October 25th
Good numbers of birds on the Eden Estuary including 6 Little Egret, 24 Whooper Swan, 73 Scaup and 15 Greenshank, the Greenshank together (or more accurately view able in a sweep of the scope)  in the high tide roost at Edenside.

Part of a decent sized flock of Scaup. The Forth estuary used to hold nationally important numbers but those days have gone unfortunately. This count of just over 70 is easily the most I've seen together since I've been in Fife.

Ferry Hills Vis Mig

Plenty of migration action on the patch. A little disappointing to miss out on an influx of Pomarine Skuas with 60 being seen off Hound Point (viewable from FH) on Friday afternoon. Sat 27th saw me and a few other expectant birders waiting for the spectacle of Poms flying inland over our heads.....
not one Pom to be seen with 3 Bonxie the only skuas. This is one of the reasons that makes Poms such as desirable species, they are very unpredictable and prone to mass movements in a short time period.
The 27th wasn't without interest though with highlights including 9 Whooper Swan,  4 Waxwing and 70 Brambling. Sunday 28th was an even better day with great variety and there was even a Pom Skua, a Juv circling with a Bonxie and a Juv Arctic Skua. Eventually the Pom and the Arctic few inland together. The 11th Hawfinch of the autumn flew through low to the NW, as did a Waxwing. Further highlights that day were a Black-throated Diver that U-turned over the watch point, yet another strong movement of Brambling with a site record count of 210 and perhaps most surprising was the count of 45 Mallard including a flock of 40. Visible migration can really make you look at seemingly sedentary species in a new light; these birds were moving purposefully west up the Forth like other migrant duck species do, five were in with a Wigeon flock and were followed by the flock of 40. There is a good chance that these birds were somewhere other than Britain, perhaps Iceland or Scandinavia.

A Black-throated Diver over Ferry Hills

A flock of Mallard looking like purposeful migrants.