UKH

Morning all. Superb morning with fantastic sunlight. Skein pink feet first thing, 5 Slavonian grebes, some in full summer plumage, ringed plovers, stonechats, displaying red breasted mergansers. Male smew yesterday.  

His breakfast, after he made aftershave out of it.  He can be a total pain in the backside. 

Be careful. He'll feel a bit flat after that.

A good fishy boy.

It looks like good Springer Skate skank(?).

30 Brent geese, phone scopes photo. 

Pintail wigeon shelduck bar tailed godwits hundreds grey plover. 

If you are interested in a male Bufflehead, there was one* this afternoon on Loch Leven (just east of the hides). * 15 or so birders with scopes can’t be wrong in the IDing can they?!!

Thanks for the heads up. I’m no expert, and I’ve never seen one, but they do tend to stick around. 
Saw a black redstart this afternoon. 

Was a bit far out into the loch for my camera to get focus particularly in the overcast light of today, but a couple of zoomed in photos. Surprising small when seen near it’s relative the Goldeneye.

I wouldn’t have ever noticed it without it being pointed out to me initially. Fortunately many birders were keeping track of it’s movements.

Never even heard of one, American import I presume.

Breeds in North America according to Collins Bird Guide though it says several records in Iceland, Britain and Ireland are regarded as genuine, but not those in Europe which are regarded as escapees. From the birders present it was a first sighting. Would be easy to miss in with the mix of Goldeneyes and Tufted ducks that were in the area.

This one was very actively feeding and seemed to spend more time under the water than above, with often only a few seconds before diving again, which made it hard to observe. In the briefest of sun rays it seemed to have some iridescence on the black of the head and neck. Would make a nicer photo in full sun and close up I reckon.

Re the bufflehead 

Checked on the internet and it was still there, so bobbed over and saw it, thanks for the heads up, might not have noticed the online sightings otherwise (been busy outside whilst the weather was good).  Great scope views, watched it for an hour or so, plus at least one long  tailed duck, pair gooseanders and displaying GC grebes (which no one else noticed until I pointed these things out - folks obsessing over ‘the twitch’.). Cracking little bird. At one point it laid on its back preening - it had amazingly vivid red legs. Really stood out against it’s plumage and the drab light. Bloody cold though !  

Excellent; just luck for me to be wandering along that afternoon in ignorance of it’s presence until I saw so many birders with scopes! This weather is a challenge; I’m hoping for some warmer and drier conditions soon.

When I was there I also watched the GC Grebes displaying and chasing intruders away. Nice to see - three pairs plus a couple of singles creating competition. The grebes are very fast and manoeuvrable when they are being protective which I hadn’t appreciated.

Just back from an East Sands dog walk / purple sandpipers and turnstones and a rock pipit. Two greenshank yesterday - my fav wader. The weather forest is utter dire.  
My dad went for a walk to Pennington flash, less than a mile from his house, and saw loads of birders: black faced bunting !  Drab little thing but people were travelling from all over the uk to see it, think there’s only ever been a few records. 

Hopefully the bunting will still be there when you get back down south.

The helpful birder that pointed out the Bufflehead to me, mentioned he had three times been across to a garden in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, to see a Myrtle Warbler which is also very rare in UK. He was planning another trip this week.

Can’t see myself ever being a twitcher with all that travel. I’m just happy to learn more about the birds locally in Fife meantime, with a few forays into adjacent areas, to try and get photos.

Sounds like you had another great day out despite the dreary weather. It's always rewarding to share sightings of rare birds with others. I'm jealous of your Greenshank sighting - they're a favorite of mine as well.