March 2023 Sightings

March began with a Black Guillemot, 8000 Razorbills, 2000 Guillemots and 36 Red-throated Divers passing Fife Ness and 30 Twite at Cocklemill Burn on the 1st . Seawatching at Fife Ness the next day produced a Manx Shearwater and a Great Northern Diver, whilst a Red Kite was at Dunshalt, c20 Twite were at Cocklemill Burn, a large flock of Yellowhammers were on West Sands and the Green Sandpiper remained at Lochore Meadows CP. On the 3rd, two Black Guillemots, one Manx Shearwater, one Great Northern Diver, 52 Red-throated Divers, 5,386 large auks and a Short-eared Owl were at Fife Ness, a Black Redstart was a surprise find at Drumoig, the drake Smew remained at Cameron Reservoir where it was seen displaying to Goldeneye, the Tundra Bean Goose was still at Loch Fitty and a Little Gull and Mediterranean Gull were at Pettycur Sands. The female Ring-necked Duck remained at Angle Park GP on the 4th, the same date that four Black-throated Divers and three Red-necked Grebes were at Lower Largo, 203 Red-breasted Mergansers were at Leven, the Green Sandpiper was still at Lochore Meadows CP, four Red-throated Divers and a Red-necked Grebe were at Kincraig and a European White-fronted Goose was at Loch Fitty. Approximately 14 Bramblings were in the Chaffinch flock at Holl Reservoir on the 5th, with two Green Woodpeckers, a Jay, Dipper and three Ravens also present. On the same date, the European White-fronted Goose remained at Loch Fitty, as did the female Ring-necked Duck at Angle Park GP and the 2nd calendar year Velvet Scoter at Carnbee Reservoir. On the 6th the drake Smew was at Cameron Reservoir, a possible ‘northern’ Bullfinch and two Brambling were in St Andrews, the European White-fronted Goose and 25 Canada Goose were at Loch Fitty. The next day the European White-fronted Goose remained at Loch Fitty and the Green Sandpiper was still at Lochore Meadows CP.

A flock of 53 Purple Sandpipers were in the hide tide roost at Seafield on the 8th, on which date the Black Redstart was seen again near Drumoig. The next day, the European White-fronted Goose was still at Loch Fitty. On the 10th, a Manx Shearwater was at Fife Ness, the drake Smew was still displaying to Goldeneye on Cameron Reservoir, the European White-fronted Goose was again at Loch Fitty and the female Ring-necked Duck was at Angle Park GP, c110 Pintail were in Balgove Bay and c600 Pink-footed Geese were at Cairneyhill. A 3rd calendar year Iceland Gull, a 2nd calendar year Mediterranean Gull and 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at Leven on the 11th, 26 Pintail were at Coble Shore, a Greenland White-fronted Goose was with the Pink-footed Geese near The Wilderness, c50 Twite were near Harperleas Reservoir, the Velvet Scoter was again at Carnbee Reservoir, a Short-eared Owl was near Arncroach, a Greenshank was at Fife Ness and at Cocklemill Burn there were a Jack Snipe and six Twite. The European White-fronted Goose remained at Loch Fitty on the 12th, when two Pintail were at The Wilderness and the Greenland White-fronted Goose was still near The Wilderness. On the 14th, a Little Egret and 48 Curlews were at Rossie Bog and the next day three Black-necked Grebes and two Slavonian Grebes were at Lower Largo, a Red-necked Grebe was at Leven and a female Marsh Harrier was at Mugdrum Island.

The wintering drake Smew remained at Cameron Reservoir on the 16th, with two Snow Buntings at Tentsmuir, the female Ring-necked Duck at Angle Park GP and a Snow Bunting, 16 Brent Geese and a Grey Wagtail were at Out Head the same day. On the 17th, the European White-fronted Goose was still at Loch Fitty, whilst at Lower Largo there were five Red-necked Grebes, two Black-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver, at Ruddon’s Point a Black-necked Grebe, a Red-necked Grebe, 30 Slavonian Grebes and a Great Crested Grebe were seen and nearby at Kincraig there were a Red-necked Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe. Seawatching at Fife Ness on the 18th produced a Manx Shearwater, a Great Northern Diver, a Black-throated Diver, a summer plumage Black Guillemot, 16 Puffins and a Scandinavian (littoralis) Rock Pipit. Nearby, a Chiffchaff was at upper Kilminning. A summer plumage Black Guillemot was also at Lower Largo, as were three Black-throated Divers, three Red-necked Grebes and two Slavonian Grebes. The drake Smew was at Cameron Reservoir, a Red Kite circled the Michael Woods Centre at Glenrothes, the first Swallow of the year was near Otterston Loch and the first Wheatear of the year was at Letham Pools and two Red-throated Divers were at Buckhaven. Continuing signs of spring arriving were evident on the 19th, when two Sand Martins were seen at Leven, as was a Red-necked Grebe, one and three Chiffchaffs were at Kinghorn Loch and East Wemyss respectively and a Black Redstart moved swiftly through a Crail garden. The same day, a Little Egret was at Tayport, a Merlin was at Letham Pools, the drake Smew was at Cameron Reservoir and a Barn Owl was near the Bow of Fife. On the 20th, four Sand Martins, a Chiffchaff, eight Goosanders, 56 Whooper Swans, 62 Greylag Geese, two Pink-footed Geese and three Canada Geese were at Loch Fitty. A pair of Mandarin Ducks must have proved quite a sight in a Ladybank garden on the 21st, with an Osprey north over Ruddons Point and a Whimbrel was at Luthrie, indicating continued spring migration. A White-billed Diver was found at Elie Ness, with two Great Northern Divers, three Black-throated Divers and 15 Red-throated Divers also present. At Preston Island a Chiffchaff, two Shovelers and three Snipe were seen and 20 Whooper Swans headed west over Cellardyke.

On the 22nd, 28 Whooper Swans and a Peregrine were at Letham Pools, whilst the next day five Greenshanks, two Grey Wagtails and six Ringed Plovers were present at Newmills Bay and a Wheatear was at Kilrenny Mill. A winter plumage Black Guillemot passed Fife Ness on the 24th, where there was a steady trickle of Meadow Pipits, a Wheatear, six Jackdaws and two Song Thrushes seen arriving in-off the sea. The same location the following day had five Sandwich Terns and a Short-eared Owl was near the Patch. Also on the 25th, the drake Smew, 10 Whooper Swans, two Sand Martins, six Chiffchaffs, six Lesser Redpolls and two Crossbills were at Cameron Reservoir and single Red Kites were seen at Craigmead and near Cullaloe LNR. The Velvet Scoter was back at Carnbee Reservoir on 26th, while the European White-fronted  Goose remained at Loch Fitty, 72 Whooper Swans flew over Coaltown of Wemyss and Nuthatches were at Falkland and at Fordell. On the 27th, a Red-necked Grebe, two Black-throated Divers, two Slavonian Grebes and 141 Velvet Scoters were at St Andrews, the female Ring-necked Duck and a Sand Martin were at Angle Park GP and the Greenland White-fronted Goose was at Pitlessie  alongside 300 Pink-footed Geese. Five Snow Buntings were at Out Head on the 28th, with a ringtail Hen Harrier near Cameron Reservoir on the same day. On the 29th, an Osprey was seen over Kirkcaldy, a Ring Ouzel was at Lower Kilminning, and the female Ring-necked Duck remained at Angle Park GP. The following day a Swallow and 15 Sand Martins were at Angle Park GP. The month closed with two European White-fronted Geese now at Loch Fitty and Woodcocks at Upper Kilminning, Lower Kilminning and Fife Ness.