June 2024 Sightings

In early June a Quail was heard calling near Spalefield (5th) and this was the first of quite a few reports of this species this month. A Greenshank was an unusual visitor to Luthrie (6th).

A drake Lesser Scaup was a fine find at Loch Gelly (8th), with 31 Pochards, four Goldeneyes, 29 Tufted Ducks and three Whooper Swans also present alongside the Lesser Scaup the next day. Seen in St Andrews Bay (9th) were two Great Northern Divers, five Red-throated Divers, two Velvet Scoters, 85 Common Scoters and one Ringed Plover, 14 Manx Shearwaters N and one Arctic Skua N were seen passing Fife Ness (11th) and a Cuckoo was seen at lower Kilminning. The drake Lesser Scaup was last reported from Loch Gelly on (12th). A Quail was also heard calling at Bonnytown. Seen off Fife Ness (13th) were three Manx Shearwaters, 24 Common Scoters, one Red-throated Diver, one Arctic Skua and six Sandwich Terns, with a summer-plumaged Black Guillemot seen from that site the next day.

An unseasonable adult Whooper Swan was on the mud flats at the Eden Estuary LNR (15th), with the three Whooper Swans still present at Loch Gelly, where a female Mandarin Duck was also present. A scarce Little Tern was seen passing Fife Ness (16th), with 11 Manx Shearwaters and three Arctic Skuas also noted, a Kingfisher was seen in Glenrothes Town Park (17th) and a Barn Owl was heard calling in a Kilmany garden, the first there in a few years. A Quail was heard from the track up to Harperleas Reservoir in the Lomond Hills (18th) and a pair of Cuckoos were watched feeding on caterpillars at Rossie Bog. Another Quail was also heard at Kingsbarns. Passing Fife Ness (20th) were 18 Manx Shearwaters N, 19 Fulmars N, 52 Common Scoters N, 17 Sandwich Terns S, six Red-throated Divers 3N, 3S.

 A Wheatear was an unusual visitor to Kilmany (22nd) for the time of year, single Ospreys were seen from Out Head and Kingsbarns, two Quail were heard in the Boarhills area (23rd) and a Whooper Swan was an out-of-season visitor to Balcomie (24th). A Common Sandpiper was a very welcome visitor to the Kilminning Pond (25th) and a Red Kite drifted over the A91 E of Auchtermuchty and another Quail was heard near Stenhouse Reservoir. A scarce bird this year, a Green Sandpiper was seen near Rossie Bog and seen from Kinghorn were 38 Manx Shearwaters E, c80 Puffins E, seven Gannets E, c60 Common Terns E, 12 Kittiwakes E, four Common Scoters W and four Fulmars E. Two dark morph Arctic Skuas were seen over fields near Boarhills (26th). One Cuckoo was still present at Rossie Bog (27th), a Red Kite drifted NW over Kirkcaldy and seen passing Fife Ness were two Common Scoters N, one Red-throated Diver N, 36 Manx Shearwaters N, 15 Sandwich Terns, c5 Puffins and c6 Swifts. Two, possibly three Quail were heard near Balmonth (29th), with another heard near Anstruther the next day. An out-of-season Long-tailed Duck was off Ruddons Point (30th), with three Velvet Scoters, eight Manx Shearwaters and a Whimbrel also seen. A passage Little Ringed Plover was near Leuchars, nine Common Sandpipers and 20 Black-tailed Godwits were at Guardbridge and finally, seen from Fife Ness were 427 Manx Shearwaters N, one 2nd calendar year Mediterranean Gull W, one 2nd calendar year Little Gull feeding offshore and three Arctic Skuas.