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| Twite |
As with the previous few years, my primary birding focus in 2025 will once again be Dundee, and trying to find 150 species from within the city boundaries (or even just outside with the bird being within Dundee). However, a change of scenery (and the associated birds) can be a good thing as it will often refresh my memories of birds that I don't see often - if at all, within Dundee. Despite it still being fairly early days in January, when Ian generously offered me a spot of birding in Fife with him on Sunday the 12th, I didn't hesitate to say 'yes'. Arrangements were made for an 0800 pick-up with the Largo bay area our main destination (site of reported Red Necked Grebes, Iceland Gull and Surf Scoter plus Snow Buntings also not too far away along the coast).
I headed out just before 0800 for the short walk to our arranged rendezvous point, noting Blackbird, Robin, Magpie, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Dunnock on the way in the half-light. Ian and I arrived at exactly the same time and we set off Fifewards. With sunrise still a while away birds were in relatively short supply for much of the journey. Starling and Pheasant were noted on our way to a couple of stubble fields between Anstruther and Pittenweem where a trio of Snow Buntings had been seen recently. As we searched for a suitable parking spot in the latter East Neuk village we noted Collared Dove and a Great Black Backed Gull. We eventually found a spot near the coastal path and set off eastwards on foot. A few Curlews overflew and offshore we picked out some Eider and a group of Shags as well as at least 1 Cormorant. We decided to walk from end to end across the stubble fields but with a space between us to increase our chances of finding our target birds.
Although initially it didn't appear that there were many birds around it turned out that there were actually plenty (at this point I rued my decision to leave the thermal imager at home). A Rock Pipit was heard only, though we did see a small loose flock of them on the adjacent golf course a bit later. Oystercatcher, Redshank and a Turnstone were feeding on the golf course fairways. Meadow Pipits, Woodpigeons, Skylarks, Grey Partridges, Curlews, Yellowhammers and Pied Wagtail were all noted in the fields but we drew a blank on the Snow Buntings. We did however find a Golden Plover down on the rocky shore as well as a Black Headed Gull. A small flock of Bullfinches overflew and I picked up a distant Diver flying quite high downriver which initially looked a decent shout for Black Throated Diver but which proved to be 'just' a Red Throated Diver once the photos were checked at home.
As we made our way back to the car we were able to add Blue Tit, House Sparrow and Wren in the back gardens as well as a Redshank feeding on the grass next to the path which gave us close views. We set off for Leven next in search of the reported Iceland Gull at the river mouth there. Mistle Thrush, Common Gull and Jackdaw were seen en route. We passed the Fife Bird Club outing as they were scanning out towards a flock of Scoters (where a pair of Surf Scoters were found). From the car park by the river mouth we had the Iceland Gull's location confirmed by a few local Fife birders and were able to quickly add it to the day's list. One of the birders there turned out to be John Nadin who I hadn't seen for a few years and we had a bit of a chat while scanning through the numerous birds in the vicinity.
I had only packed my travelscope but this proved to be a bit of a mistake with it not quite having the required reach for some of the birds out on the flat calm water. Thankfully, Ian had brought his 'big' scope which helped us pick out a few more distant species. There were a few Purple Sandpipers roosting with Redshanks and Turnstone near the mixed gull flock which contained the Iceland Gull. A couple of Bar Tailed Godwits were with a roosting Oystercatcher flock by the gulls. There were Goldeneye and Mallard in the river while offshore Velvet Scoter, Red Throated Diver, Long Tailed Duck, Razorbill, Great Crested Grebe, Red Breasted Merganser and Scaup were all to be found. Ian also managed to find a Surf Scoter with the Velvet Scoters the FBC group had been searching through, despite us being a few hundred metres further to the west. A lone Mute Swan was also in the river and a Grey Wagtail overflew. A small flock of Sanderling flew in and roosted by the gulls. The Iceland Gull headed out over the river but came back before we left. There were a few Feral Pigeons around as well.
Rather than stop for a better look at the Surf Scoter, we headed next to Lower Largo where we caught up with the Fife club outing group scanning from the bottom end of the car park. A Slavonian Grebe there was new for the day. I had a brief chat (and some football banter) with Malc Ware (who I haven't seen for a few years) and later also Grant Robertson and Willie Irvine (likewise). Angus Duncan was also there...but I see Angus relatively frequently (at Caird Park most recently). There may have been a few other FBC birders that I've met before but my recall of names and faces isn't great at the best of times, so apologies if I didn't recognise you. Once the club had headed off to try to find some Twite, Ian picked up a distant Diver which he was sure was a Great Northern, but I wasn't completely sure due to the fairly poor light. I suggested we head out along the raised path to the west to get a better view of the Diver and to see what else might be bobbing around (Red Necked Grebes had been reported in the area).
This did turn out to be a good idea with the Great Northern Diver eventually confirmed and 2, (possibly 3), Red Necked Grebes being spotted. A flock of Scaup dropped in for a short while and a small flock of Common Scoters gave us yet another new species for the day. We managed to get the club outing on their way back from missing out on Twite, onto the Red Necked Grebes and the walk back to the car park produced Rook, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit and a Grey Heron. With still some daylight left to play with we headed for Coble Shore at the Eden Estuary in search of some Twite for ourselves. En route across Fife, we added Buzzard, Kestrel and Fieldfare. It was around 1515 when we reached the end of the dirt track at Coble Shore. The tide was on its way out and some quick scanning from the 'car park' got us Shelduck, Teal and Greenshank, all new for the day.
As we wandered along the shore I popped up onto the banking to check the site of the fenced off 'pools' which used to be there and found a handful of Lapwings which were also new for the day. We cut the corner to the western side of the spit having spied a flock of Yellowhammers in a tree a bit further to the south. Out by the edge of the mud we found plenty of Dunlin and some Wigeon, as well as some Grey Plover, Knot and Brent Geese. A flock of around 20 or so Twite flew up from the area we had 'missed' by cutting the corner and I surprised myself by getting some reasonably decent photos. By this time the light was getting worse. A second Greenshank was spotted as we headed back to the car for the trip back across the bridge to Dundee (and to Blairgowrie for Ian). We ended the day having seen/heard a total of 74 species of which some were new for Ian's year-list. Although I'm not counting them for a year-list, a few of them were birds I am unlikely to run into in Dundee this year....(but you never know). It was a really enjoyable day's birding with some great birds, plenty of bird chat and it was great to meet up with some familiar faces again.
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Grey Partridge
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Meadow Pipit
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| Skylark |
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| Curlew |
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Red Throated Diver
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| Oystercatcher |
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Golden Plover
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| Bullfinch |
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Shag, Cormorant & Great Black Backed Gull
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| Redshank |
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Iceland Gull, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull & Carrion Crow
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Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Turnstone, Carrion Crow, Bar Tailed Godwit & Oystercatcher
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Velvet Scoter, Razorbill & Herring Gull
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Long Tailed Duck
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Great Crested Grebe
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| Sanderling |
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Great Northern Diver
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Red Necked Grebe
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Common Scoter
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| Scaup |
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Red Necked Grebe
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Grey Heron
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Shelduck & Oystercatcher
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| Lapwing |
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| Twite |
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Grey Plover
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Brent Goose
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Knot & Dunlin
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Brent Goose, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fieldfare, Golden Plover, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Crested Grebe, Great Northern Diver, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Partridge, Grey Plover, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Iceland Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Knot, Lapwing, Long Tailed Duck, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Purple Sandpiper, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Necked Grebe, Red Throated Diver, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sanderling, Scaup, Shag, Shelduck, Skylark, Slavonian Grebe, Starling, Surf Scoter, Teal, Turnstone, Twite, Velvet Scoter, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
