After the all the rough weather a great weekend to be out, a light dusting of snow but generally cold and bright. Also some good winter birding to be had around Fife.
Yesterday the frequent Sat routine of dropping the wife for bead related fun at Leven and then amusing myself on the Fife coast for a few hours. I got my fix of the gulls at Levenmouth car park again and these included 3 Scandinavian Herring. Then off to Kincraig Point with the intention of a seawatch from my usual spot on the cliff. This didn't really happen as I got diverted by a superb mixed Bunting/Finch/Tree Sparrow flock on the stubble during the walk up Kincraig Hill. I had seen a reasonable number of birds here pre christmas but presumably as a consequence of the colder weather, there had been an impressive increase. The main species was Yellowhammer which I estimated at 150, along with 31 Tree Sparrow and smaller number of Linnet, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting amounting to around 300 birds. Also 40 Skylark around the same area. Would have been nice to pull out a Brambling or Snow Bunting but well worth keeping an eye on.

Today. The wind wasn't particularly strong but had turned into the NW, which made me wonder with all the recent winter storm activity if that would be enough to push a few Little Auk into the Forth. I was proved right (for once) with an hours watch at Kinghorn producing 8 Little Auk. Other bits and pieces included an unseasonal Sandwich Tern, single Slav Grebe and L T Duck. Then onto Loch Gelly where I got the hoped for Smew. Only just mind, as some blokes in a canoe were heading across the W end of the Loch as I arrived and put everything up. Fortunately I latched onto a Red Head Smew flying past with other duck, then relocated it distantly on the opposite shore to the SE.
In the afternoon Carina and I had a superb close encounter with a Fem/Juv Merlin on a fence post along the Dunshalt road at Rossie Bog and 25 Whooper Swan in fields near Kettlebridge. After some lunch I sneeked in a look at the gull roost at Angle Park. More Scandi Herring action with 3 birds picked out. Around 300 Herring Gull to sort through here, well worth a return visit to look for a white-winged gull.

Part of the impressive mixed flock at Kincraig Hill; alot of Tree Sparrow in this particular picture but the main species was Yellowhammer

Goosander and a single Goldeneye escaping from canoeists at Loch Gelly.

More Scandinavian Herring Gull, Ad and near Ad above at Levemouth and a presumed Juvenile Argentatus in the Angle Park roost below. Extensive retained Juv plumage lacking moult to first winter.