August was a busy birding month and saw a good spread of interesting birds right across the county, with waders, raptors, passerines and seabirds all putting on a good show.
The month began with a Whinchat and two Spotted Flycatchers at Kilmany, two Arctic Skuas at Carlingnose Point, 35 Mediterranean Gulls at East Wemyss, a Sooty Shearwater, 149 Manx Shearwaters, four Arctic Skuas, seven Great Skuas, seven Whimbrels and 163 Little Gulls at Fife Ness, and a Little Tern and an Arctic Skua at Kinghorn. On the 2nd, an adult Long-tailed Skua, an Arctic Skua, a Great Skua, 111 Manx Shearwaters, three Sooty Shearwaters, 29 Little Gulls and two Whimbrels were at Fife Ness, and 11 Little Egrets, two Greenshanks and an Arctic Skua were at Guardbridge. The following day, a Cory’s Shearwater, a Roseate Tern, 46 Little Gulls, a Sooty Shearwater, 25 Little Gulls, two Great Skuas, one Arctic Skua and 87 Manx Shearwaters were at Fife Ness, at Kinghorn there were a Sooty Shearwater, six Manx Shearwaters, and a Great Skua, at Ferry Hills a Marsh Harrier, a Great Skua, 71 Tree Pipits and 12 Crossbills were seen, at East Wemyss 32 Mediterranean Gulls were noted, a Red Kite was at Drumcarrow, a Green Sandpiper and two Greenshanks were near Drumoig, and six Greenshanks and two Crossbills were at The Wilderness. On the 4th, at Fife Ness five Sooty Shearwaters, 63 Manx Shearwaters, three Great Skuas, three Arctic Skuas, 168 Little Gulls and three Whimbrels were seen, the Green Sandpiper and two Greenshanks remained near Drumoig, a Little Egret, 53 Tree Pipits and five Crossbills were at Ferry Hills, eight Crossbills were at Cameron Reservoir, three Ruff were at Guardbridge, and a Short-eared Owl was near the Rossie Estate. The 5th saw 18 Manx Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua, a Great Skua and three Little Gulls at Kinghorn, two Storm Petrels, two Sooty Shearwaters, 193 Manx Shearwaters, a Roseate Tern, seven Great Skuas, eight Arctic Skuas and 101 Little Gulls at Fife Ness, a Hen Harrier at Crail Airfield, and three Ruff, 13 Little Egrets and a Mediterranean Gull at Guardbridge. On the 6th there was a Marsh Harrier at Wormiston, at Fife Ness were 167 Manx Shearwaters, two Great Skuas and two Arctic Skuas, at East Wemyss were 20 Mediterranean Gulls, with two Greenshanks and two Crossbills at Cameron Reservoir, a Marsh Harrier at Crail Airfield, and a Green Sandpiper and two Greenshanks remained near Drumoig. The following day a Cetti’s Warbler was reported from Cameron Reservoir, and a Green Sandpiper was at Guardbridge.
On the 8th, 54 Mediterranean Gulls were at East Wemyss and the following day two Balearic Shearwaters, a Storm Petrel, 515 Manx Shearwaters, six Little Gulls, two Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua were seen at Fife Ness. The 10th saw a 3cy Pomarine Skua, three Sooty Shearwaters, five Arctic Skuas, nine Great Skuas and 167 Manx Shearwaters pass Fife Ness, 59 Tree Pipits pass over Ferry Hills, three Little Gulls, six Little Egrets and a Whimbrel at Out Head, three Ruff and ten Little Egrets at the Eden Estuary Centre, and a Red-rumped Swallow reported from St Andrews. Sixty Tree Pipits were seen at Ferry Hills on the 11th, the same day that a Crossbill was at Craigtoun, an adult Spotted Flycatcher was feeding chicks at Cameron Reservoir, where four Crossbills and a Greenshank were also seen, a Marsh Harrier was at Kilconquhar Loch, whilst 70 Mediterranean Gulls were at East Wemyss. On the 12th, two Ruff, a Greenshank, 13 Little Egrets and a Mediterranean Gull were at the Eden Estuary, and Marsh Harriers were at Letham Pools and Carnbee. The next day, 106 Tree Pipits and 10 Crossbills were at Ferry Hills, at Fife Ness 13 Manx Shearwaters, three Whimbrel, a Merlin, a possible Cory’s Shearwater, two Great Skuas and four Arctic Skuas were seen, a Marsh Harrier was at Letham Pools, and a Tree Pipit, a Whimbrel, five Crossbills and three Goshawks were at St Andrews. On the 14th, a Marsh Harrier was at Letham Pools, a huge total of 334 Tree Pipits passed over Ferry Hills alongside two Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua, a Marsh Harrier was near Anstruther, a Little Egret was at Dalgety Bay, and 17 Little Egrets and six Ruff were at the Eden Estuary.
The 15th saw, a Whinchat at Out Head, 21 Little Egrets, 18 Greenshanks, 12 Common Sandpipers, 380 Canada Geese and a Ruff at the Eden Estuary, a Marsh Harrier at Letham Pools, seven Sooty Shearwaters, 131 Manx Shearwaters, 17 Teal, four Great Skuas and two Arctic Skuas at Fife Ness, a Little Egret and Ruff at Anstruther, a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, a juvenile Spotted Redshank, eight Greenshanks and 43 Grey Plovers were at Tayport, and 74 Mediterranean Gulls were at East Wemyss. The next day, two Balearic Shearwaters, three Sooty Shearwaters, 284 Manx Shearwaters, nine Great Skuas, six Arctic Skuas, a 3cy Pomarine Skua, a Black Guillemot and a juvenile Little Gull passed Fife Ness , a Red-throated Diver and 150 Canada Geese were at Out Head, a Marsh Harrier was at Letham Pools, an Arctic Skua was at Dalgety Bay, two Green Sandpipers were at Guardbridge, 126 Goosanders, seven Canada Geese and 26 Mediterranean Gulls were at East Wemyss, an Osprey visited Letham Pools, three Arctic Skuas, 31 Manx Shearwaters and a Great Skua were at Kinghorn, and the juvenile Spotted Redshank was still at Tayport. On the 17th, an immature Brown Booby, six Cory’s Shearwaters, 12 Sooty Shearwaters, 379 Manx Shearwaters, one Balearic Shearwater, 20 Great Skuas, 27 Arctic Skuas and six Little Gulls passed Fife Ness. At Kinghorn, three Arctic Skuas and a Manx Shearwater were present, three Crossbills were at Balgownie Woodland, a Great Skua, five Arctic Skuas, six Whimbrels and a Raven were at Carlingnose Point, and at Tayport were a Little Stint, a Spotted Redshank, six Greenshanks and eight Whimbrels. The following day, three Cory’s Shearwaters, 20 Sooty Shearwaters, five Storm Petrels, 250 Manx Shearwaters, 63 Arctic Skuas, 32 Great Skuas, one Long-tailed Skua, 44 Little Gulls, a Black Tern, four Red-throated Divers, 97 Common Scoters, four Velvet Scoters, a Whimbrel, a Greenshank, 112 Teal and a Tufted Duck passed Fife Ness, nine Greenshanks were at The Wilderness, two Long-tailed Skuas, four Arctic Skuas, a Great Skua and 185 Little Gulls were in St Andrews Bay, a Long-tailed Skua, a Pomarine Skua, 12 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua were at Carlingnose Point, and 77 Mediterranean Gulls were at East Wemyss.
The 19th saw an Osprey at Kilmany, three Long-tailed Skuas, four Sooty Shearwaters, 26 Manx Shearwaters, nine Great Skuas, three Arctic Skuas, five Little Gulls, a Merlin and nine Knot at Fife Ness, a Black-throated Diver, two Bonxies, two Arctic Skuas, and 21 Whimbrels at Carlingnose Point, two Pied Flycatchers, a Redstart and a Green Sandpiper at Boarhills pond, a Green Sandpiper at Fife Ness and Lower Kilminning, three Redstarts, four Pied Flycatchers and a Spotted Flycatcher at Fife Ness, a male Red-backed Shrike, a Barred Warbler, a Wood Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher and two Redstarts at Lower Kilminning, eleven Wheatears and a four Greenshanks at Coble Shore, a Redstart at St Andrews, a Pied Flycatcher at Craighead cottages near Fife Ness, a Black Tern, three Arctic Skuas, four Manx Shearwaters and 94 Little Gulls in St Andrews Bay, three Ruff and a Mediterranean Gull at Dalgety Bay, four Ruff, seven Greenshanks and six Ospreys were at Guardbridge, a juvenile Whinchat was at Out Head, and nine Pied Flycatcher, two Whinchats, and a Little Gull were in the Kingsbarns area. On the 20th, 340 Goosanders were at Tayport, a Marsh Harrier was at Crail airfield, two Pied Flycatchers were at Lower Kilminning, an adult Roseate Tern was off Boarhills, two Pied Flycatchers were at Fife Ness, four Arctic Skuas were at Kinghorn, 40 Arctic Skuas, a Long-tailed Skua and two Black Terns were at Fife Ness, a Nuthatch was at Crombie, a juvenile Little Stint, a Greenshank and 10 Ruff were at Guardbridge, and three Little Terns, two Arctic Skuas and 14 Little Gulls were at Out Head. The Following day, two Pied Flycatchers and a Yellow Wagtail were at Lower Kilminning, a Pied Flycatcher was at Fife Ness, two Little Stints were at Guardbridge, a Roseate Tern was at Tentsmuir Point NNR, and 84 Mediterranean Gulls were at East Wemyss.
On the 22nd, two Green Sandpipers were near Drumoig, two Little Stints, nine Ruff, two Greenshanks, and three Whimbrels were at Guardbridge, a Marsh Harrier and Swift were at Letham Pools, and at East Wemyss there were 107 Mediterranean Gulls. The next day, a Black Tern and two Arctic Skuas were seen at Dalgety Bay, two dark juvenile Honey-buzzards, an Osprey, a Merlin, three Whimbrels, a Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher, 138 Tree Pipits , 188 Siskins and 11 Crossbills were at Ferry Hills, a Hobby was at Kilrenny, a Spotted Flycatcher at Barns Farm, three Little Stints, 21 Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper at Guardbridge, a Little Stint east of Tayport, three Roseate Terns at Tentsmuir Point NNR, and four Tree Pipits, a Whimbrel and a Raven at Boarhills. On the 24th, a dark juvenile Honey-buzzard was at Ferry Hills, two Little Stints and the first Gadwall and five Wigeon of the autumn were at Tayport, a Cory’s Shearwater was feeding off Kinghorn where a Sooty Shearwater, 10 Manx Shearwaters and three Arctic Skuas were also present, and at Fife Ness a Short-eared Owl, a Little Egret, one Sooty Shearwater, nine Little Gulls and two Manx Shearwaters were seen. The next day, the Cory’s Shearwater was seen briefly again at Kinghorn, where also seen were 10 Manx Shearwaters. At Ferry Hills there were a Yellow Wagtail, a Redstart, four Spotted Flycatchers, 364 Siskins, 50 Tree Pipits, a Great Skua and a Whimbrel, at Newmills Bay there were two Greenshanks, at Fife Ness 300 Little Gulls, a Sooty Shearwater, a Great Skua and 31 Manx Shearwaters passed by, and a Green Sandpiper, a Great Skua, 80 Little Gulls and three Manx Shearwaters were in St Andrews Bay.
On the 26th, a Crossbill and 10 Ravens were at Kilmany, six Whooper Swans headed over Pitlair Park, a Spotted Redshank was at Tayport, eight Ravens were at Lindores Loch, four Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank were at Stenhouse Reservoir, a Black Tern, two Arctic Skuas and nine Manx Shearwaters were at Kinghorn, five Ruff were at the Eden Estuary Centre, and a Balearic Shearwater, three Sooty Shearwaters, 242 Manx Shearwaters, two Whimbrels and 204 Little Gulls were at Fife Ness. At Fife Ness on the 27th, a Long-tailed Skua, four Sooty Shearwaters, five Great Skuas, five Arctic Skuas, 40 Manx Shearwaters, 174 Little Gulls, a Little Egret, a Ruff and 11 Whimbrels were seen, the same day that a Ruff was at Leven, a Spotted Redshank, 13 Whimbrels, eight Red-throated Divers, a Little Egret, a Tree Pipit, a Great Skua and a Ruff were at Ruddons Point, two Short-eared Owls were at Balcomie beach, two Little Stints and three Arctic Skuas were at Out Head, an Osprey was over Dunfermline, two Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua were at Kinghorn, a Green Sandpiper was near Drumoig, five Ruff were at Guardbridge, a Little Stint was at Tayport, four Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank were at Stenhouse Reservoir, a Redstart was in a Crail garden, and a Pochard and a Little Egret were at Kilconquhar Loch. On the 28th, a Green Sandpiper was at Angle Park, a Little Stint and 54 Greenshanks were at Coble Shore, the Redstart remained in Crail, a Green Sandpiper and Crossbill were at Cullaloe LNR.
The following day, seven Ruff were at Stenhouse Reservoir and a Long-tailed Skua and two Sooty Shearwaters were at Fife Ness. On the 30th, 11 Manx Shearwaters, five Great Skuas, 157 Little Gulls, one Whimbrel were at Fife Ness, a Marsh Harrier, six Ruff and two Green Sandpipers were at Stenhouse Reservoir, a Pomarine Skua, three Arctic Skuas and a Manx Shearwater were at Kinghorn, a Little Stint was at Out Head, a Black Tern, a Long-tailed Skua, five Arctic Skuas, four Little Gulls and three Whimbrels were at Out Head, and a Little Stint and the first Pintail of the autumn were at Tayport. The month closed with nine Sooty Shearwaters, 64 Manx Shearwaters, 491 Little Gulls, one Long-tailed Skua, eight Arctic Skuas, four Great Skuas, a Little Egret, three Pintails, 55 Bar-tailed Godwits and four Whimbrels at Fife Ness, two Ruff on Craighead Golf Course, 23 Little Egrets, seven Pintails, six Ruff and 20 Greenshanks at the Eden Estuary, and a Yellow Wagtail at Tayport.
Monthly sighting summaries are based on information submitted to the Fife Bird News WhatsApp group. A list of species which are sufficiently scarce to be reported on the Fife Bird News (FBN) WhatsApp Group can be found here . These are in addition to the rare or unusual species listed on the Local and National Rarities page.