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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Seafield to Kinghorn (1 Viewer)

I've made a couple of sorties along the strip since I got back. Wednesday was cold and damp feeling, with bird activity notably subdued. The only thing of note that stood out to me was a congregation of twenty-one Mallard in the harbour area.

This afternoon was bright, but still cold. There were definitely more birds about though. Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Reed Bunting, Grey Wagtail and a Kestrel, to name a few. Still no divers or grebes out on the water, but more than a dozen Long-tailed Duck were present.

Star of the day though was a Goldfinch who shows in the photo sequence, how to tease a seed out of Teasel.
 

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Three Mediterranean Gulls reported at the car park area this afternoon, but frustratingly, the report came in after dark. Hopefully, I'll catch up with them tomorrow.
 
Three Mediterranean Gulls reported at the car park area this afternoon, but frustratingly, the report came in after dark. Hopefully, I'll catch up with them tomorrow.

After a very wet morning, I set off at about 2pm, with the weather looking a little dryer. The strip was feeling very un-Mediterranean like, and was as quiet as I had ever seen it. Even the Purple Sandpipers were missing from the harbour area, and there was certainly no sign of Mediterranean Gulls anywhere near the car park.

Slopping along the very muddy coastal path, my plan was to head for Lime Kiln Beach in the hope that I would find a few gulls there on the rocks. Halfway between the the harbour and the tower though, I noticed a small group of about eight or nine BHGs paddling about on the water. I scanned them more out of habit than in any great hope, but the scan revealed a bird with a lot more black in the face than its companions. It also seemed to lack any black in the wing tips, although the distance and poor light made that difficult to judge. I moved further up the path to reduce the distance by getting parallel to the bird, and scanning again from this closer position left me in no doubt that I had found my first ever Mediterranean Gull.

I watched for a while, chatting to another birder, to whom I pointed the gull out too, before deciding to proceed to the tower before turning back. On my way back I found the gull had moved in closer and was now on the rocks at the high tide mark. I grabbed a few record shots in the failing light before heading off towards the car, noting a Kingfisher on the way.
 

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Ninety-Nine

I usually keep an eye on Bird Track to see what other birders are reporting for the Seafield area, but have been a little lax in that duty over the last few weeks. Because of that laxness, I found this morning that I had missed a record of a bird that will now take the list to ninety-nine.

The record comes from a birder who regularly watches at Seafield, although strangely, we have never met. On the 11th of Dec, that birder has recorded a Great Spotted Woodpecker. I don't know exactly where on the strip it was seen, but I would not be surprised if it was on some of the nut feeders in the back gardens over-looking the seawall, harbour and tower, especially given the cold snap at that time.

One bird to hit the century. Would be nice to get it before the end of the year. Any guesses as to what it will be???

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Arctic Skua*
2. Arctic Tern
3. Barnacle Goose
4. Bar-tailed Godwit
5. Blackcap
6. Black-headed Gull
7. Black-tailed Godwit
8. Blackbird
9. Blue Tit
10. Bullfinch
11. Carrion Crow
12. Chaffinch
13. Chiffchaff
14. Collared Dove
15. Common Buzzard
16. Common Gull
17. Common Sandpiper
18. Common Scoter*
19. Common Tern
20. Cormorant
21. Curlew
22. Dunlin
23. Dunnock
24. Eider
25. Feral Pigeon
26. Fulmar
27. Gannet
28. Garden Warbler
29. Goldcrest
30. Goldeneye
31. Goldfinch
32. Goosander
33. Great Black-backed Gull
34. Great Crested Grebe
35. Great Spotted Woodpecker
36. Great Tit
37. Greenfinch
38. Greenshank
39. Grey Heron
40. Greylag
41. Grey Partridge
42. Grey Wagtail
43. Guillemot
44. Herring Gull
45. House Martin
46. House Sparrow
47. Kestrel
48. Kingfisher
49. Knot
50. Lapwing
51. Lesser Black-backed Gull
52. Linnet
53. Long-tailed Duck
54. Long-tailed Tit
55. Magpie
56. Mallard
57. Manx Shearwater*
58. Meadow Pipit
59. Mediterranean Gull
60. Mute Swan
61. Oystercatcher
62. Pheasant
63. Pied/White Wagtail
64. Pink-Footed Goose
65. Peregrine
66. Puffin
67. Purple Sandpiper
68. Raven*
69. Red-Breasted Merganser
70. Redshank
71. Red-Throated Diver*
72. Redwing
73. Reed Bunting
74. Ringed Plover
75. Robin
76. Rock Pipit
77. Ruff
78. Sanderling
79. Sandwich Tern
80. Sedge Warbler
81. Shag
82. Skylark
83. Song Thrush
84. Sparrowhawk
85. Starling
86. Stonechat
87. Swallow
88. Swift
89. Teal
90. Tree Sparrow
91. Turnstone
92. Velvet Scoter
93. Wheatear
94. Whimbrel
95. Whitethroat
96. Willow Warbler
97. Woodpigeon
98. Wren.
99. Yellowhammer
 
I covered the whole of the strip this afternoon, end to end and back. It was dry, but very grey for the most part. Leaving the car park, I immediately found a small bird hopping about on the path ahead of me. Even with the binoculars I could not get a really good look at it, and could not quite place the orangey red flashes I was picking up. I managed to grab a few distant photos before the subject disappeared into the undergrowth. Later at the computer, I found that my bird was a female (I think) Stonechat.

Other highlights today were a closer look at the female Kestrel that has been hanging about all week, relatively close viewings of Long-tailed Duck and the return of Bullfinch to Bullfinch Cove.
 

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I had planned to be looking for Lapland Bunting near Crail yesterday, but some unexpected business had taken up most of my morning, so I had decided to stay closer to home, spending an hour at Loch Gelly before heading down to the strip.

The visit to Loch Gelly produced my first Fife Fieldfare, so I had Fieldfare firmly in mind as I patrolled the coastal path. There were no Fieldfare in sight at Seafield, however despite a cold fog rolling in off the Forth, there were still a few birds around.

Kingfisher was again present. Two I think, as I saw one at the harbour, then what I believe to be another up at the tower. It may have been the same bird, but I doubt it. It is some time since I've seen two together at Seafield, but several times I've suspected there were two about when I've made repeat spots.

Out on the calm waters, there were Long-Tailed Duck in close enough to see in the murk and mist. Another birder I bumped into had seen a Red-Throated Diver far out, but with the fog worsening by the minute, I had no opportunity to make it a personal patch tick. I was nearly back at the car park when I met the afore mentioned birder. In addition to the R-T Diver, he also reported a Mediterranean Gull to me. He had seen it halfway between the harbour and tower. There are some particular rocks in that area used as a roost by waders and gulls. Two resident Bar-Tailed Godwit often sit there at high tide. I mentioned the Godwit and the birder confirmed the Med Gull had been right next to them.

Despite the failing light due to sunset only being three quarters of an hour away, coupled with the fog, I headed back to the roost. I had checked it for Med Gull when I passed on my way back the first time, but I found that in the intervening time, a lot more BHG had moved in. There were nearly two hundred to sort through, but at least they were close in. Twenty minutes of scanning revealed no Med Gull.

I headed back towards the car, passing the harbour and then the length of the seawall until I reached the spot where I had chatted with my fellow birder half an hour or more ago. He was long departed, but there paddling about just off the beach was the Mediterranean Gull. I am fairly sure it was smirking.
 
This mornings highlight at the harbour area. They are usually too flighty to get a shot of, but this one, I think, felt secure in the half light of dawn.
 

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Snow

A change of wind today will hopefully bring something new in. I was on the strip at first light, although light may be an exaggeration. I left the car park under leaden skies, and returned an hour later in heavy snow fall.

Just the regulars present, but with the first easterly I have seen in months, things might just change.
 
Indeed Paul.... you couldn't even call it 'light' now, could you. We've not got snow yet, but such a heavy frost it looks like it has been LOL
 
The Century Bird.

This morning, I again was found at Seafield by first light. It was cold and damp feeling, with the path treacherous underfoot due to sheets of hard ice. I gradually made my way along as far as the stone dyke, with the only apparent change being an influx of Reed Buntings and various tits, including Long-tailed.

Making my way back, I decided to divert along the apple tree path that runs alongside the railway track before you rejoin the main coastal path by descending the grassy slope behind the tower. As I made my way along this path, my mobile phone vibrated in my pocket to announce a text arrival. I ignored it initially as I had round some Bullfinch to look at just over the rail track in a clump of Hawthorn.

When I did check the phone a few minutes later, it was a Fife Bird News alert. The message read there was a Mediterranean Gull at Seafield, just west of the tower, with a distant Great Northern Diver offshore. Within thirty seconds, I was on the slope behind the tower scanning for the reported birds. There was no sign. I descended the hill down to the coastal path, then made my way back up to the path's high point, while constantly scanning. There was still no sign of the birds. I spent half an hour looking for Med Gull and GND, but found nothing but BHG and Cormorant.

I decided the opportunity had been missed and started to head back to the car. Halfway between the tower and the harbour, I found the Med Gull, in just about the exact same spot as I'd first seen it just over a week ago. I continued to scan for the GND, but it wasn't to be for me. I found Long-tailed and Goldeneye Ducks, but no divers.

I'm a little disappointed in not finding the Great Northern Diver, however, I am well pleased that the list has made a century by the sighting of this bird. Next target is 100 personal patch ticks (currently 6 short), then I hope to get the patch list to 125.

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Arctic Skua*
2. Arctic Tern
3. Barnacle Goose
4. Bar-tailed Godwit
5. Blackcap
6. Black-headed Gull
7. Black-tailed Godwit
8. Blackbird
9. Blue Tit
10. Bullfinch
11. Carrion Crow
12. Chaffinch
13. Chiffchaff
14. Collared Dove
15. Common Buzzard
16. Common Gull
17. Common Sandpiper
18. Common Scoter*
19. Common Tern
20. Cormorant
21. Curlew
22. Dunlin
23. Dunnock
24. Eider
25. Feral Pigeon
26. Fulmar
27. Gannet
28. Garden Warbler
29. Goldcrest
30. Goldeneye
31. Goldfinch
32. Goosander
33. Great Black-backed Gull
34. Great Crested Grebe
35. Great Northern Diver*
36. Great Spotted Woodpecker
37. Great Tit
38. Greenfinch
39. Greenshank
40. Grey Heron
41. Greylag
42. Grey Partridge
43. Grey Wagtail
44. Guillemot
45. Herring Gull
46. House Martin
47. House Sparrow
48. Kestrel
49. Kingfisher
50. Knot
51. Lapwing
52. Lesser Black-backed Gull
53. Linnet
54. Long-tailed Duck
55. Long-tailed Tit
56. Magpie
57. Mallard
58. Manx Shearwater*
59. Meadow Pipit
60. Mediterranean Gull
61. Mute Swan
62. Oystercatcher
63. Pheasant
64. Pied/White Wagtail
65. Pink-Footed Goose
66. Peregrine
67. Puffin
68. Purple Sandpiper
69. Raven*
70. Red-Breasted Merganser
71. Redshank
72. Red-Throated Diver*
73. Redwing
74. Reed Bunting
75. Ringed Plover
76. Robin
77. Rock Pipit
78. Ruff
79. Sanderling
80. Sandwich Tern
81. Sedge Warbler
82. Shag
83. Skylark
84. Song Thrush
85. Sparrowhawk
86. Starling
87. Stonechat
88. Swallow
89. Swift
90. Teal
91. Tree Sparrow
92. Turnstone
93. Velvet Scoter
94. Wheatear
95. Whimbrel
96. Whitethroat
97. Willow Warbler
98. Woodpigeon
99. Wren.
100. Yellowhammer
 

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New entries

Two new entries to the list reported on Bird Track yesterday. Both are only surprising in that they have not already made the list previously.

Six Razorbill and a Kittiwake were reported off Seafield.

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Arctic Skua*
2. Arctic Tern
3. Barnacle Goose
4. Bar-tailed Godwit
5. Blackcap
6. Black-headed Gull
7. Black-tailed Godwit
8. Blackbird
9. Blue Tit
10. Bullfinch
11. Carrion Crow
12. Chaffinch
13. Chiffchaff
14. Collared Dove
15. Common Buzzard
16. Common Gull
17. Common Sandpiper
18. Common Scoter*
19. Common Tern
20. Cormorant
21. Curlew
22. Dunlin
23. Dunnock
24. Eider
25. Feral Pigeon
26. Fulmar
27. Gannet
28. Garden Warbler
29. Goldcrest
30. Goldeneye
31. Goldfinch
32. Goosander
33. Great Black-backed Gull
34. Great Crested Grebe
35. Great Northern Diver*
36. Great Spotted Woodpecker
37. Great Tit
38. Greenfinch
39. Greenshank
40. Grey Heron
41. Greylag
42. Grey Partridge
43. Grey Wagtail
44. Guillemot
45. Herring Gull
46. House Martin
47. House Sparrow
48. Kestrel
49. Kingfisher
50. Kittiwake*
51. Knot
52. Lapwing
53. Lesser Black-backed Gull
54. Linnet
55. Long-tailed Duck
56. Long-tailed Tit
57. Magpie
58. Mallard
59. Manx Shearwater*
60. Meadow Pipit
61. Mediterranean Gull
62. Mute Swan
63. Oystercatcher
64. Pheasant
65. Pied/White Wagtail
66. Pink-Footed Goose
67. Peregrine
68. Puffin
69. Purple Sandpiper
70. Raven*
71. Razorbill*
72. Red-Breasted Merganser
73. Redshank
74. Red-Throated Diver*
75. Redwing
76. Reed Bunting
77. Ringed Plover
78. Robin
79. Rock Pipit
80. Ruff
81. Sanderling
82. Sandwich Tern
83. Sedge Warbler
84. Shag
85. Skylark
86. Song Thrush
87. Sparrowhawk
88. Starling
89. Stonechat
90. Swallow
91. Swift
92. Teal
93. Tree Sparrow
94. Turnstone
95. Velvet Scoter
96. Wheatear
97. Whimbrel
98. Whitethroat
99. Willow Warbler
100. Woodpigeon
101. Wren.
102. Yellowhammer
 
Alert just out on the Fife Bird News Twitter account of Black-Throated Diver showing well off Seafield car park.

Birds flooding into the patch and I'm still more than a week away.:-C

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Arctic Skua*
2. Arctic Tern
3. Barnacle Goose
4. Bar-tailed Godwit
5. Blackcap
6. Black-headed Gull
7. Black-tailed Godwit
8. Black-Throated Diver*
9. Blackbird
10. Blue Tit
11. Bullfinch
12. Carrion Crow
13. Chaffinch
14. Chiffchaff
15. Collared Dove
16. Common Buzzard
17. Common Gull
18. Common Sandpiper
19. Common Scoter*
20. Common Tern
21. Cormorant
22. Curlew
23. Dunlin
24. Dunnock
25. Eider
26. Feral Pigeon
27. Fulmar
28. Gannet
29. Garden Warbler
30. Goldcrest
31. Goldeneye
32. Goldfinch
33. Goosander
34. Great Black-backed Gull
35. Great Crested Grebe
36. Great Northern Diver*
37. Great Spotted Woodpecker
38. Great Tit
39. Greenfinch
40. Greenshank
41. Grey Heron
42. Greylag
43. Grey Partridge
44. Grey Wagtail
45. Guillemot
46. Herring Gull
47. House Martin
48. House Sparrow
49. Kestrel
50. Kingfisher
51. Kittiwake*
52. Knot
53. Lapwing
54. Lesser Black-backed Gull
55. Linnet
56. Long-tailed Duck
57. Long-tailed Tit
58. Magpie
59. Mallard
60. Manx Shearwater*
61. Meadow Pipit
62. Mediterranean Gull
63. Mute Swan
64. Oystercatcher
65. Pheasant
66. Pied/White Wagtail
67. Pink-Footed Goose
68. Peregrine
69. Puffin
70. Purple Sandpiper
71. Raven*
72. Razorbill*
73. Red-Breasted Merganser
74. Redshank
75. Red-Throated Diver*
76. Redwing
77. Reed Bunting
78. Ringed Plover
79. Robin
80. Rock Pipit
81. Ruff
82. Sanderling
83. Sandwich Tern
84. Sedge Warbler
85. Shag
86. Skylark
87. Song Thrush
88. Sparrowhawk
89. Starling
90. Stonechat
91. Swallow
92. Swift
93. Teal
94. Tree Sparrow
95. Turnstone
96. Velvet Scoter
97. Wheatear
98. Whimbrel
99. Whitethroat
100. Willow Warbler
101. Woodpigeon
102. Wren.
103. Yellowhammer
 
First of 2018

Today was my first session of the new year along the strip. Weather was good and I soon had a nice little list, including a few year ticks.

Highlights were Bullfinch near the sea harbour (never seen them this far up towards the Seafield end), with one also seen at Bullfinch Cove. There were good numbers of Long-Tailed Duck out on the Forth, and at the Kinghorn end, I got to here their strange call for the first time. Also at the Kinghorn end, I found my first Chiffchaff of the year. I wasn't expecting that, as I did not realise they over-wintered.

On the way back to the car park, I found a smart looking Greenshank just before the tower, and then the resident Kingfisher just after the tower
 

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Despite promises of dry weather from the BBC, I got a soaking this afternoon as I made my way to the tower and back. Not a lot about in the strong blustery winds, however a Stonechat popped up onto the top of a Rosehip clump and made it all worthwhile.
 
I went looking for my first ever Little Gull this afternoon. I started off patch across Kirkcaldy bay at Pathhead, as a Little Gull had been reported there in the morning, but found very little, and certainly no Little Gull.

Heading back towards Seafield, I pulled into the lorry park that looks over the outlet of the Tiel Burn https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.0...4!1sfP2BfnwM4drnEEDuNfpv5g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This is the eastern limit of my patch, however I usually scan the gulls from the beach within the patch. What I found today was that I can get really close to the gull flock in this car park and scan without getting out of the car.

I did get out of the car and scanned the assembled mixture or gulls. No Little Gull, or even Med Gull found, however, this spot promises much for the future I think.

I left kicking myself though as I spotted a GBBG with a yellow leg ring. I couldn't read it with the binoculars, and I'd left the zoom lens camera at home due to the BBC forecast announcing heavy rain for the time I was there. There was of course no rain! I got caught out yesterday with the same thing at Burntisland. Spotted a BHG with a white leg ring, but didn't have the camera because of the BBCs incompetence with weather forecasting.

I made a quick stop at Seafield car park, literally a few minutes, but with nothing notable, and my time having run out, I headed home.
 
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I used to stop by that lorry park every day on the way home from work on my bike convinced that I'd see an interesting gull eventually but never did. Admittedly I couldn't actually see the gulls there for the darkest couple of months which may have been most productive. My daughter (on a bike seat behind me) did get very excited by the moorhens in the burn though so I consider that worthwhile.
Michael
 
I used to stop by that lorry park every day on the way home from work on my bike convinced that I'd see an interesting gull eventually but never did. Admittedly I couldn't actually see the gulls there for the darkest couple of months which may have been most productive. My daughter (on a bike seat behind me) did get very excited by the moorhens in the burn though so I consider that worthwhile.
Michael

I'll have to keep my eye open for the Moorhens. :t:

I popped down again yesterday. Spotted another tagged gull, but before I could get the camera on it, a beachcomber walked through the flock and scattered the lot.
 
Diver

At long last, Seafield has coughed up a diver for me. It may only be a Red-Throated, but I'm very happy with a personal patch tick.
 

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This afternoon, I did a walk and back of the whole strip. It was cold and grey with little bird activity, but there is always something to see. Star of the show today was undoubtedly the Kestrel. I first found it (him?) swooping around the tower. He alighted a while on a fence, allowing me to grab some shots. Later, I found what I believe to be the same bird sitting atop a tree in Bullfinch Cove.

Another bird that caught my eye was a GBBG. There seems to be something different about it. Beak looks particularly powerful, so maybe that is it? (Photo 3)
 

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An hour or so yesterday afternoon saw me giving the strip a last tour before I head off for three weeks. It was very quiet on the bird front, with the highlight being the reappearance of one of the Kingfishers, that have been missing in action over the last week or so.

It has been a true honour to have the Kingfishers this winter. When I was a boy, some forty years ago, wildlife was my passion, and seeing a Kingfisher would have been a huge event. Sadly, it did not really happen, other than a flash of blue on one occasion at a local reservoir.

For years I treasured a blue feather I found at the same reservoir, believing it to be from a Kingfisher. Eventually, I worked out it was actually a Jay feather. Over the years I have seen further flashes of blue. One at Clatto and one in Moravia, but it was not until a visit to Morton Lochs, a couple of years ago, that I got my first true viewing of the Kingfisher.

As I said, to now have easy to see Kingfishers on my patch has been an unexpected, but notable honour and personal victory for me.
 

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