May 17th

I cycled 41 km mapping corn buntings today. We are now up to 207 territories after 17 days. It was windy today and detectability wasn’t great, but little by little the territories get mapped. Many birds haven’t committed to a territory yet, although I had my first female nest building today. She popped up out of some vegetation beside a fence with a big beakful of dried grass, dropping it immediately when she saw me watching. Some birds are very cautious or this one might not have got going yet. Travelling so far through farmland it was perhaps not surprising I came across a quail – singing near Dunino. And also a raven. A carrion crow flew up to mob it and escort out of the area, looking small next to the buzzard sized raven.

My first visibly nest building corn bunting – it has dropped its load of nesting material because I’m watching it, although still has some grass stuck in its bill. This territory 197 on Kippo Farm. It’s not the first nest – I think one or two have already been completed at Bowhouse and Kingsbarns

And then a nice end to the busy day – the weather finally delivered. There were at least four red-backed shrikes around Balcomie this evening, with a new bird being found about every half an hour. There was another found at Boarhills, suggesting that all along the East Neuk coast there are tens of red-backed shrikes right now. It’s a nice evening so some might not stay around, but even if half leave, there are a lot of shrikes to be found tomorrow. I cycled out last thing to connect with one around Balcomie cottages. A really handsome male, glowing in the evening sunshine.

The male red-backed shrike at Balcomie cottages this evening