April 2023 Sightings

Continued signs of spring on the 1^st when an Osprey flew over Dunfermline. On the same day, a Black Redstart and Hooded Crow were at Kenly Water, a Hawfinch was in Crail, and at Loch Fitty were a Russian White-fronted Goose, 13 Pink-footed Goose, 150 Greylag Goose, 47 Sand Martin, five Chiffchaff and 20 Meadow Pipit.  The male Smew and an Osprey were at Cameron Reservoir on the 2^nd, when the Hawfinch was again present in Crail, an Osprey was at Reedieleys Farm, and the female Ring-necked Duck remained at Angle Park. On the 3^rd the Ring-necked Duck was again at Angle Park, a Red Kite and Raven were at Mount Hill near Cupar,  a Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff were all at Inverkeithing, a Black Redstart was in Crail, a Swallow and a few Sand Martin were at Letham Pools, a Wheatear was at East Lomond, a male Mandarin Duck was at Wilderness, and an extremely early Sedge Warbler was at Crossford reedbeds. On the 4^th, the male Smew, an Egyptian Goose, a Common Redpoll and 18 Lesser Redpoll were all at Cameron Reservoir, a pale-bellied Brent Goose and a Little Gull were at Kirkcaldy, and a Puffin was at Seafield. Thirty Whooper Swan were at Kingskettle, 38 Whooper Swan and 12 Common Snipe were at Wilderness, and the Hawfinch was again at Crail on the 5^th. On the 6^th, two Red Kite were over Dalgety, and two Ringed Plover and four Common Snipe were at Letham Pools.

A Red Kite, four Willow Warbler and seven Chiffchaff were at Loch Fitty on the 7^th, the same date that a Red Kite was at Cupar, a Red Kite was at Morton Lochs, a Greenshank, two Common Snipe, a Jack Snipe, three Swallow, ten Sand Martin, two Shoveler, four Gadwall and 25 Fieldfare were at Letham Pools, and the male Mandarin Duck and 54 Whooper Swan were at Wilderness. On the 8^th, the female Ring-necked Duck remained at Angle Park, a Marsh Harrier was at Letham Pools, an adult male Surf Scoter was at Ruddon’s Point, a Raven was at Crail, Barn Swallow and Blackcap at Boarhills, White Wagtail and two Sandwich Tern at Kingsbarns, and a Northern Wheatear at Balcomine. The male Surf Scoter was again at Ruddon’s Point along with 2750 Common Scoter, 260 Velvet Scoter, 110 Long-tailed Duck, a Black-throated Diver, six Sandwich Tern, a  Great Crested Grebe and a Gadwall on the 9^th, whilst at Lower Largo were a Red-necked Grebe,  a Slavonian Grebe,  25 Red-throated  Diver, two Black-throated Diver,  290 Velvet Scoter,   eight Long tailed Duck,  and four Mute Swan. On the same date there was  a House Martin at Dunfermline, a Jack Snipe and Whimbrel at Ruddon’s Point, a White Wagtail and two Northern Wheatear at Fife Ness, two Swallow at Burntisland,  three Swallow at Falkland, a Common Crossbill at Tentsmuir, 40 Sand Martin, three Shoveler, eight Gadwall, two Redshank, two Jack Snipe, four Common Snipe and three Ringed Plover at Letham Pools. On the 10^th, a Great White Egret, Jack Snipe and Merlin were at Letham Pools, the male Surf Scoter and a Whimbrel were at Ruddon’s Point, a House Martin was at Dunshalt, a Northern Wheatear was at Kilrenny, the Great White Egret moved to the Eden where two Little Egret were also present, 32 Little Gull, two Brent Goose and two Pintail were at Tayport and  a Stone Curlew was at Anstruther. The male Surf Scoter and a Whimbrel were at Ruddon’s Point on the 11^th, with the Ring-necked Duck and two Pochard at Angle Park that day. On the 12^th a Red Kite was at Kirkcaldy, the female Ring-necked Duck was at Angle Park, and a Willow Warbler and two Blackcap were at Birnie Loch. The following day, the male Surf Scoter was again at Ruddon’s Point and a Northern Wheatear was at East Lomond.

On the 14^th, an Osprey, 22 Swallow, two Sand Martin, two Willow Warbler, two Blackcap and six Chiffchaff were at Cameron Reservoir, the female Ring-necked Duck and a male Pochard were at Angle Park, the male Surf Scoter was at Ruddon’s Point, ten Shoveler were at Letham Pools, a 2^nd calendar year male Lesser Scaup was at Loch Gelly, and three White Wagtail were at Rossie Bog. A summer plumage Black Guillemot and three Black-throated Diver were at Lower Largo on the 15^th, on which date the male Surf Scoter, 2000 Common Scoter, 500 Velvet Scoter, a Red-necked Grebe, two Great Crested Grebe, a Black-throated Diver, ten Red-throated Diver, seven Long-tailed Duck and two Puffin were at Ruddon’s Point, the female Ring-necked Duck and a male Pochard were at Angle Park, a White Stork was over Guardbridge, a Long-eared Owl was at Fife Ness, and an Osprey was at Dunfermline. At Lower Largo on the 16^th were a Black Guillemot, two Black-throated Diver and 354 Long-tailed Duck, with elsewhere on that date a Great Northern Diver, two Black-throated Diver, 43 Red-throated Diver, two Greater Scaup, 141 Velvet Scoter, 29 Long-tailed Duck, 22 Red-breasted Merganser, a Raven, and two Purple Sandpiper at St Andrews, the male Lesser Scaup remained at Loch Gelly where two Grey Partridge and two Whooper Swan were also seen. On the 17^th the male Lesser Scaup was still present at Loch Gelly, alongside 36 Tufted Duck, 40 Goldeneye, a Goosander, two Canada Goose, and 51 Sand Martin. The following day the Lesser Scaup and a House Martin were at Loch Gelly, a Green Woodpecker and four Common Crossbill were at Tentsmuir, and a male Pochard and eight Common Snipe were at Letham Pools. A Spotted Redshank, ten Bar-tailed Godwit and 12 Black-tailed Godwit were at Tayport on the 19^th, when five Northern Wheatear were at Outhead, the male Lesser Scaup was at Loch Gelly, three Whimbrel and a  Northern Wheatear were at Caiplie shore, and two Ringed Plover were at Letham Pools.

On the 21^st there were a Merlin, a Grasshopper Warbler, two Common Sandpiper, 45 Fieldfare, and a Redwing at Loch Fitty, the same date that a male Ring Ouzel was at Buddo Ness, a House Martin and two Sand Martin were at Loch Fitty, a Black Guillemot, Whimbrel, four Bar-tailed Godwit, two Sandwich Tern, an Arctic Skua, three Manx Shearwater, 38 Black-tailed Godwit and a Great Northern Diver were at Fife Ness. Five Whimbrel were at Ruddon’t Point on the 23rd, as was a white-headed Velvet Scoter, a male King Eider was at Earlsferry, a Short-eared Owl was near St. Monans, and a Grasshopper Warbler at Letham Pools. On the 24^th  a Redwing was at Cupar, the male King Eider and a Black Guillemot were at Earlsferry, a Little Gull was at Letham Pools. The following day the male King Eider was still present at Earlsferry, a Green Sandpiper was at Lochore Meadows, 9 Manx Shearwater, an Arctic Skua, nine Whimbrel, four Sandwich Tern, 14 Common Scoter, four Black-throated Diver and 23 Red-throated Diver passed Fife Ness, a Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper were at Loch Gelly, and a Jack Snipe was at Letham Pools. The male King Eider was at both Ruddon’s Point and Earlsferry on the 26^th, a Red Kite was over Flisk, an adult male and a female Surf Scoter were at Lower Largo, a second calendar year Iceland Gull was at Leven, and the Little Gull remained at Letham Pools. The following day a 2^nd calendar year American Wigeon was at the Eden, and the male and female Surf Scoter and a Red-necked Grebe were at Lower Largo.  

On the 28^th, a Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat and Grasshopper Warbler were at Lower Kilminning, the Little Gull, four Common Sandpiper and three Sedge Warbler were at Letham Pools, a Red Kite was at Kilmany, a Grasshopper Warbler, two Northern Wheatear, eight pale-bellied Brent Goose and an Osprey were at Outhead, an Osprey, three Grasshopper Warbler and four Sedge Warbler were at Loch Fitty, a Tree Pipit and four Willow Warbler were at Blairadam, a Great  Northern Diver was at West Sands, an immature male and adult Surf Scoter and an adult male Stejneger’s Scoter were at Lower Largo,  the male King Eider, a Black-throated Diver, nine Red-throated Diver, three Whimbrel and 22 Purple Sandpiper were at Earlsferry, and a Garden Warbler and a Common Whitethroat were at Birnie and Gaddon Lochs. On the 29^th the Stejneger’s Scoter, at least three adult male White-winged Scoter, two adult male, an immature male and a female Surf Scoter, three Red-necked Grebe, 1000 Velvet Scoter, 50 Common Scoter, Peregrine Falcon and a Common Swift were at Lower Largo, the American Wigeon, eight pale bellied Brent Goose, 5 Whimbrel and an Osprey were at Coble Shore,  two Osprey, a Jack Snipe, and two Sedge Warbler were at Lindores Loch, the male King Eider was at Earlsferry, and a Marsh Harrier was at Luthrie. April ended with the adult male Stejneger’s Scoter, four adult male White-winged Scoter, two adult male, an immature male and a female Surf Scoter, 1000 Velvet Scoter, 3000 Common Scoter, four Red-necked Grebe and 11 Black-throated Diver at Lower Largo, the American Wigeon, Osprey, Merlin and Wheatear at Coble Shore, Wood Sandpiper at Luthrie, and Cuckoo, three Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Raven, drumming Snipe and five Lesser Redpoll at Loch Fitty on the 30th.