Divit mig

Some semblance of movement this morning at Inverkeithing, with a few Sand Martin and Wagtails, and a Common Sand mooching about the rocks. Finally managed to get a pic of one there. Usually I see them flying past low and then they skip round the coast when you get closer.

Common Gulls are increasing (12), as are BH Gulls (c.160). 22 Lapwings, which are roosting on the old papermill site, was a record for me too. Wouldn't mind a drop-in Med Gull which I need for my Divit list. I've missed at least one that I remember in the last couple of years.

Some nice Small Tortoiseshell butterflies on the Buddleias too.

Oh- I almost forgot. Tufty duck with 8 chicks at Dalbeath Marsh LNR last night. Yay :)

Common Sand on the rocks

Flypast Alba

Buddleia butterfly

Classic mid-July morning at Inverkeithing

The first migrants are dribbling through - Sand Martins, another 4 Grey Wagtail, some finches, Curlew, Oystercatcher. Also Sandwich Tern is becoming regular and the first flock of Gannets were hanging around this morning. Lapwings were in the harbour, although I could only see 4 this morning.

Fulmar coming for a look

First serious Gannets

Upchannel Curlew

Prediction comes true :)

Way back in February/March this year I looked at the rubble strewn wasteland that used to be the paper mill in Inverkeithing and thought that my first Ringed Plover should show up there. I was disappointed when spring didn't produce any, but apparently I wasn't looking hard enough.

This morning as I scanned the area and its loafing gulls (BH Gulls up to c35) I heard a piping noise somewhere not far in front of me. I was able to locate it mostly because the bird was running around like crazy. As I scanned for more I heard another call from my left - a juvenile! I managed to get some shots of the adult, but I couldn't locate the juvenile after I switched from bins to camera. This is my first Ringo for Inverkeithing, so a nice result :)

There was also a RT Diver out on the river, but yesterday's Goosander seem to have moved on. They may just be pottering about somewhere I couldn't see them, though..

Playing nice

Playing hard to get

... and harder

Baby feeding time

Pigeon poser

Inverkeithing - first post-breeding Goosander

Nice way to start the month. Breezy morning, with not a lot else of note. Except that the Shelduck all appear to have trotted off for a feather change. Also last week there were no Sand Martins in Cruicks Quarry.

June finished at 54 species, which was 2 up on last year. The quietest month of the year typically.

You look just like your mother!

Goosander, with Tiger-striped Eider ducks

Spoonbill at last!

What an odd week it has been, and it's only Tuesday morning. Temminck's Stint showing up on Sunday was a good way to break the doldrums of this June, and yesterday saw a RT Diver at Inverkeithing, as well as a few BH Gull trying to make the species list for the month look a bit more respectable.

I had been making a list of birds I thought were within reason to expect to add to my Fife list and then one of them shows up the next day. Sadly the next (Honey Buzzard) isn't expected for a month or three, but if I could be bothered I actually could go and get Quail this evening, as the first report (I've heard) came in this morning. I am holding out for a patch one though, and I have always resisted driving into the East Neuk just to hear a Quail. although it's clear I do have a thing for lists I still like to believe that I'm not completely driven by them.

This morning saw me pass the 7000 records for Fife threshold (and yes, 323 complete lists) on Birdtrack, so a target of 10k I set myself at the start of the year now looks quite small. Maybe I hadn't anticipated having to chop up HOB into OS squares to make sensible lists at the time, but actually I quite like the pseudo-atlas-y feel of it and mapping avian diversity around my home territory.

Anyway, this is the week of distant Fife tick shots, so here they are

And the list from Sunday night - one down!

More birds

Everywhere. March of the juveniles continues - just how much does the population expand in these months. Must more than double, surely.

Also at Hill of Beath and at Inverkeithing there are Early Marsh Orchids (I had to Google it - I hope it's right). Strictly seaking I only saw one at HOB, but there's a small patch of them at INK. I know orchids also grow at Cullaloe - I'm guessing the same kind, but I'll look at lunchtime.

 

Warbler Wars goes level again

Dalbeath Marsh this morning stepped up and delivered Garden Warbler, so that more or less ends Cullaloe's chances of winning on Warblers against Hill of Beath. It does still have House Martin and Swift up its sleeve though (I hope)

Nice tour today on a misty morning - Hill of Beath, Cullaloe, Merlin Drive. Nothing out of the ordinary, but another nice tour

HOB Reed Bunting

Cullaloe

Cullaloe

Merlin Drive Mallard

Merlin Drive

Merlin Drive

Hill of Beath 28th May

Took a quick tour of the "interior" of my HOB patch a couple of days ago. Just looked at the photos, which I had all but forgotten about. Most interesting thing was a very Hoodie-ish crow which was in terrible backlighting. With the photo now enhanced to show more detail it looks even more Hoodie than I thought in the field, although I am pretty sure it's a hybrid.

Cool fungus

ickle baa-lamb

Hoodie (ish?)

Bank Holiday Weekend

Made the most of the nice weather by heading to the Isle of Arran on Saturday, where the sun shone all day. Nice Black Guillemots in Ardrossan harbour. Thought I saw a Skua briefly on the ferry but when I moved to the other side of the boat for a better view I lost it and never saw it again. A couple of Common Sandpipers were pottering about the coastline in front of Brodick Castle, and those were the birdy highlights of what wasn't a birdy trip.

On Sunday, however, the sun continued to be kind and we headed for Bass Rock, which was as spectacular as I remembered from a trip many years ago. While we were there I missed a pair of Garganey at Inverkeithing, but I have no complaints. Aside from Gannets there were plenty Puffins, Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and Razorbills, but the Gannets are undoubtedly the star of this show.

 

Sand Martins at Merlin Drive

Left the house late this morning and tried for pictures of Tree Sparrows at Merlin Drive, Dunfermline. No Tree Sparrows showed in a chilly northerly wind, but a couple of Sand Martins accompanied a handful of Swallows hawking over the pond, my 50th species for this 1km square. Maybe I shouldn't give up hope of a spring Sand Martin at Hill of Beath after all

Merlin Drive Sand Martin

Bachelors' Club

Inverkeithing + House Martin

Spent 45 minutes at the Divit this morning and picked up House Martin finally. Another lone Swift sailed past, but on a foggy morning with slight westerlies there wasn't a lot else of interest to be had, although I did see my first Fox for the site.

Heard that the Wryneck from yesterday is still in the East Neuk. Good day in the East yesterday with RB Shrike, Pied Fly, Rosefinch and Wryneck, while Letham Pools had a summer Med Gull. Sadly, I chose to watch Dunfermline get relegated to Div 2 instead. Still, I only needed the Rosefinch and there will be another. I find it hard to get motivated to drive an hour each way to see birds I've seen before these days, but my Fife list only needs a few bumps to make 250.

Dropped into Merlin Drive after that to see 5 juvenile Coot being fed. Tree Sparrows were also still around, but none came close enough or stood still long enough to be photographed.

Swallow porn

Coot babies (but not cute babies)

Warbler Wars
So far Hill of Beath and Cullaloe have turned up the same warblers - Chiffchaff, Willow, Sedge, Whitethroat, Grasshopper and Blackcap (ordered by arrival). This is a decent result for Hill of Beath, particularly in the case of Grasshopper Warbler - I had no record of either Blackcap or Gropper previously, although it was fairly predictable. Shortly the Garden Warblers should be in at Cullaloe, but since they seem to prefer the extensive willow trees there will this give Cullaloe a chance to peg one back?

Whitethroats, House Martins, Wheatears & Tree Sparrows

Beautiful weather this morning and I took advantage by having a quick session at Dalbeath Marsh LNR before cycling to work.

House Martins were in every square, more or less, this morning while Whitethroats are also now singing seemingly from every bush. A pair of Reed Bunting showed well as I walked back to the car.

Cycling down Netherbeath Rd continued the theme of House Martins and Whitethroats although there was no sign of the Grasshopper Warbler that was reeling last week.

Dropping into Duloch Park, Dunfermline the first time since spring allowed me to easily add House Martin,  Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler to my site list, while at least three male Reed Bunting were out in the open. The place was a riot of bird sounds with especially Sedge Warblers chattering madly.

On then to the last stop on the line at Merlin Drive and Tree Sparrows were first to meet the ear. Four or five were dodging about the edge of the pond and one on the muddy fringe in front of me was gathering a beak full of food before heading off towards some farm buildings. Interesting that they must have been in the area the whole time and I didn't notice them until this week.

After a Wheatear at the northwest corner of HOB yesterday lunchtime there were two here today. A very nice surprise. A House Martin, two Swallows and a lone Swift were scooping up water from the surface. It seems that spring is finally here!

WH @ HOB

Inverkeithing + Swift

Finally a Swift showed up at Inverkeithing, but I'm still one species behind last year at this stage. Still looking for Blackcap and House Martin. On the other hand since it was freezing this morning I don't blame them for not being here.

Common Terns are back in force, though, with birds on the platform off Carlingnose Point and the old pier at Stone Marine, despite the presence of a moored boat. Up above Cruicks Quarry there was a Buzzard, while back at the coastal path a Sparrowhawk flew west. There were 22 Eider in and around the harbour.

Cullaloe v Hill of Beath - battle rages on

Cullaloe last night stepped up with a pair of Shelduck, but failed to produce Grasshopper Warbler or Whitethroat still (which both ought to be breeding on the site). Meanwhile Hill of Beath refused to relinquish its lead by logging a Swift this morning. There were also three Linnet over north, skipping low over the hilltop. Meanwhile I am now officially behind where I was this time last year at Inverkeithing.

Coot on nest at Cullaloe

Tufties coming to bread at Dalbeath Marsh LNR

Unusually NNE facing turbines

Tawny pellet - still to be added to list

Singing Sedge Warbler

Weekend - HOB + House Martin

My first patch House Martin of the year during BBS count on Sunday morning takes HOB two species clear of Cullaloe, having trailed before my holiday to Turkey. A remarkable turnaround, although Cullaloe still should easily recover all but Wheatear.

Bulletin board reports from Turkey of storming mig of Lesser Spotted Eagles, Black Kites, Osprey, Honey Buzzard, Stork, Imperial Eagle .... not helping my adjustment to 4 degrees and rain!

Looking at last year's Inverkeithing "species accumulation" chart on Birdtrack shows that, as expected, a few more species ought to be added as summer movers come in and then a long hiatus before Autumn movement gets under way. Last year I logged no new species at Inverkeithing between July 2 and Aug 12. Still a few more to come in yet though!

70% at May 12th
80% at Sep 1st
90% at Sep 27th

Bicycle bonus

Took the bike to work this morning to give Hill of Beath a shot at catching up with Cullaloe. Well, it really took its chance! A reeling Grasshopper Warbler confirmed my hopes that they bred on the hill and while I was stopped a Whitethroat sang. Peering into the bushes I was sure that it was reeling from the other side, so I didn't see it. While I was looking three Tree Sparrows headed north over my head - a remarkable 5 minutes

Been thinking about the January Footit challenge (http://birdingbyfoot.blogspot.co.uk/) and what could be accomplished by bicycle and this really was a good example.It isn't even possible to drive on this road as the gates are locked typically.

Further along my way to work there was a Sedge Warbler in a drainage pond in Dunfermline, another Whitethroat and, interestingly, two more Tree Sparrows.

No doubt Cullaloe also has reeling Gropper by now - the challenge there is I want to photograph one!

Toad Time

Inverkeithing morning saw nothing especially noteworthy, although a summer-plumaged RT Diver was nice to see.

Lunchtime at Cullaloe produced a pitiful species list, although as is often the case the last five minutes proved the best, with Sparrowhawk taking the total to 68. Beautiful day though, and toads around the spawning ground were probably the highlight.

Short primary projection, black legs

Pair in probable nest area

Mr (?) Toad

Let the spawning begin