Yesterday...
Another Saturday, another beading class for the missus at Leven and another three hours for me to use on that part of the Fife Coast. Not that I'm complaining; the stretch between Ruddons Point and Kincraig Point is one of my favourites on the Fife coast, certainly in terms of scenic value. It's also a good area for winter birding.
Bright and sunny but with a rather fresh wind tending towards the NW. I thought with that wind on a seawatch from Kincraig Point was worth a punt for some Little Auks or late Pom Skuas. No such luck but a few bits of interest with a Great Northern Diver and 4 Whooper Swans heading SW. Also interesting was a Common Snipe apparently on the move; picked up low over the water before heading high inland to the NE.
The walk up to coast around the farmland on Kincraig Hill found a nice mixed flock with Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Reed Bunt, House Sparrow and best of all, Tree Sparrow, 25 of these very smart looking birds. It was encouraging to see that although from a distance the fields on the hill appeared barren and ploughed, a closer look revealed that the farmer had left strips of stubble around the perimeter.