Autumn 2023 Part 1

The  great run of honey-buzzards mentioned in a previous post was just one highlight in an exciting autumn for migration in Fife. 

Regular easterly winds in  August, September and October produced good numbers of seabirds in the Forth. The obvious highlight was the immature Brown Booby which I caught up with at Kinghorn on 5th September, also pretty sure I saw this bird feeding distantly from Carlingnose Point on 14th. Probably should have had the courage of my convictions as it was then seen off the Lothian side at Hound Point and Crammond Island where it afforded some very close views. 

A excellent supporting cast included a Juv Sabs Gull off Kinghorn on 15th September, part of a mini-influx into the Forth at that time, and a strong showing of Long-tailed Skuas. I ended up with a personal best annual total for Long-tailed Skuas of 14, starting with an adult mentioned in a previous post heading north at Fife Ness. The best encounter involved two Juvs in less than typical circumstances',  circling overhead at Ferry Hills calling to each other on 26th August before heading off inland. 

Then came Storm Babet in October with storm force easterlies driving unprecedented numbers of petrels and Grey Phalaropes into the Forth. I somehow managed to miss Leach's during this influx but enjoyed some close views of feeding Storm Petrels including c16 off Hawkcraig Point, Aberdour on 21st October. I also enjoyed close views of a Grey Phalarope feeding in the surf at Port Laing near Carlingnose Point on 20th. 

Grey Phalarope was a long overdue Fife tick for me. Up until recent years this has been a rare bird in Fife but an increase in sea watching coverage at Fife Ness has revealed that there are quite a few phalaropes out in the North Sea at times. This started with an unprecedented influx during Nov 2021 when a run of Northerly winds produced  almost daily sightings including an amazing flock of 28! However I live a long way from Fife Ness in W Fife and this species has very rarely made it that far up the Forth.