January 15th

Bullfinch – several at Kippo today

Overnight the temperature climbed five degrees and rain put pay to the remaining snow and ice. Back to normal although still with the after effects of the cold weather. At Carnbee reservoir there was probably about 80 teal, about four times the usual number and the coots were back. Probably because of the smaller pools inland freezing. The stubble fields up there, like Crail, are full of skylarks. On the way I stopped off at Cambo to look for another likely cold weather movement – John saw a kingfisher at the burn mouth on Friday. No sign of it today but it was low tide and if it was still using the rocky shore then it had a huge area of pools and inlets to choose from.

I walked through Kippo Wood at lunchtime. A surprising number of bullfinches calling softly wherever I went in the wood, and a pair hanging out with a flock of about 15 redpolls (lesser – the UK subspecies/species depending on your preference) in the top of a birch. I suppose Kippo is an obvious place for redpolls, even for breeding, so this may be a regular thing. The redpolls plus the coots takes the Crail Year List up to 95.