Scores on the Doors 2013

THE FINAL TOTALS

Cullaloe - 89 species, 89% of target (PW points: 96)

Cullaloe bonus birds: Dipper, Merlin, Pochard, Crossbill,
Black-Tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Gadwall, Whimbrel,
Pectoral Sandpiper, Shoveler, Golden Plover, Goldeneye
Bonus birds missed: (Kingfisher)

Inverkeithing - 113 species, 90% of target (PW points: 134)

Inverkeithing bonus birds: Long-tailed Duck, Moorhen, Slavonian Grebe,
Grey Phalarope, Whimbrel, Lesser Whitethroat, Ringed Plover,
Pomarine Skua, Little Gull, Kingfisher, Pintail, LittleEgret, Hawfinch
Bonus birds missed: (Scaup, Garganey!)

Hill of Beath - 82 species, 82 % of modified  target

Hill of Beath bonus birds: Whooper Swan, Pochard, Waxwing, Raven,
Ringed Plover, Spot Fly (breeding)

My other numbers, updated 13th Dec

2013 Birdtrack complete lists:500
2013 Birdtrack records: 11,669

Site	lists	records	species
INK	181	5414	113
CUL	100	2452	89
HOB	176	2995	82
(HOB lists chopped up by OS grid)

Dalbeath Marsh: 78 lists, 1502 records, 69 species
Masterton Rd, 30 lists, 522 records, 57 species

2013 Fife list (OS squares NT18, NT19 only):136
(Non-patch: Temminck's Stint - Letham Pools 23/6, Spoonbill - Eden 24/6)

2013 New additions to Western Palearctic List
Turkey: Pallas's Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Gull
Inverkeithing: Grey Phalarope
Turkey: Red-footed Falcon, Steppe Eagle
Switzerland: Alpine Chough, Spotted Nutcracker
Spain: Audouin's Gull, Rock Bunting

2013 New additions to Turkish List
Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Pintail, Wigeon, RC Pochard, Smew, Goosander, WH Duck, Velvet Scoter, Peregrine Falcon, Spotted Redshank, Pallas's Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Caspian Gull (Jan 19-25)

Gannet, Little Bittern, Steppe Eagle, Montagu's Harrier, Red-footed Falcon,  Scops Owl (h), Golden Plover, Little Tern, Black Tern, WWB Tern, Ortolan Bunting (Apr 27-May 7)

2013 New additions to British List
Grey Phalarope

2013 New additions to Scottish List
Grey Phalarope

2013 New additions to Fife List:
Grey Phalarope - St.David's Bay
Temminck's Stint - Letham Pools, 23/6

Spoonbill - Eden, 24/6
Hawfinch, Inverkeithing, 30/10

2013 New additions to Inverkeithing List
Slavonian Grebe (24/03)
Grey Phalarope (25/03)
Ringed Plover (03/07)
Arctic Tern (16/07)
Little Gull (23/08)
Little Egret (10/10)
Hawfinch (30/10)
Little Auk (31/12)

2013 New additions to Hill of Beath List
Tufted Duck, Moorhen, GBB Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Stock Dove, Teal, Little Grebe, Pochard, Grasshopper Warbler, Tree Sparrow, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Grey Wagtail, Ringed Plover, Sand Martin 

2013 New additions to Cullaloe List
GBB Gull - 23/4,
Whimbrel


Hill of Beath square totals (all time)
Square - species
Total - 90 (only 87on birdtrack, which is missing three spp)
NT1289 - 29 (Halbeath N)
NT1389 - 63 (Hill of Beath SW)
NT1390 - 47 (Hill of Beath NW)
NT1489 - 47 (Hill of Beath SE)
NT1490 - 53 (Hill of Beath NE)
NT1590 - 69 (Cowdenbeath SW)
NT1591 - 35 (Cowdenbeath NW)

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

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

Weekend Garganey (?)

The biggest success of the weekend, and bonus bird,  was undoubtedly the almost immediate showing of the predicted Garganey. Remarkably, though, I didn't also predict Tufted Duck, which ought to have gone with it. The first Tufty group that carried the Garganey was too far out, I thought, to be worth trying to photograph. The second group (see below), was slightly closer, but not by a huge amount. Given the result, I definitely should have tried to photograph the Garganey, but you live and learn. I had kind of hoped that it would be in the harbour, but I'm not complaining! The rareness of these shouldn't be underestimated, with only one sighting in spring last year. This means that on both occasions I have seen Tufties I have seen a Garganey with them. Perhaps even more oddly, there have been 10 Tufties both times.Last year's were on 31st April.

(I have since found out that there was a Scaup in Inverkeithing harbour with Tufties yesterday, and am wondering whether the pale upperwing of a Garganey could be mistaken for the pale upperbody of a Scaup at that distance. Could I have made that mistake? Sadly, I don't think that's entirely impossible. I may have to "reject" that record as unsatisfactory, which is a a bit of a blow. Even worse, I didn't see the Scaup)

More predictably than that, Willow Warbler and Swallow both turned up at Hill of Beath, with WW in every square of my HOB route and a couple of single Swallows, or possibly one that was following me.

Westward bound Tufties

cropped and oomed

The ones that got away (again)

Dropped into Cullaloe this morning on a beautiful sunny day - not the best for vismig, but maybe something "springy"? Finally got Bullfinch on the list, bringing the year total up to 64. If you had asked me when the best time to see Bullfinch was I would have said "April, eating emergent leaves" (actually willow catkins), so fair enough - still quite late, though.

As I was about to get into the car to make for Inverkeithing I scanned the horizon and to my surprise a flock of geese was making its way north along the ridge on the east side of the reserve. I had my camera in my hand, but blocked by obstacles I only managed one shot. Naturally, today had to be the day of sunshine, and they had to be between me and the sun! I quickly (ok, desparately) tried to get my scope from the boot, and managed just as it became academic - scope and full sun behind your subject don't mix well. I was pretty sure that they weren't Greylags on structure (head and neck in particular), and as they passed they sounded to me like Beans, although at that point they were behind the ridge. I'll have a look at the photo to see if it reveals anything, although I'm not hopeful.

OK - so in close up you could possibly just about say that the head is more Taiga Bean than Pink-footed, but it would be pushing it to say anything conclusive - gutted. That would have met my target of adding one new species to Cullaloe for the year, as well as being a pretty decent record :(


At Inverkeithing there wasn't much to write home about, although there was another pair of Bullfinch.Also a Turnstone had dropped in, one RB Merganser remained hanging about, and a Swallow briefly quartered the quarry rim, baffling my camera's autofocus for a while, before moving on.

So Cullaloe goes to 64, only one species behind HOB, and has finally picked up Heron and Bullfinch, the most obvious omissions from the year list.