bus was due and after thanking John once again for a very welcome lift I caught the bus to St Andrews for my bus back to Dundee and home. Checking photos later at home the suspicion of a second Water Pipit seemed to be confirmed and further confirmation came from a few birders on Twitter who were happy with the ID. I sent a message to the text grapevine and John Nadin saw both birds on Monday morning.
A successful day's birding with another year-tick (in bold) and confirmation of a second bird at the site among the 61 species seen. The Peregrine sighting earlier in the day was also a huge bonus and something I'm unlikely to ever experience again in a similar way. It was also nice to meet up with so many friendly Fife birders and to put a face to a few familiar names (and a name to a familiar-ish face).
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| Grey Partridge |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Redwing |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Buzzard |
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| Coal Tit |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Stonechat |
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| Mallard |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Wigeon & Mallard |
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| Stonechat |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Curlew |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Grey Plover & Oystercatcher |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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| Water Pipit |
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Water Pipit
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Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Crossbill, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fieldfare, Golden Plover, Goldeneye, Great Black backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Grey Plover, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shag, Skylark, Snipe, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Turnstone,
Water Pipit, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
