38 Canada Geese were seen flying south over Strathkinness and two Grey Partridges were noted at Rathillet (1st). A Cuckoo was singing at Kilmany and a Common Sandpiper was at Braefoot Point while a pair of Grey Wagtails and two juveniles were seen on Auchtermuchty Burn. A pair of Tree Sparrows with two juveniles was also in an Auchtermuchty garden (2nd). At Anstruther 232 Manx Shearwaters, an Iceland Gull, two Tysties and two Black-throated Divers were noted (5th). Five Crossbills passed over St Andrews (6th).
A singing Quail was at Wormiston Farm. A Spotted Flycatcher, a Raven and ten Woodcock ‘fly-bys’, probably of two birds, were all noted at Morton Lochs NNR then Earlshall also hosted a Woodcock as well as two Spotted Flycatchers and an Osprey (8th). In the Crail to Kippo area two Red Kites were seen heading north to Boarhills. At Wilderness a Quail, four Whooper Swans (one colour-ringed) and a Black-tailed Godwit were present and at Collessie a Lesser Whitethroat was singing (9th). A Goosander and two young were seen off Ruddons Point and four Spotted Flycatchers were noted at Linkswood St Fort (10th). A Red Kite was heading north-west over Blairhall and an adult female Honey-buzzard was spied near ‘The Secret Bunker’ flying towards St Andrews. A pair of Canada Geese bred at Drumoig for the first time where there were also 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 90 Herring Gulls. Meanwhile at Edenside two Little Egrets, 50+ Mute Swans, eight Shelducks (including five young), one Common Scoter and an Osprey were reported (11th). A Barn Owl was seen at Culross then Angle Park GP held five Greylags, five Gadwall, c60 Coots with c70 Sand and House Martins active over the water. Two Mute Swans with two small cygnets were at Birnie & Gaddon Lochs LNR where 11 Greylags included two goslings (12th). Three Ospreys frequented Edenside and a day count from the hide at Fife Ness comprised six Storm Petrels, five Bonxies, 24 Common Scoters, one Tystie, 19 Sanderlings, nine Sandwich Terns, 16 Arctic Terns, 97 Manx Shearwaters, two Red-throated Divers and two Velvet Scoters (13th). Away from the coast, Glen Vale hosted five Ravens and a pair of Whinchats (14th).
At Dunfermline’s Duloch Park two Reed Warblers, a singing male and a second foraging bird, were recorded. A Tystie and a single Manx Shearwater were off Dysart Harbour car park. Two Spotted Flycatchers were at Linkswood, 14 Canada Geese (including seven young) and a Pochard were seen at Newton Sandpit and two Mute Swans were with six cygnets at Morton Lochs NNR (15th). A report from Edenside included five Grey Herons, 30+ Mute Swans, 20 Shelducks (including three young) and two Ospreys then an adult Little Gull in full summer plumage was discovered at Letham Pools (19th). A Garden Warbler was in song at Tayfield(20th). A Blackcap and a Whitethroat were noted at Kirkton of Balmerino and a single Whimbrel was at Ravenscraig beach (21st).
Six Black-tailed Godwits, a Whooper Swan, three Common Sandpipers and probably the same adult summer Little Gull were present at Wilderness (23rd) with all of these, except the godwits, lingering the next day when a Red-necked Grebe was at Dalgety Bay (24th). An adult Little Gull was seen over Letham Pools again (26th) then two were present at Wilderness. Two Great Crested Grebes and 14 Mute Swans (including seven cygnets) were at Lindores Loch (28th) before an adult Little Gull, three Black-tailed Godwits, a Common Sandpiper, the Whooper Swan and two Pochard were observed at Wilderness. A Common Sandpiper and three first summer Mediterranean Gulls were found at East Wemyss (will the record be broken again this year?) (30th).
Information supplied courtesy of Malcolm Ware and Graham Sparshott