June 13th

I was tipped off yesterday about a dead raptor on the verge just as you come out of Crail passing Damside, on the St Andrews road. A tawny owl. Another hardly seen nocturnal animal, like our badgers and otters, showing its presence by traffic sampling. Tawny owls are early breeders so I hope this adult’s chicks are well grown and near independence: I expect it was working hard to feed them when it chased one vole or mouse too many across the road. The remaining adult should be able to do the job if the nights are not too rainy and the hunting is good.

The dead tawny owl – already partly scavenged, probably by a crow

I cycled back along the St Andrews to Anstruther road looking for more corn buntings this afternoon. Suitable fields start right at St Andrews but they are often surrounded by small woods or tree lines which the corn buntings don’t like. The corn buntings start to appear as you start to descend towards Anstruther from Drumrack and the trees around the fields disappear. As I scanned for corn buntings I enjoyed the low flying swifts over the wheat; not just dark silhouettes in the sky, but patterned and featured against the vivid green.

Common swift