Momentum at last

After complaining about the blank desert of the last month things started ticking along again yesterday. First a decision to head to Inverkeithing to see what the persistent easterlies might have provided which resulted in a double success of tricky species. i was surprised to see a handful of Puffin had shown up, and even more surprisingly a single Knot flew east past my coastal path watchpoint, making my second record. Puffin is certainly a tricky one, if expected at some point, but Knot is definitely a bonus bird.

After heading off to family business on the west coast I then received the text nobody wants to receive - Little Auk at Inverkeithing (St.David's Bay anyway, which is essentially the same thing). Missing a bird on your own patch when you can't get there is tough. I had half a mind that there might be some and I had peered through every wave trough, although the tide was quite low at the time. Would have been a patch tick, too.

Never mind - I was able to head out there this morning again and grill the waves once more. Still no faceless wonder auk on the surface nor bee-like forms zipping over the white horses. C'est la vie. What I did find though was my first Slav Grebe for the site, which will do just nicely. Rock solid bonus bird and nudging a bit towards my year target with a site tick too. There was a collection of the other auks, though, and some nice Kittiwakes and Fulmars scudding about. A couple of auk casualties also were floating about on the surface, attracting the attention of the gulls.

I also managed to pick up a Grey Wag yesterday at Cullaloe, just to get things moving again.Should be looking at Chiffchaff by now. In the snow it's hard to believe we'll probably be knee deep in them in a week or so.