At Elie, the Black-necked Grebe was still present off the harbour (1st). 20 Whooper Swans flew north over St Andrews, two Chiffchaffs were heard singing atTayfield, two Ospreys were seen circling over Loch Glow from Knockhill. Two Ospreys were also seen at different times from the Eden Estuary Centre, with both seen carrying fish and heading towards Balmullo (2nd). Three Sandwich Terns were noted at Anstruther (3rd) then a Black Guillemot was seen there the following day when a Red Kite was spotted on the east side of the Thornton bypass (4th). At the top end of Kilminning were one male Blackcap and a Chiffchaff. A report from Morton Lochs NNR included six Dabchicks, a Canada Goose, five Teal, c25 Mallards, eight Tufted Ducks, two Chiffchaffs, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. At Elie the Black-necked Grebe was joined by two Sandwich Terns (5th). A Chiffchaff was at the top end of Kilminning, a Willow Warbler was at Kilrenny. Hirundine counts included three House Martins and five Swallows at Kilconquhar Loch, c25 Sand Martins and two Swallows at Angle Park GP and three Swallows at Loch Gelly where there were also five Gadwall, 68 Goldeneyes, two Shelducks and four Goosanders. An unusual report was an Egyptian Goose with 200 Pink-feet at Letham Pools (6th). Birnie & Gaddon Lochs LNR hosted singles of House Martin and Swallow, a Great Northern Diver passed west off Ruddons Point, a redhead Smew and three Swallows were seen at Cameron Reservoir and the Black-necked Grebe was now in summer plumage at Elie Harbour where there was also a Raven over the cliffs. Ten drake Shovelers plus a single Pintail were noted at Wilderness (7th).
The next day, the same site held 47 (37+ ten immature) Mute Swans, 88 Pink-feet, 17 Tufted Ducks, 15 Goldeneyes, 12 Coots, ten Lapwings and 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Letham Pools hosted two Shovelers, a Great Crested Grebe, four Mute Swans, seven Teal, 23 Wigeon, four Gadwall and ten Oystercatchers. Seawatching at Fife Ness produced 11 Sandwich Terns, a Manx Shearwater, 16 Red-throated Divers, four Scaup, nine Common Scoters, five Long-tailed Ducks, two Puffins and two Red-breasted Mergansers (8th). A Blackcap was singing at Torry Bay then a report from Edenside included two Little Egrets and eight Tree Sparrows (9th). Two Dabchicks were at Newton Farm with five of this species at Linkswood Pond as well as four Shelducks and a Grey Partridge. Drumoig also held two Dabchicks and two Canada Geese. A Blackcap was heard singing at Culross and the redhead Smew was seen at the north-west end of Lochore Meadows CP (10th). A Willow Warbler and two Sand Martins were at Kinghorn Loch with seven Blackcaps between there and Burntisland then an Osprey flew north over Kirkcaldy. Sightings at Newton Sandpit included 12 Dabchicks, nine Canada Geese, four Shelducks, six Teal, ten Mallards, 30 Tufted Ducks, three Goldeneyes and a Chiffchaff. Observations at Fife Ness comprised five Sandwich Terns, one Swallow, six Red-throated Divers, a Black-throated Diver, 40 Kittiwakes, 18 Fulmars and six Greylags. Meanwhile at Lower Largo, a pair of Red-necked Grebes was seen offshore as well as a pair of Slavonian Grebes in summer plumage and two Red-throated Divers (11th). Kirkcaldy’sMill Dam area hosted four singing Blackcaps, Auchtermuchty’s first Willow Warblers of the year were three at Broombrae Farm and a Green Woodpecker was seen at The Clink, Pitmedden Forest. Two Nuthatches were still at Ravenscraig Park then at Anstruther there was an evening fly-past of a juvenile/first winter Mediterranean Gull and a Manx Shearwater (13th). Two Ravens and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were noted at Ferry Hills while the redhead Smew was seen at Lochore Meadows CP as well as four Crossbills, three Willow Warblers, two Blackcaps, eight Swallows and 19 Sand Martins (14th).
A Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler were at Craigtoun CP, a male ‘Blue-headed’ Yellow Wagtail was present at Letham Pools and another particularly noteworthy sighting was a Hoopoe at Boarhills (16th). There was an unconfirmed report of two Avocets at the lagoons at Tentsmuir Point NNR (17th). Kilminning held a Black Redstart and sightings from Edenside included 40 Black-tailed Godwits (18th). A female Marsh Harrier flew over Letham Pools and one was also noted over Luthrie. Three Little Egrets and an Osprey were at Guardbridge, the Black-necked Grebe was still off the pier at Elie, a Moorhen was at the caravans at Fife Ness and a report from Birnie & Gaddon Lochs LNR included three Willow Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, two Blackcaps and two Swallows (19th). A Black Redstart was reported at Balcomie, where there was also a Wheatear, and a male Common Redstart was at Kilminning. Five Wheatears, a Swallow, 18 Purple Sandpipers and eight Turnstones were at Kingsbarnswhilst apair of Pintails and a single Black-tailed Godwit were noted at Wilderness. Two Waxwings were seen at Glenrothes and two House Martins were overhead at Gauldry (20th). Rossie Bog hosted a singing Grasshopper Warbler, a Wheatear, two Snipe and two Water Rails, Wilderness held one Black-tailed Godwit, two Pintails and a singing Grasshopper Warbler before Luthrie produced a Snipe and a Wheatear. A report from Loch Gelly included a Sedge Warbler, six Sand Martins, three Goosanders, 73 Goldeneyes and a pair of Pochard then four Whimbrels, a Sandwich Tern and an Osprey were seen from the Edenside hide. A male Common Redstart was found again at Kilminning where a male Brambling, a Whitethroat, 20+ Willow Warblers and three Wheatears were also noted as well as a Black Redstart at the bottom end. Sightings at Newton Sandpit included seven Canada Geese, four Shelducks, one Gadwall, two Teal, 16 Tufted Ducks, four Lapwings, c90 Black-headed Gulls, three Skylarks, two Swallows, a Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler and a Reed Bunting. Meanwhile Morton Lochs NNR held eight Dabchicks, four Mute Swans, three Canada Geese, 12 Mallards, eight Tufted Ducks, nine Moorhens, eight Coots, a Blackcap, one Chiffchaff and a Bullfinch (21st).
A Little Tern was with two Sandwich Terns on the beach at Leven where there were also c200 Long-tailed Ducks offshore. A single Little Gull and a Whimbrel flew west up the Forth, seen from Ferry Hills where there were also two Wheatears whilst two of this species were also seen at Dunshalt. A female Black Redstart at Kilminning was accompanied by a White Wagtail, two Fieldfares, one House Martin, a Blackcap and five Willow Warblers (22nd). Two Grasshopper Warblers were heard at Loch Gelly where a Redwing also turned up (23rd). Two Red-legged Partridges were at Ballindean Farm near Gauldry (24th). A Lesser Whitethroat was in the trees around Erskine Hall, Anstruther and up to three of this species were noted at Kilminning as well as a male Pied Flycatcher and a Yellow Wagtail. A male Hen Harrier was seen at Kellie Law, a Short-eared Owl patrolled fields at Caiplie and one was also reported at Bankhead Farm between Kilrenny and Crail. Two Wheatears were atBalcomie, a Little Egret was at Edenside, two Common Sandpipers were noted at Dalgety Bay and two Dippers were seen feeding at Burnside, Cupar (25th). A Wood Warbler was heard singing and was showing well at Denburn Wood where there was also a Pied Flycatcher with a male of this species still present at Kilminning. A Whimbrel passed over Anstruther and two of this species were at St Bridgets, Dalgety Bay. 21 (including eight young) Mallards, a Chiffchaff, two Blackcaps, a Bullfinch and a Grey Wagtail were at Tayfield while there were six Shelducks at Wormit Bay (26th). The Wood Warbler was still present at Denburn Wood, and a Black-tailed Godwit, two Whimbrels and a Wheatear were seen at Balcomie Beach. Meanwhile at Kilminning at least two Pied Flycatchers, one Whitethroat and one Lesser Whitethroat were at the top end and a Pied Flycatcher, a Wheatear and a Lesser Whitethroat were reported at the bottom end (27th). Noted at this site the next day were a Lesser Whitethroat, a female Pied Flycatcher, a Sedge Warbler and a Willow Warbler with a Green Woodpecker over. A Nuthatch was on the Broomhall Estate, Dunfermline, the Wood Warbler lingered at Denburn Wood and 20 Teal and a Barn Owl were at Cullaloe LNR. Two Avocets flew south from Kingsbarns beach, two pairs of Whinchats and two Ravens were noted at Glen Vale. A Garden Warbler was singing at The Binn, Burntislandll, a Lesser Whitethroat was on Bogward Road, St Andrews and one Common Sandpiper, a single Whooper Swan, a pair of Shovelers and a pair of Pintails were noted at Wilderness (28th).
One Osprey, four Little Egrets and two Sandwich Terns were noted from the Eden Estuary Centre, a Garden Warbler was singing at Cullaloe LNR then a report from Letham Pools included four Teal, 29 Mallards, 18 Tufted Ducks, five Shovelers, c20 Gadwall, 14 Coots and c100 Black-headed Gulls. Angle Park GP held ten Mallards, 12 Tufted Ducks, three Gadwall, c50 Coots, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Chiffchaff before the month closed with seven Greylags, three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, one Chiffchaff and a Blackcap at Birnie & Gaddon Lochs LNR (30th).
Information supplied courtesy of Malcolm Ware and Graham Sparshott