The first three House Martins were seen over the Harbour in Crail (1st), c65 Sandwich Terns and a White Wagtail were at Kingsbarns, five Whimbrels were in a field at Cameron Reservoir and at Balbeggie Pond, at least one Common Redpoll was in a flock of c60 Lesser Redpolls on the SW side of the pond, also two Sedge Warblers, one Whitethroat and a House Martin were seen there. A Short-eared Owl passed over Crail GC, with four Arctic Terns, seven Whimbrels and a Red-throated Diver noted passing Fife Ness. At Boghall Farm, Kingsbarns, 35 Twite, c10 White Wagtails, c2 Wheatears and nine Whimbrels were noted, two Cuckoos were seen in the Lomond Hills (2nd), an Osprey was at Lochore Meadows CP and at Boghall Farm, Kingsbarns a Yellow Wagtail, c50 Twite, six White Wagtails and c35 Corn Buntings were present, back up at the Lomond Hills, a Cuckoo, c5 Wheatears, one Osprey and a male Redstart were seen around Holl Reservoir, at Seafield a Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling and was also seen, with a Lesser Whitethroat also heard singing c250m south of the Tower by the main path. Noted at Outh Muir were a Cuckoo and a pair of Wheatears and counted from the Eden Estuary LNR were four Greenshanks, 10 Whimbrels and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, another Grasshopper Warbler was seen at Kilmany (3rd), while a Short-eared Owl was watched passing over Ruddons Point. In Largo Bay a count produced 36 Red-throated Divers, four Black-throated Divers, c150 Common Scoters with a pair of Tufted Ducks amongst them, also six Whimbrels and 25 Sandwich Terns passing east, the Lesser Whitethroat was still present at Seafield as were three Whimbrels, a 1st winter Glaucous Gull was noted in a field near Outh Muir and seen at Boghall Farm, Kingsbarns were seven White Wagtails, eight Twite and two Wheatears. A Raven, a scarce bird in the east of the county was seen at Kippo, one Woodcock, three Siskins, one Wheatear and a Whimbrel were at Kilminning (4th), an Osprey was watched at Lindores Loch and two Arctic Skuas seen off Out Head were unusual and noted at Loch Gelly were one Common Sandpiper, one Garden Warbler and a female type Marsh Harrier. A Garden Warbler was seen at Kilmany, three Whimbrels passed north over Letham Pools (5th) and seen from Guardbridge were a pair of Pintail, a female Scaup, two Brent Geese, six Whimbrels, 83 Curlews, two Black-tailed Godwits and an Osprey. At Troustie, near Crail, two Greenshanks were noted and a Cuckoo was heard calling on West Lomond, noted at Cameron Reservoir (6th) were one Whooper Swan, two Common Sandpipers and a Grasshopper Warbler, another Cuckoo was heard, this time on Wormit Hill and the first Sedge Warbler of the year at Cullaloe LNR was heard, an Osprey was watched circling high over Anstruther. A Wheatear was seen at Parkneuk with a Cuckoo also calling there, counted off Lower Largo were four Great Northern Divers, 42 Red-throated Divers, 57 Velvet Scoters and 97 Common Scoters, three Pale-bellied Brent Geese.
18 Whimbrels, three Common Sandpipers and a Greenshank were seen from the Eden Estuary Centre (8th) and one Wood Sandpiper and a Dunlin were at The Wilderness. A Cuckoo was seen from the old railway track near Crail (9th) and noted at Seafield were a Barnacle Goose seen heading over the Forth, with six Whitethroats, six Sedge Warblers, three Chiffchaffs and the singing Lesser Whitethroat also noted. Two Grasshopper Warblers were by the Stinky Pool at Fife Ness and seen at Out Head were a Wheatear, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Whimbrel and seven Long-tailed Ducks, The first Swift at Formonthills, Glenrothes was seen (10th) and there was a terrific find of a 2nd calendar year Caspian Gull by the river mouth at Leven, two Little Terns were flushed from the beach at Pathhead in the early morning and a drake Garganey was a good find at Letham Pools, one Osprey, four Garden Warblers, six Whitethroats, four Sedge Warblers, five Willow Warblers and three Chiffchaffs were counted at Lindores Loch and two Manx Shearwaters were seen off Anstruther. At The Wilderness a Great White Egret was a good find, but was unfortunately flushed a while later by a photographer, a Black Guillemot off Ruddons Point was a good find also. Continuing the good run of scarce birds were eight Dotterels seen just outside Pittenweem and they were still present the next day. A Whimbrel and a Cuckoo at the east end of Loch Gelly (11th), a male Whinchat, two Grasshopper Warblers and two Wheatears were at Kilminning and at Pittenweem Pool, two Whimbrels, four Whitethroats and two Sedge Warblers were seen. A pair of Whinchats, one Whitethroat and seven Linnets were seen in Glen Vale and a drake Green-winged Teal was yet another good find, this time at Letham Pools. A Spotted Flycatcher was watched in mature trees at the Stables car park, Falkland (13th) and watched at Kilminning were a Hobby passing north, one Wood Warbler, one Spotted Flycatcher and a Grasshopper Warbler. A Garden Warbler, a Grasshopper Warbler and a male Wheatear were seen at Cullaloe LNR, a Lesser Whitethroat was at Balcomie (14th), with one still present at Seafield, noted at Loch Gelly were a Whimbrel, two Ringed Plovers, 25 Goldeneye and three Gadwall.
A Hobby was seen at Kinghorn Loch and three Avocets flew north past Fife Ness (16th). At Anstruther a 2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull passed north, a Reed Warbler was at The Wilderness and noted at Glen Vale (17th) were four Ravens, two Whinchats, two Stonechats and a Cuckoo. A Spoonbill was another good find, seen from the Eden Estuary Centre and found at Luthrie were two Wood Sandpipers, two Lesser Whitethroats, were at Seafield (20th) one at the car park (bottom end) and one in a thorn bush on a rise, just south of the tower. A Red-throated Diver was a highly unusual visitor to Otterston Loch (21st) and with winds and rain coming in from the NE, a male Red-backed Shrike was found at Kilminning. Over near Saline a 2nd calendar year Iceland Gull was seen near Deanhead Farm. Two Icterine Warblers, a Red-backed Shrike, one Redstart, two Lesser Whitethroats, four Spotted Flycatchers, five Garden Warblers and c5 Willow Warblers were all seen around the Kilminning area (22nd) and the Spoonbill was still present on the Eden Estuary LNR, with at least one Whimbrel and a pair of Goosanders also noted. A Great Northern Diver, three Red-throated Divers, 33 Velvet Scoters and 80 Common Scoters were seen off Ruddons Point and watched passing over Ferry Hills (23rd) were two Arctic Skuas and 29 Kittiwakes. One of the Icterine Warblers was in the same area at Kilminning as yesterday, with a Spotted Flycatcher also noted. An adult, summer plumage Great Northern Diver was off Ruddons Point, with six Red-throated Divers and 25 Velvet Scoters also counted and close by off Leven were 400 Common Scoters. A good scattering of waders at Out Head (24th) included c20 Ringed Plovers, two Sanderlings, two Turnstones and c12 Dunlins and at Drumcarrow Flood there was a stunning male Ruff in breeding plumage, whilst nearby at the Eden Estuary LNR, two Little Egrets, six Little Gulls, all 2nd calendar year birds which came in high from the NE then headed inland and a Whimbrel were seen from the FBC hide. An Icterine Warbler was still present at Kilminning, along sheltered entrance road trees, it was also heard singing. Also present there was a Garden Warbler, with a Spotted Flycatcher noted at the upper end. Two Arctic Skuas, both dark phase adults, were watched flying west, upriver at Tayport. Also a Little Egret was noted there. Two Lesser Whitethroats were still at Seafield (25th), one at the car park and one on the embankment. A lovely male Yellow Wagtail was seen on the track down to the pond at Boarhills (27th) and at Letham Pools (28th), two adult-type Little Gulls were seen, as was a very rare Egyptian Goose, only the 2nd ever in Fife. A Whimbrel, a Water Rail and four Ravens in a family party, were all seen at Cameron Reservoir and it appears that the Great Crested Grebe nests there seem to have been flooded out. The Egyptian Goose was still present at Letham Pools (29th) also one adult Little Gull was still there and a very late Fieldfare was a good find at Kilmany. A Short-eared Owl was watched hunting over the Airfield at Crail and at Kilconquhar Loch a Reed Warbler was singing continuously, but was only seen once in 20 mins. One Little Egret was seen at the Eden Estuary LNR and a pair of Shovelers were seen at Morton Lochs NNR. At Seafield (30th) a Lesser Whitethroat was still present at the car park. Two Cuckoos were heard on Benarty Hill, a Spotted Flycatcher was watched at Little Ballo in the Lomond Hills, with a scarce Wood Warbler seen nearby at Harperleas. A single Little Gull was still present at Letham Pools (31st) and the Reed Warbler could still be heard singing at Kilconquhar Loch, two very late Snow Buntings were seen at Out Head, with 16 Ringed Plovers also noted and five Canada Geese were also seen to pass over. A drake Garganey was seen at Morton Lochs NNR, a very fitting bird for the last report of the month.
Information supplied courtesy of Malcolm Ware