Velvet Scoter

Buckhaven 14:34

Another trip to the Fife coast, a bit further east today starting off at Ruddons Point. A brisk walk from the car park to try and generate some heat before attempting to find an out of the wind spot for a little sea-watching. Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser, Great Crested Grebe, Goldeneye, Common & Velvet Scoters, Long-tailed Duck and Eider were the highlights, but none of the rarer Divers or Grebes or the Surf Scoter were present. Next onto a disappointing Lower Largo with only Eider and distant Scoters and that chilly wind again.

Onto Buckhaven where the chilly wind started to contain a few drops of rain. A birder I'd met at Lower Largo had seen a Mediterranean Gull here, I didn't and you've got to wonder at the bird's sanity why choose the chilly Fife coast when you should be on the Med? The highlights (apart from getting back into the warm car) were a flock of a dozen Turnstones landing right in front of me and today's photo of a relatively close Velvet Scoter.

Over with Longshanks he's got a far more distant flock of Velvet Scoters from Ruddons Point.