First birding of the year in Fife today with a visit to the Ruddons Point area.

The sea  was a bit choppy so I didn't spend too much time looking at it although the main flock of Eider was fairly close so I scrutinised these in case the fem King Eider had returned but no sign. This wasn't a major surprise as I'm not aware of any reports of it this winter.
I concentrated on searching the shoreline and the saltmarsh around the Cocklemill Burn for winter rarities like Shorelark and Water Pipit. The mouth of the Cocklemill Burn looks one of the best places to get a Water Pipit in Fife and there were good numbers of Rock Pipits present on the rising tide (20 or more). Two Jack Snipe were put up at this traditional wintering site. Also as I was driving down the approach road to the Site at first light two Woodcock were giving  good views, illuminated by the car headlights as they fed on the verge.
Nearby at Kilconquhar Loch a really good looking adult Scandi Herring Gull was present.

Woodcock feeding on verge illuminated by my car headlights. I've come across this species like this quite often in the last few months, mainly when I've been working on the west coast of Scotland driving in and out of forestry areas at dawn and dusk. Large numbers of Woodcock gravitate towards the slightly milder west side of Scotland in winter including breeding populations from elsewhere in Scotland and Scandinavian migrants. 

A really good example of an adult Scandi Herring Gull; Massive amount of white in outer primaries, dark mantle, dark hood with streaking dense around the eye, long pale bill with dark sub terminal mark.