The New Year began with a single Waxwing seen on roadside wires near Largoward, a Red-necked Grebe at Ruddons Point and two White-fronted Geese near Kilrenny. Early birds on the 2nd were treated to three different Barn Owls between Falkland and Strathmiglo sitting on roadside fences. The female Ring-necked Duck was again seen at Birnie Loch on the 2nd and 3rd with the two drake Smew at Cameron Reservoir on those dates. A Little Auk was seen off Kinghorn on the 2nd when 67 Pintail and c35 Brent Geese were counted at Out Head. Another Little Auk was at Fife Ness on the 3rd with a Little Gull feeding offshore there. The female Velvet Scoter was still showing at Carnbee Reservoir on the 4th with the two drake Smew at Cameron Reservoir and were also seen there the following day. On the 5th there was a Slavonian Grebe and an impressive count of over 200 Goldeneye at Pathhead, reminiscent of years gone past here. A Little Gull was again seen at Fife Ness on the 6th with a Black-throated Diver also seen there. Cameron Reservoir had good counts of 300 Wigeon and 200 Teal as well as the two drake Smew on the same day. Two Black Guillemots flew south at Fife Ness on the 7th when the female Ring-necked Duck was still at Birnie Loch, the two Smew were still at Cameron Reservoir and three adult Mediterranean Gulls were at Burntisland.
The Ring-necked Duck was at Birnie Loch again on the 8th of the month in its favoured area. The usual suspects were still to be seen at Cameron Reservoir and Carnbee Reservoir in the shape of the two drake Smew and the female Velvet Scoter with 15 Brent Geese at Boarhills. The Ring-necked Duck and the two Smew were still present up to the 12th and an adult Little Gull was off Kinghorn on the 10th. Only one drake Smew was present at Cameron Reservoir on the 13th while in west Fife a 3rd Winter Iceland Gull was at Townhill Loch and a Hen Harrier was noted at Dins Moss in the Cleish Hills. A Grey Phalarope dropped in briefly at Fife Ness on the 14th with 24 Brent Geese also seen at Boarhills that day. The Smew was still at Cameron Reservoir and a Marsh Harrier was at Newburgh.
Two Little Gulls and a Black Guillemot were seen at Fife Ness on the 15th with the female Velvet Scoter still in residence at Carnbee Reservoir. A lone European White-fronted Goose was in a large flock of Greylags at Bowershall on the 16th with one of its Greenland cousins just north of The Wilderness the next day. The female Ring-necked Duck was seen again at Birnie Loch on the 17th and a Black-necked Grebe was off Leven. The Greenland White-fronted Goose and the female Ring-necked Duck were still at the same locations on the 18th when at least five Waxwings were at Buckhaven and a 1st winter Iceland Gull was at Seafield. Two Marsh Harriers were seen at Newburgh on the 19th and a cracking male Hen Harrier graced the north side of Rossie Bog. The female Ring-necked Duck was still at Birnie Loch on the 20th and the 1st winter Iceland Gull was again off the tower at Seafield with a Red Kite noted at Burnturk. Drake Smew were seen at Cameron Reservoir and Coble Shore on the 21st with a Jack Snipe, Snow Bunting and two Twite seen in the dunes at Tentsmuir Point NNR. The 1st winter Iceland Gull, first seen in December last year, was again seen in Coaltown of Balgonie sitting on house roofs on Main Street in the town, an unusual occurrence and location for this “white-winger”.
A male Hen Harrier, probably the bird seen earlier in the week at Rossie Bog, was seen at Dunshalt, then Auchtermuchty on the 22nd. Seven Brambling were seen near Falkland on the 23rd and next day the female Ring-necked Duck was seen again at Birnie Loch and a drake Smew was at Cameron Reservoir. A male Hen Harrier was noted on the 24th at Balgonie Castle with two Marsh Harriers at Newburgh and a Red-necked Grebe reported from Edenside. Seven Slavonian Grebes and a Black-necked Grebe were off Lower Largo on the 25th with three Black-throated Divers and a Red-necked Grebe off Leven. A diver first spotted on the 23rd from the east car park at Leven was confirmed as a Pacific Diver, a potential first for the county. Also at Leven on the 26th were two Black-necked Grebes, 10 Red-necked Grebes, three Black-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver. Further east at Lower Largo a Black Redstart was seen and eight Bearded Tits were seen on Mugdrum Island at Newburgh. The Red Kite was again seen in the Burnturk area on the 26th with the Pacific Diver and Black Redstart still at Leven and Lower Largo respectively on the 27th. A Black Guillemot was offshore at Fife Ness on the 28th when the drake Smew was still at Cameron Reservoir and an adult Little Gull was at Kilconquhar Loch. Another Little Gull was noted off Leven while watching the Pacific Diver there and the Black Redstart was performing well at Lower Largo.
The Pacific Diver was showing well despite blustery conditions on the 29th and a Hooded Crow appeared at Boarhills moving between the beach and a ploughed field. The female Ring-necked Duck continued its stay at Birnie Loch as did the drake Smew at Cameron Reservoir. The Pacific Diver, Black Redstart and drake Smew were all seen at the same locations on the 30th and a Velvet Scoter was noted with the latter at Cameron Reservoir.
Information supplied courtesy of Malcolm Ware