Having failed to add Great Skua or Arctic Skua to my year-list on Thursday at Fife Ness, I decided to give it another go, though better prepared for the colder air by the sea and with a later start. I would also put in more effort into a search of Kilminning for migrants given the easterly winds before then moving down to the rocks again for more seawatching. Having had a run of early starts I lay in bed for a few extra hours before heading out at around 0935 to catch the 0955 bus to St Andrews to allow me enough lee-way to catch the 1050 bus to Crail.
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| Eider |
Herring Gull, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Starling and "my" local Swifts started off the list for the day before I caught the bus to near the bus station. From the bus to St Andrews, Buzzard, Magpie, Skylark, Rook, Jackdaw, 2 Chaffinches at different points, Swallow, House Martin, Shelduck and Woodpigeon were seen. A Grey Heron flapped overhead as I stood in the sun near the bus station in St Andrews. Jackdaws, Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeon were noted before it was time to head for Crail. Kestrel, House Sparrow and Mallard from upstairs on the bus rounded off the sightings for the outward journeying part of the day's birding.
A Greenfinch was singing at the top end of Denburn Wood when I arrived, while the resident Stock Doves eyed me warily as I wandered down through the small wood. A Song Thrush was seen at the bottom end on the path. Walking out along the road to Kilminning, a few Small White butterflies were seen and the pill-box territory Corn Bunting sang from the fence. Hearing another singing Corn Bunting across the road further on, I wandered over to see if I could see it but instead I flushed a pair of Grey Partridges and a Skylark. Linnets flew over and at the top end of Kilminning I watched a pair of male Whitethroats chase each other for about 20 minutes.
A Roe Deer trotted off through the trees before a Willow Warbler crept into view on a branch of a bush as I photographed the warring Whitethroats. Great Tit was another addition but Kilminning was largely as quiet as the previous day. I headed next for Balcomie Beach stopping to check out 2 Meadow Pipits on the edges of the golf course. A Yellowhammer, House Sparrows, Dunnock, Reed Bunting and more Whitethroats were seen as I cut down the track from the golf course to the beach which was already mostly under water. A pair of Mallards waddled along the water's edge while further along a flock of Sanderling, Dunlin and Ringed Plover picked around among the seaweed. A few Pied Wagtails scurried around further up the sand.
With the time now just after 1300 I wandered along the coastal path to Fife Ness where I spied John Anderson sat out on the rocks with his camera. I wandered over and joined him. Things were rather quieter than the previous day but the movements offshore were still relatively steady. Eider, Gannet, Shag, Cormorant, Great Black Backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Guillemot, Kittiwake and Common Gull were all noted though most were staying slightly further out than the previous day. We spent an hour or so sat on the rocks before retreating to the hide for a while as the water rose behind us threatening to cut us off.
A few Puffins, Oystercatcher, a few Arctic Terns and at long last a pair of Manx Shearwaters followed within a minute or so by another 4, were added along with Curlew and a pair of unidentified passerines that flew in off the sea and kept going, too close and too fast to get any sort of ID. In addition Swallows were still heading out over the sea in small groups as they had done the day before. Eventually around 1540, we packed up and John dropped me off at the bus stop for the bus back home (thanks again, John)..
An enjoyable, if shorter, day's birding than of late, with reasonable amounts of photo opportunities in the sunshine once again and a good chance to blether to John. A total of 51 species were seem with no year-ticks and surprisingly no Divers seen passing Fife Ness at all.
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| Greenfinch |
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| Corn Bunting |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| House Sparrow & Yellowhammer |
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| Dunlin, Ringed Plover & sanderling |
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| Ringed Plover & Dunlin |
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| Ringed Plover & Sanderling |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Shag |
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| Eider |
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| Gannet |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Gannet |
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| Eider |
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| Eider |
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| Guillemot & Razorbill |
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| Eider |
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| Cormorant |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Eider |
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| Gannet |
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| Kittiwake |
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| Eider |
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| Eider |
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| Eider |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Curlew |
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| Curlew |
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| Curlew |
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| Gannet |
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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| Kittiwake |
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| Fulmar |
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| Guillemot & Razorbill |
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| Swallow |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Gannet |
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| Eider |
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| Eider |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Gannet |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Guillemot & Razorbill |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Eider |
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| Eider |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Guillemot, Razorbill & Puffin |
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| Guillemot, Razorbill & Puffin |
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| Eider |
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| Kittiwake |
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| Gannet |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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| Manx Shearwater |
Species seen - Arctic Tern, Blackbird, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Gannet, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Manx Shearwater, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Puffin, Razorbill, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
Butterfly seen - Small White.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.
