Autumn and  Second Winter 2022 part 3

October fall -Crail/Kilminning Area. 

Although I have been extolling the virtues of patch birding in W Fife, a classic forecast for an arrival of drift migrants was too tempting and the 21st October saw me head up to Kilminning/Fife Ness area. 

It was a very enjoyable day was had too, topped by a Red-flanked Bluetail: 

A good selection of back up birds were Barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Ring Ouzel, eastern type Lesser Whitethroat and a late pale Willow Warbler. 

October 23rd saw me head back to the area for Jared Wilsons latest discovery-an Amur (Stejnegers) Stonechat near Crail. Following a split from Siberian Stonechat maurus this is a tough ID but there has been recent DNA confirmation from a poo sample collected from the bird. 

Late Nov/December-a strong end to the year in West Fife. 

27th November-presumed Pallid Swift Ferry Hills. 

Late October had seen an unprecedented influx of Pallid Swifts into the UK and many reached Scotland. Try as I might, I couldn't get one on the patch. I had written off the idea of seeing one as I made my way up the hill  on 27th November for what was likely to be my last visit of autumn migration season 2022. I was setting up in the half light when I looked up to see a swift flying low over my head! It was so close but silhouetted against the skyline due to the lighting conditions, I got the bins onto it and a had a decent view of it flying away. If it had been fully daylight the plumage tones would have been obvious at this range but unfortunately this wasn't the case. However, the relaxed flight style with longer glides between bursts of wing beats and subtle differences in shape to Common Swift (bulkier body, larger head) were noted. It wouldn't be enough to get it past BBRC but its going on my list. 

3rd December -12th December-Cetti's Warbler St Margaret's Marsh. 

12 years ago when I was still on the Isle of Wight Cettis Warbler was a familiar species at many of my birding haunts and could be described as locally common. Not so in Scotland where it is still a real rarity. 2021 saw a mini influx into Scotland with first records for several counties including Fife where the bird was only recorded by the finder. 

St Margaret's Marsh is another of those W Fife sites that doesn't receive much attention but always looked good habitat for Cetti's to me, comprised of scrubby reed beds. On 3rd December I went there with the intention of looking for Cetti's but how often do you get lucky when you target a species-not often in my experience. Making my way towards the NW corner of the marsh I was stopped in my tracks by what I was certain was a Cetti's call! Not the song but the short sharp 'pik' call. 

Thinking it might be wishful thinking , I needed to hear it again and I also started recording video on my camera to hopefully record the call. After a bit of silence I have to admit to playing a couple of bursts of song on my mobile phone to elicit a response. Very soon after I got a response -more pik calls and then an explosive rattle alarm call. At this point the bird also perched fleetingly in the open at close range leaving me in no doubt I had Fifes 2nd Cetti's. 

A recording of calls from my encounter on the first date here 

The bird was heavily twitched by keen Fife listers over the next few days and remained until 12th December when a severe cold snap with overnight temps of -8 in the Central Belt became established. 

Lesser Scaup 13th December into 2023? 

My last discovery of the year was probably my rarest; 1st winter drake Lesser Scaup moving between Kinghorn Loch and Beveridge Park Pond, Kirkcaldy. Although in a purely Scottish context, Cetti's is rarer! I went to Kinghorn Loch on 13th Dec looking for  a drake Ring-necked Duck. After getting distant views of this bird I turned my attention to a large cold weather influx of tufted duck and began scanning through them for anything else. A blotchy sliver and brown back stood out from the crowd and indicated a 1st W drake scaup type. 

Caution was obviously required with this subtle ID and a hybrid Aythya  duck needed to be ruled out. The head shape looked good from the start and eventually bill pattern and clinching wing pattern were all noted. This was only the second for Fife, the first was only seen by a couple of people so I was popular with Fife listers for the second time in 2 weeks! 

The bird showed at very close range at times, for me my closest views were about 40m away on Christmas Eve. 

This and the photo below taken on Christmas Eve when the bird showed at close range for me. Others managed a full open wing shot to confirm the wing pattern, but even with this partially open wing you can see the pattern of white secondaries contrasting sharply with grey primaries. The stretching posture also shows off the head shape really well with a distinct peak to the rear crown.  

Even on my initial, distant views of the bird asleep on 13th December the head shape was apparent and probably easier to assess than on an active, diving bird.