Stranglers & Surfing in Fife

I have been a Stranglers fan almost as long as I have been a birder and another opportunity to see them at the O2 Academy on Saturday 5th March was not to be missed. As the years pass increasingly one feels that their long career must be nearing its end so when they come to Glasgow it is a must see.

I went with Louse, who is now old enough to get into the standing area and we had a good view only yards from the front. I took the wee Samsung camera with me and after two shots up came a message "memory full". I had forgotten to put in the SD card- bugger. I had to resort to the mobile phone & it really is crap. Anyway, some photos just for the memory:

Next morning Iain was at mine for 7:30 am for a days birding in Fife. By 9am we were in Elie and enjoying 16 Pale Bellied Brent Geese feeding on the rocks at low tide:



Pale Bellied Brent Goose - watching for bloody dog walkers





















Pale Bellied Brents - all dog walkers have now buggered off






























Other birds at Elie included 4 Long Tailed Duck and 2 Razorbills.

After Elie we headed round to Ruddons Point in the hope of seeing the Surf Scoter. The gate to the caravan site was locked so we could not sneak in and we were forced to walk to the point. A Yellowhammer showed on the way down. From the point there were reasonable numbers of Scoter but nothing spectacular but both Common & Velvet were however present. We eventually found the Surf Scoter, although it was very distant and in the choppy sea it was difficult to get Iain onto it. I think he did eventually did see it.

2 or 3 Slavonian Grebes were added as well as some Great Crested, but best of all was a single Red Necked Grebe that was not too far out. The usual Long Tailed Duck and Red Breasted Merganser were also well represented. A single Red Throated Diver was present, but disappointingly no other divers, probably all at Turnberry ! We had a look at the Cocklemill Burn and scored with 4 Sanderling.

We stopped at Kilconquhar Loch and had a scan from the church yard. Nothing spectacular, but decent numbers of Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Goldeneye. A Little Grebe trilled from the reeds.

We headed round to Lower Largo and from the lane running down to the shore I spotted the dreaded wind surfer. There were 4 of them in fact, out for a good days bird scaring........bastards ! Not surprisingly we saw very little. 2 Razorbills were close in and a couple of smart Old Squaws...............let's give it it's American name, its far more descriptive than boring old "Long Tailed Duck".

We gave up at Largo and headed back west and stopped at Vane Farm. Being Sunday it was very busy and indeed the observatory windows were steamed up from the cooking in the cafeteria. We made our way down to the hides to scan the loch. 4 Whooper Swan were in the bay, but the best was 4 Brambling below the feeder. Unfortunately, I was attempting to take images through window glass and at an angle and all were really crap, even crapper than I usually do.

You can now walk all the way to Findattie along a cycle path that gives good views of the loch & St Serfs Island. We had several Pink Feet & Grey Lag and we had  a single drake Scaup with the Tufted Ducks & Pochards. At least 2 Buzzard were seen.

I stocked up on black sunflower seed in the shop........20% off..........result.

All in all another good day out. Vane Farm probably deserved longer !