Seafield to Kinghorn (2 Viewers)

[Gander]

Purple Pain - 13/12/16 Bird Report

First light found me in Seafield car park with Purple Sandpiper on the menu. Report of 18 had come in over the weekend, so I was ready for them. I hurried along to the harbour and waited for the light to reveal my target. However, what little light did make it through the leaden clouds only revealed Oystercatcher and Redshank initially. Tide was way out, so I made my way down onto the beach and along the remains of the harbour wall. While doing this, I noticed a small group of birds at a patch of rocks along the harbour beach. Crossing the stream, I siddled closer along the front of a big ridge of rock that runs along the beach. I managed to grab a few photos at range through the gloom before the birds flew off down the beach. Also, on the rocks, a Rock Pipit revealed itself, as did a couple more later on once I got back on the coastal path.

Rather than head off down the sands after my unidentified flock, I decided that with the tide coming in fast, it would be prudent to retrace my steps and exit the beach at the red brick outflow that brings fresh water into the harbour. Pushing on to the tower, I found things very quiet, especially in the scrub, however by the tower I had listed, in addition to the unknown birds and their accompanying Oystercatcher & Redshank, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Black-Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Mallard, Curlew, Eider, Cormorant, Rock Pipit, Great Black-Backed Gull, Heron and Turnstone. In addition, I could hear the odd Robin in the scrub.

Moving along the path from the tower, bird activity did not pick up, and as I turned to retrace my steps it started to rain. I made my way back to the top of Aerial Hill, then diverted onto the Apple Tree path, but still things remained quiet. Dropping down the grassy slope at the Tower, I headed along back past the harbour, giving it a final quick scan in the rain, but to no avail on the Purple Sandpiper front. Defeated again, I headed quickly back to the car and then home.

From the tower to Kinghorn and back, I added a few more species to the list with Blackbird, Shag, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tit, Robin (visual), House Sparrow and Bar-Tailed Godwit.

Back home, I sorted through the wader photos I had grabbed at the harbour. I came up with a very tentative Dunlin ID, but decided to put the photos up on the identification Q&A pages of this forum. The conformed ID came back as Knot. A new patch tick and a lifer for me. Makes the purple pain a little easier to bear. :t:

Photo 1 - Bunch of Knot.
Photos 2&3 - Along the harbour beach in front of the rock ridge
Photo 4 - Red brick outflow into the harbour.
Photo 5 - Back towards the sea wall.

 

[Gander]

13/12/16 - Round 2

Looked out my dining room window at 15:20 hrs and found it was surprisingly light. Rain and clouds had cleared. Minutes later, I was in the car and heading for Seafield.

Arriving at the car park, I rushed to the harbour, knowing I had at best, even with a clear sky, fifteen minutes. The tide was high as I started scanning the broken remnants of the old harbour wall. Broken remnants that now formed little islands.

On the first concrete block island, I found its flat top crammed with Redshank. Including the few on the ledges below, there were over forty. Then, I noticed, in a corner at the top of the block, separated a bit from the Redshank were four Sanderling.

It was while moving to get a better angle on the Sanderling, that my eye was drawn to movement on one of the ledges below them. Focusing in; there they were! Two Purple Sandpiper. The quest was over. I had five minutes watching them as they preened and settled in to roost, then I crept away again in the failing light.

 

[Gander]

List Update

Time for a list update. Knot added, and asterisks removed from Purple Sandpiper, Sanderling and Shag indicating personal ticks for me.

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Bar-tailed Godwit
2. Black-headed Gull
3. Black-tailed Godwit
4. Blackbird
5. Blue Tit
6. Bullfinch
7. Carrion Crow
8. Chaffinch
9. Common Buzzard
10. Common Gull
11. Common Scoter*
12. Common Tern
13. Cormorant
14. Curlew
15. Dunnock
16. Eider
17. Goldcrest
18. Goldeneye
19. Goldfinch
20. Goosander
21. Great Black-backed Gull
22. Great Tit
23. Greenfinch
24. Greenshank*
25. Grey Heron
26. Grey Wagtail
27. Guillemot
28. Herring Gull
29. Housemartin*
30. House Sparrow
31. Kestrel*
32. Knot
33. Lesser Black-backed Gull*
34. Long-tailed Duck*
35. Long-tailed Tit
36. Magpie
37. Mallard
39. Mute Swan
40. Oystercatcher
41. Pheasant
42. Pied Wagtail (Yarrellii)
43. Pink-Footed Goose
44. Peregine*
45. Purple Sandpiper
46. Red-breasted Merganser*
47. Redshank
48. Reed Bunting
49. Ringed Plover
50. Robin
51. Rock Pipit (Littoralis)
52. Ruff*
53. Sanderling
54. Sandwich Tern
55. Sedge Warbler*
56. Shag
57. Song Thrush
58. Sparrowhawk
59. Starling
60. Stonechat*
61. Swallow
62. Turnstone
63. Whimbrel*
64. Willow Warbler*
65. Wood Pigeon
66. Wren.
67. Yellowhammer

 

[Gander]

Name that fish.

A few photos from Seafield Harbour this afternoon.

Flounder maybe?

 

[Gander]

Purple Patch

Headed down to Seafield this morning and walked out past the harbour to the Tower and back. Not a lot to report. Even the Oystercatchers and Redshanks were scarce. Scanned the harbour wall remains for Purple Sandpiper, this time camera in hand, but nothing present. Based on yesterday however, I knew my best chance would be at high tide. With high tide due at 14:40 hrs, I headed off, to return later.

At 14:15 hrs, I was back. Unlike the previous day however, there was cloud cover, and the light was dying fast. I hurried down to the harbour, and just as yesterday, I found the first concrete block island formed from the wall remains, heavily populated with Redshank. More pleasingly however, in the exact same spot as yesterday, I discovered a Purple Sandpiper clinging to the rough sides of the concrete. A possible second peeped around the corner.

Other birds in the area were Redshank, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Cormorant, Shag, Herring Gull, Eider, Black-Headed Gull, Goosander and GBBG. Only a Robin stirred in the scrub.

A Grey Seal fished in the flooded harbour area, catching a flat fish of some sort (see previous post). I moved down the path a little and started scanning the few remaining rocks that were visible. There I found more Purple Sandpiper, six definite, although I believe there were more on the far side of the rocks, as I saw a few little heads pop up every now and then, however there were Turnstone present also, so who knows?

With eight Purple Sandstone in the bag, so to speak, that means I've hit a purple patch.

PHOTOS ATTACHED TO NEXT POST.

 

[Gander]

And the photos

Whoops. Forgot to attach the photos for previous post.

Edit at 21:07 hrs - just noticed at least two Sanderling in first group photo.

 

[Gander]

Itch scratched.

I had headed down to Seafield yesterday afternoon with the main aim being to scratch an itch I've had for a few weeks. That itch was Long-Tailed Duck. I'd seen my first, back in the autumn offshore - a female. I'm fairly sure I had seen another female on the patch recently, but I don't seem to have recorded or ticked it off anywhere.

With 26 L-T Ds being recorded at Seafield last weekend, a concerted effort was called for. This is why I could be found trudging through the rain towards the harbour yesterday afternoon. The harbour was devoid of birds. The plan had been to simply check the harbour area then head back. I headed off further down the track to the tower. I found it in a similar condition bird wise to the harbour. The plan was to check the tower beach then head back. I checked the beach then headed up the hill to the Aerial above the cave cove. Again, the plan was to turn back once the cove was checked out, but again I allowed myself to be sucked along the path by the hope of finding L-T Duck on the calm grey waters below.

I reached Stone Dyke Point and scanned along Lime Kiln Beach (prev called Pipe Beach). Nothing much stirred. Certainly not L-T Duck. I headed home through the rain.

First light this morning found me back at the harbour. The tide was way out, so I hoped to find a few waders on the wet sands of the harbour. I found a photographer taking shots of the wonderful sunrise. At least it wasn't raining.

Heading on to the tower, there was little activity on the still calm waters. I turned at the tower and headed back to the harbour. The photographer had moved off. I scanned the waters beyond the far end of the harbour wall. There was something there. Something grey, white and black, but I was not close enough for a good ID. I headed down the beach, crossing the stream by hopping from stone to stone, then walking parallel to wall over the soft sands to the water line. Scanning from this nearer point, I struggled to find the birds I'd seen from the path. I moved a little further along the beach to change my angle. Scanning around the end of the wall, I found a group of birds, still a fair way out. Initially, they were head on and at distance, I still couldn't make a 100% ID. Then they changed direction. With side on views and long tails evident, my L-T Duck itch was well and truly scratched

 

[delia todd]

What a great read that made Paul!!! LOL Loved it.

Well done finally getting your target lad. They lovely ducks.. my favourite sea ducks them.

 

[Gander]

They lovely ducks.. my favourite sea ducks them.

Strikingly elegant, even at distance. Hopefully, I'll get a closer look in the near future.

 

[delia todd]

The closest I've ever been to them is at the Jemimaville Hide on the Black Isle, get the tide right and they can come quite near.

 

[Gander]

Common Scoter

Fleeting visit to the harbour this afternoon. Just ten minutes of scanning before I had to be away. Lots of Eider showing, and close enough in to be able to pick out the mint coloured head patch and peach wash breast on the drakes. A few Long-tailed Duck evident further out. I was also able to pick out a Common Scoter among a group of Eider. Good spot for me as it is a personal patch tick.

 

[Gander]

First of the year

I woke up in Aberdeen at about )4:00 hrs, having flown in there on a late chopper flight from offshore. Catching an early train, I was in Kirkcaldy at 09:40 hrs. With the wife away at a pre arranged event until lunch time, I headed home, changed clothes, grabbed binoculars and headed for Seafield.

The sky was blue, the air cold, and despite threatening clouds away to the West, a bright Winter sun shone down onto a snow dusted coastal path. The tide was well out and the sea calm.

I was greeted by a lone Herring Gull in the car park. Down on the beach some ding-a-ling was letting their mutt chase a flock of Oystercatcher. A Magpie flew over the path as I approached the harbour. At the harbour, five Eider were cruising about. More Herring Gull were counted and a lone Great-Black Backed Gull. A Carrion Crow with a white patch on its chest, landed on the sea wall. Amongst the harbour rock pools, I noticed a bird I am not too familiar with; a Greenshank. My first personal patch tick of the year, although I thought I'd seen one there one evening in the Autumn, but wasn't 100% sure, so never recorded it. In the Tyree Burn that flows into the harbour, five Starling were having a whale of a time splashing about in the fresh water flow.

In the scrub on the other side of the coastal path, I counted four House Sparrows and a solo Blue Tit. Now moving slowly towards the tower, I counted Redshank in the rocks and sand patches. More Oystercatcher were tallied and Turnstone were found. Good views were had of a single Bar-Tailed Godwit and a Ringed Plover made an appearance.

The Herring Gull count was also rising, and a couple of Black Headed Gulls made an appearance along with a Common Gull. At the tower, I realised I had run out of time. I needed to head back now to meet up with the wife for lunch. However, I could see distant birds on the water in front of Seafield Cave Cove. Maybe they were divers I thought. I'm not doing well finding divers, so I made a quick dash up the hill to the phone mast (or whatever type of mast it is) to get a scan down into the cove. Only a Cormorant now showed, with a Grey Heron being noted in the rocks.

I had to head back, but as I descended down towards the tower, a hawk of some kind swooped down into the cove. I went back up the hill, but there was no sign, as it had disappeared into the scrub below. No time to hunt for it, I reluctantly gave it up as one that got away - for now. If I was to guess, I'd say it was a Sparrowhawk.

I was now late. I headed for the car park, even breaking into a jog at times, which is no easy feat carrying binoculars on an icy path. A Robin tried to distract me as did a Curlew that flew overhead, but it took a Rock Pipit to briefly stop me. I tried not to look into the harbour area, as knew I couldn't afford any more distractions. I didn't want to end up in the doghouse on my first day home (I generally try and wait a day or two before I do that).

I made it home in time. The dog house remains temporarily unoccupied. My first dry land outing of the year gave me over twenty species in an hour or so, with that personal patch tick the high-light.

A good day despite there not being a sniff of a Glaucous Gull

 

[delia todd]

Gosh! You'll be glad to have your feet back on dry land again Paul. I was woken by the wind early this morning and my first thought was you and wondering if you'd manage to get home today!!!

I see you did.... and have well made up for lost time LOL You've got a great selection there to add to your 'dry land' year list.

Well done laddie.

 

[Gander]

A Ruff Day

I keep saying I'm going to avoid the patch on weekends due to the volume of dog walkers and other traffic, but I had a couple of free hours this afternoon and a bit of catching up to do. With the sun shining in a blue sky, and high tide imminent, I rolled into Seafield car park just before two o'clock. It was busy, however, I started counting Herring Gulls, Black-Headed Gulls and Eider before I exited the car.

A Carrion Crow and a Pied Wagtail (Yar) were added to the list before I exited the car park. Walking along to the harbour, I also started to tally Oystercatcher and Redshank. At the harbour, I found a Rock Pipit and out on the near rocks there were Turnstone and a dozen Purple Sandpiper. On the rocks further out and on the sea wall end there were cormorants. On the sea surface, five Mallard paddled by, and further out, three Long-Tailed Ducks were diving.

Moving past the tower, the tallies of Black-Headed Gulls and Redshank rose quickly. A Robin put in an appearance and a single Heron was spotted out on the rocks. I decided at this point to detour down into Seafield Cave Cove. I followed a little used grassy trail behind the remains of some ruined stone cottages then squeezed through a tunnel of Hawthorn and down onto the shoreline rocks. A quick scramble over the rocks and I was on the pebbly beach looking up into the scrub filled cove. I was hoping to find the hawk I'd seen dive in there yesterday, but what greeted me was the sight of seven Grey Heron sitting there with shoulders hunched.

Moving along the beach, I crossed the metal bridge in front of the cave entrance, finding a Wren just inside the entrance on a rock ledge. I now climbed the icy path up the the end of Stone Dyke Point. Scanning into Bullfinch Cove, I found nothing but a pair of sabre looking Magpies. They looked like a married couple that had fallen out, sitting in different tree tops with their backs to each other.

Following the stone dyke back up to the coastal path, I continued South, but only managed to add a Blue Tit to my list. I stopped briefly to swap notes with another birder heading the other way. He was engaged in a BTO survey of Wetland and Estuary birds. Moving on to the high point above the Lime Kiln Beach, a scan of the calm waters revealed a couple of Cormorants and a little further out, a lone Long-Tailed Duck.

With the light now starting to dim, I started to head back along the path towards Seafield. Amongst the dead stalks of last years Hemlock, that grows around the tower, I found a couple of Reed Bunting. Moving on towards the harbour I ran into the other birder I'd met earlier, and another birder with a scope. I chatted with the scoped birder for a while about the WEB survey he was also engaged in, and he very kindly pointed out a Ruff in a bunch of Redshank I'd just walked past. A nice personal patch tick for me.

I arrived back at the car having had a Ruff day.

 

[Gander]

List Update.

I notice on Bird Track that a Red-Throated Diver was spotted at Seafield today. I was expecting a few divers to come in soon, as there were reports of them just around the corner of the patch in Kinghorn Bay. Hopefully, I'll get to view one soon.

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Bar-tailed Godwit
2. Black-headed Gull
3. Black-tailed Godwit
4. Blackbird
5. Blue Tit
6. Bullfinch
7. Carrion Crow
8. Chaffinch
9. Common Buzzard
10. Common Gull
11. Common Scoter*
12. Common Tern
13. Cormorant
14. Curlew
15. Dunnock
16. Eider
17. Goldcrest
18. Goldeneye
19. Goldfinch
20. Goosander
21. Great Black-backed Gull
22. Great Tit
23. Greenfinch
24. Greenshank
25. Grey Heron
26. Grey Wagtail
27. Guillemot
28. Herring Gull
29. Housemartin*
30. House Sparrow
31. Kestrel*
32. Knot
33. Lesser Black-backed Gull*
34. Long-tailed Duck
35. Long-tailed Tit
36. Magpie
37. Mallard
39. Mute Swan
40. Oystercatcher
41. Pheasant
42. Pied Wagtail (Yarrellii)
43. Pink-Footed Goose
44. Peregine*
45. Purple Sandpiper
46. Red-Throated Diver*
47. Red-breasted Merganser*
48. Redshank
49. Reed Bunting
50. Ringed Plover
51. Robin
52. Rock Pipit (Littoralis)
53. Ruff
54. Sanderling
55. Sandwich Tern
56. Sedge Warbler*
57. Shag
58. Song Thrush
59. Sparrowhawk
60. Starling
61. Stonechat*
62. Swallow
63. Turnstone
64. Whimbrel*
65. Willow Warbler*
66. Wood Pigeon
67. Wren.
68. Yellowhammer

 

[Gander]

Low tide photos

Spent a full day on the patch today. A few photos at low tide attached. Full bird report to come later.

 

[Gander]

A Whale of a Day - Part One (An Unexpected Journey)

Monday is the day that I have set aside for travelling about a bit. The Shorelarks at Tentsmuir were very tempting, but Tentsmuir, wonderful place though it is, has not been very kind to me. Just over four weeks ago today, I was at Clatto Reservoir surrounded by ducks and Whooper Swans, when I noted a text alert to the arrival of two Shorelarks at Tentsmuir.

The Shorelarks had arrived the previous day, but I was late picking up the text. I was travelling to go offshore the next day, so hadn't wanted to journey too far. The opportunity was too tempting however, and ten minutes later I was belting across Fife (obeying all speed limits and traffic regulations of course) on an unexpected journey.

It was half past twelve when I arrived at the Tentsmuir car park. With rucksack and scope shouldered I headed into the dunes and turned North. As I approached the lagoon area, my heart sank. Ahead of me was a dog walker with four dogs. They were everywhere. I hung about for a while, to let the sand settle, while dogs and walker crossed the wire fence and headed off into the reserve ( though I don't understand how it can be termed a reserve if there is not the slightest effort to stop dogs running loose). The only bird around was a solitary Plover. I think it was Golden, but on the Fife Bird Club gallery, what I believe was the same bird had been photographed earlier in the day, but was labelled as Grey. I was probably wrong, so I didn't realise I was looking at a lifer.

I quartered the dunes on the way back, but to no avail.

Which brings me back to today. I'd been following the Shorelarks reports for over three weeks, but they had dried up over the weekend. I couldn't face another energy sapping hike through the dunes. so I decided to hit my patch again. My main target right now are divers, and although Tentsmuir is good for divers, I was really set on seeing them on the patch.

I arrived in Seafield carpark in the dawn's half light, just after eight o' clock. The grassy picnic area (AKA Dogs poo patch) was full of Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull and Oystercatcher. There were also three Common Gull.

I headed straight onto the beach for a change, and just for an extra twist I turned North. Walking behind the abandoned red brick bus terminal, I found a patch tick in ten Feral Pigeons (an easy one I know, but it still needed ticked).

The tide was heading for low. Where the Tiel Burn (Northerly limit of my patch) met the gently lapping waves, there was a cluster of gulls. The Herring and Black Headed Gull counts were added too, and I started tallying Great Black-Back Gulls. I continued to add to these gull tallies all day, so I'll not mention them again. Six Curlew flew in low over the water, and close to my observation spot, a Pied Wagtail (Yar) was busy on the pebble dashed high water mark.

I now headed down to the tide line and turned South. Out on the calm waters were good numbers of Eider. Two Bar-Tailed Godwit came into view, and I started both the Redshank and Turnstone counts for the day.

As I drew level with the North end of the sea wall, I could see that the tide was still not quite far enough out to allow me to squeeze through the gaps in the fallen down South end where it curved out to sea to form the never used harbour from the Victorian era. I headed up the beach and onto the coastal path, continuing South towards the harbour. Before I arrived at the harbour, I found the scrub to the West of the path quite busy, and quickly added Robin, House Sparrow, Starling, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Wren and Reed Bunting to my list.

 

[Gander]

A Whale of a Day - Part Two (Thar she blows)

At the harbour, I again headed down onto the sands. The tide was as far out as I'd ever seen it, so I decided to follow the tide line. I scrambled over the stones flooded by the flow of the Tiree Burn, onto the soft sands. Close to the wall, I noticed a lone wader - another Bar-Tailed Godwit. As I spotted this bird, a Rock Pipit appeared on a ledge of rock behind me. I pulled the camera out of the ruck sack, and amazingly, both birds obliged me by waiting for me to take a few shots.

Continuing South, I found more Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatcher. I also found a lone Heron. Level with the old tower, I could go no further, so I headed back to the path, scrambling over seaweed covered rocks.

Back on the path now, it was ten minutes to ten as I passed the tower. The sun was shining brightly. Too brightly. It was difficult now to see anything on the sea surface in places due to the intense glare. Cormorants out on the rocks were added to the list though. On the nearer rocks, Common Seal were basking. In amongst the Hemlock stalks and scrub, I found a Song Thrush. Four Mallard were seen in the rock pools and more Blue Tit were seen.

I worked my way South adding to my totals of previously listed birds. As I approached the stone dyke, I found six Magpies having a convention on the little hillock on the other side of the railway line. A flight of Pink-Footed Geese passed overhead. Heading down to the point, I found little on the water other than a Shag and a raft of eleven Eider. Looking back into the Seafield Cave Cove several Woodpigeon were found in the trees.

returning to the path, I continued towards Kinghorn. It was very quiet. Only Blackbird was added to the list until I approached the Lime Kiln. Suddenly there was a big commotion down on the rocks. Gulls were screeching and Turnstone were zig-zagging away, calling in high alarm. And there in the centre of the chaos, pursued by noisy gulls was a Peregrine Falcon. My closest ever view of a Peregrine and a personal patch tick.

The hawk headed off down the coast and I followed at a more sedate pace. In the scrub on the railway embankment, I found more Goldfinch and added Great Tit to the list.

It was half past eleven as I headed into Kinghorn. I checked out the harbour, then headed up to the Carousel cafe that overlooks the bay. Lunch ordered, I noticed a group of people down below me on the cliff top path. There were carrying binoculars, scopes and long lens cameras. Must be birders I thought and started scanning the sea in the direction the assembled watchers were focused on. The sea was calm and the sky clear. I saw no birds out there. Then I noticed an orange inflatable speedboat. As I focused on the boat, lo and behold, a great, big whale surfaced.

I watched for a while from my vantage point in the first floor cafe. The boat would follow the whale around each time it surfaced. Later, I found out that the whale was a 40 ft Humpback. Those on the boat were marine wildlife experts who were assessing the health of this young mammal. More detail can be read at

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/349936/40ft-humpback-whale-lost-in-the-forth/

Heading back into my patch, I took a final look at the whale, then headed North to Kirkcaldy. Certainly a very unexpected mammal tick to add to the earlier observed Common Seals.

I sauntered back along the path, keeping a sharp, but unrewarded eye out for divers. Off Lime Kiln Beach however, I did find a fairly close in Goldeneye. At the tower bay, I sat for a while and added a Dunnock to the list. Just past the tower, I noticed a flock of geese. Pretty far out, but I'm sure enough to add Greylag as the second patch tick of the day (third if you count the Humpback). Approaching the harbour, I spent some time down on the beach again, positioning myself to get some photos of a Bar-Tailed Godwit. Quite possibly the same bird photographed in the morning. While still on the beach I also found six Purple Sandpiper out on some rocks.

A flight of nine ducks were seen late in the day, making a distant fly past, but a definite ID was not made. They looked to be either Tufted or Scaup, either of which would be another patch tick, but they will have to wait for another day.

No divers today, but very rewarding none the less.

 

[Gander]

Fulmars

Hi Gander, not sure if this is the area your covering, but I photograph nesting Fulmars on a small cliff at Kinghorn, just off a small carpark, where a path leads you down to the beach, don't know the name of the street though.

Hi Andrew,
Sounds a little further South from the area I'm watching. Thanks for the info though. I should be able to get Fulmar on the list in the not too distant future.

Hi again Andrew,
I found your cliff again today, complete with sixteen Fulmars sat on the ledges. The car park is off Pettycur Road, right next to the cafe I frequent. Cliff is South end of Kinghorn bay, so outside of my patch, however, when I scanned back from the patch, over the top of the caravans at the holiday park, I could make out the white dots on the cliff that I knew to be Fulmar, having checked them out at close range 15 minutes earlier. So, your Fulmars will be on the patch list.

Thanks again.

 

[Gander]

A couple of unscheduled visits to the patch today. Mid morning I grabbed half an hour while the wife was sopping for curtains at a nearby shop. Conditions were very calm and very mild. I didn't make list, but there was very little about, especially out on the water. I got to the tower and then headed back, the only point of interest being an unidentified bird far out on the water. At first I thought it was a Guillemot, however, at one point, it reared up out of the water, and even at distance, I could see that it was only the chest that was white, with the underparts being black. Head was also black, but too far away to get a beak shape, so may have been some sort of duck. I'll be giving the Collins a browse later.

After picking the wife up, we headed for Kinghorn to have lunch at the Carousel Cafe, overlooking the bay. I don't normally use the car park behind the cafe, but doing so revealed a small cliff to me that had sixteen Fulmar perched on it. After lunch, Mrs Goose came up with the idea of me walking back to Kirkcaldy, while she went grocery shopping. Plan was to meet up at Seafield car park an hour later.

The walk back revealed nothing unusual. The only thing out of the ordinary were the audible calls of the Eider out on the water. First time it has been so calm down there that I've been able to hear them from the path.

So, it is time to make a few additions to the list. From yesterday we have Feral Pigeon and Greylag. And today we have Fulmar. Nothing earth shattering, but good, steady progress pushing the list up to seventy.

THE LIST UPDATED
1. Bar-tailed Godwit
2. Black-headed Gull
3. Black-tailed Godwit
4. Blackbird
5. Blue Tit
6. Bullfinch
7. Carrion Crow
8. Chaffinch
9. Common Buzzard
10. Common Gull
11. Common Scoter*
12. Common Tern
13. Cormorant
14. Curlew
15. Dunnock
16. Eider
17, Feral Pigeon
18. Fulmar
19. Goldcrest
20. Goldeneye
21. Goldfinch
22. Goosander
23. Great Black-backed Gull
24. Great Tit
25. Greenfinch
26. Greenshank
27. Grey Heron
28, Greylag
29. Grey Wagtail
30. Guillemot
31. Herring Gull
32. Housemartin*
33. House Sparrow
34. Kestrel*
35. Knot
36. Lesser Black-backed Gull*
37. Long-tailed Duck
38. Long-tailed Tit
39. Magpie
40. Mallard
41. Mute Swan
42. Oystercatcher
43. Pheasant
44. Pied Wagtail (Yarrellii)
45. Pink-Footed Goose
46. Peregrine
47. Purple Sandpiper
48. Red-Throated Diver*
49. Red-breasted Merganser*
50. Redshank
51. Reed Bunting
52. Ringed Plover
53. Robin
54. Rock Pipit
55. Ruff
56. Sanderling
57. Sandwich Tern
58. Sedge Warbler*
59. Shag
60. Song Thrush
61. Sparrowhawk
62. Starling
63. Stonechat*
64. Swallow
65. Turnstone
66. Whimbrel*
67. Willow Warbler*
68. Wood Pigeon
69. Wren.
70. Yellowhammer