October 30th

A circuit around Balcomie Beach, the Patch at Fife Ness and Kilminning only turned up one summer migrant today – a chiff-chaff. And it could easily be a wintering bird. Autumn migration is perhaps really over for the year. Everything seemed fairly wintry. My first fieldfare of the winter, pink-footed geese flocks passing, golden plover roosting on Balcomie Beach, a flock of siskin and overhead, passing Fife Ness, a snow bunting. The only local bird news today was of snow buntings passing through Fife so there must have been a relatively major movement. I’m always glad to see one – usually they are just late autumn or early spring passage birds and you have to get lucky. They are more reliable at Tentsmuir and Out Head, spending the winter on the bleak, windswept dunes that resemble the high tops where they breed. Snow buntings are tough birds of tough environments and I can hardly think of seeing one without feeling cold. Today’s bird was no. 159 for the year list. I still have barn owl in hand so my target of 160 this year is pretty much guaranteed with just a little a bit of evening tramping behind Barnsmuir in December.

Snow bunting – no. 159 for the Crail year list