Strange May weather when the best birding option seems to be scoters. The Black Scoter eventually showed okay at Kirkcaldy alongside two White-winged, a Surf, 300 Common & 4 Velvet. Half an hour at Innerleven produced two more White-winged Scoter. Another 5 scoter sp day #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

Fife Ness this evening felt more like November than May in a strong and chilly northerly wind. Two Arctic Skua south and a Minke(?) Whale a long way offshore #birdingFife

Nothing to see here, just 22,400 Sabine's Gulls in one flock... 🤯🇨🇦😍 ebird.org/checklist/S3...

Lots of passage Harrier action a couple of evenings ago in Piemonte, Italy, with three Montague’s and a couple of Marsh hunting away once the rain cleared. I’ve yet to see an adult Harrier on this trip, perhaps they are already at breeding sites.

Most confused when a ‘subalpine’ warbler started calling from the bush I was watching a Moltoni’s Warbler calling in. Problem solved when an Eastern Subalpine Warbler appeared and starting singing away. Noticeable Honey Buzzard and Beeeater passage today in Piemonte

Been keeping my eye open for passage Lesser Kestrel in this part of southern Piemonte, Italy. Bird 1 of two females together this morning

My first Honey Buzzards off the Piemonte, Italy, trip and lots of Alpine Swifts about (presumably avoiding the rain in the not too distant Alps)

This morning was (mostly) about Rollers

A rare trip out of Fife (a train trip all the way to northern Italy)

So nice having Common Whitethroats back on territories #birdingFife

He spent a long time just blowing bubbles. ❤️ #walrus #Findochty

Frustratingly brief glimpse through trees of a Hobby prompted a dash to a better viewpoint, at which point it landed on the Crail airfield runway, wandered about for a couple of mins & flew off north. Hobby is less than annual for me in Fife (and still a local description species) #birdingFife

Spotted Flycatcher (1st of year for me) and one of several territorial Yellowhammer at Lower Kilminning this afternoon #birdingFife

The new Hotspots Descriptions on eBird is going to be a really useful resource for birders visiting birding spots they’re not familiar with. Similar approach as Wikipedia, with community-based contributions of suggested text #birdingFife share.google/mDmINs0KNoGO...

A decent arrival of 30+ Willow Warbler around Fife Ness this morning (in the haar), plus 6 Whitethroat & 2 Sedge W newly back on territory. Highlight was a female Common Redstart at the Patch #birdingFife

Cracking couple of hours this afternoon scanning the Innerleven Scoter flock. Excellent views of the Black Scoter and I ended up with three White-winged Scoter. Numbers of Common and Velvet seem to have dropped off a little, and not sure Surf have been seen for a few days. #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

So my run of Fife Bird Club’s Fife rare bird of the year award ends. After Fea’s-type Petrel, Stejneger’s Stonechat, Stejneger’s Scoter and Spotted Sandpiper, the 2025 Bridled Tern has been pipped to the post (I assume by the Iberian Chiffchaff- or perhaps Black Scoter) #EndOfAnEra #PastHisPrime 🌅

Another (the same) Sooty Shearwater north past Fife Ness this morning plus 7 Manx and my first Arctic Tern of the year #birdingFife

Stejneger’s Scoter East Wemyss this morning (viewed from Buckhaven but closer to East Wemyss) with c.15 Velvet Scoter #birdingFife #ratebirdsUK

Recommend Innerleven at the mo for the Scoter-fest (just go on a calm-ish afternoon and soon before they head off). A great afternoon scanning hundreds of Common and Velvet close inshore for 4 Surf and a White-winged Scoter. No sign of the Stejneger’s #birdingFife

An unexpected addition to my Fife Ness seawatching list this pm. I’ve only ever seen a handful of Hooded Crows in the East Neuk, all in late winter/early spring #birdingFife

There are worse views from your desk than Scott’s Antarctic expedition ship Discovery

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026... I’ve some ‘great’ memories of Scillonian trips to Scilly, being rolled about and trying to keep my breakfast down. Oh the relief of reaching the calm of the Scilly shallows

My first spring Fife Ness Sooty Shearwater this pm. It spending 20 minutes zipping back and forth over the same patch of sea before heading north #birdingFife

Caiplie Caves looking grand this morning. 124 Whooper Swan and a Sand Martin north #birdingFife

Sequence of a Female Leucistic Hen Harrier successfully hunting on The Isle of Man, 2026 🇮🇲

Okay, who nicked spring?#birdingFife

Stejneger’s Scoter back at East Wemyss (‘though light a bit pants at the mo) and White-winged Scoter still at Innerleven #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

Here's a side-by-side of some of the specimens (IDs and dates in alt-text). We can make things better when we try.

The male Stejneger’s Scoter showing reasonably well from the sea wall by East Fife Football Stadium, Methill #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK maps.app.goo.gl/4bZ5ant6pvXq...

By far the best views (closest and great light) I’ve had of the East Wemyss Scoter and the bill looks fine for Stejneger’s. Incredible how different the bill looks at distance /in crappy light #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

Velvet x Stejneger’s Scoter again at Buckhaven #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

Nice to see the Bridled Tern write-up in the new issue of Scottish Birds @scottishbirding.bsky.social #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

So THE SALT ORACLE is a finalist for the BSFA awards! And my amazing designer, Sam Gretton is a finalist for the cover too! 🙌🏽 Truly delighted for Sam & very, very grateful to everyone who voted for my strange, briny why-pick-one-genre-when-you-can-pick-four book 🤗 @solarisbooks.bsky.social 🖤

A sad end for another White-billed Diver, this one at the Eden Estuary #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

The Stejneger’s x Velvet Scoter-thing @ Buckhaven this morning. Remarkably tricky (distant) getting actual bill pattern and colouration- yellowish towards tip grading to some reddish tones towards the nostrils today’s best guess, pattern still not fitting Stej #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

Does anyone have or is anyone aware of any photos or sightings of juvenile/ 2nd calendar year White-billed Divers during Jan-Feb 2026 from E Scotland or NE England? #birdingScotland #NEbirding #rarebirdsUK

So I reviewed the frequency of locally scarce species in Fife and applied a standard set of criteria to update the Fife local description species list. #birdingFife #birdingUK #rarebirdsUK

Fife Ness getting in on the White-billed Diver action this weekend. Nice to appear in a photo with one! (photo courtesy of Will Cresswell) #birdingFife

19 European White-fronted Geese at Cameron Reservoir this morning was a 90 minutes of scanning the 2000+ Pinkies well spent #birdingFife

The hybrid Velvet x Stejneger’s/ White-winged Scoter still in bay between East Wemyss and Buckhaven. Quite distant but good diffuse light and pale areas of bill still appear to be yellow #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

A distinctly clawless Little Egret at Cameron Reservoir at the weekend #birdingFife

A pleasant mid-afternoon break in the sunshine to see the Common Crane that was found just outside St Andrews by the Uni Bird Club #birdingFife

ad White-billed Diver (in heavy wing moult) of Leven beach #birdingFife

The hybrid Stejneger’s x Velvet Scoter still at East Wemyss #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

male White-winged Scoter 1km east of Lower Largo, one of the White-billed Diver too #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

White-billed Diver very close in at Lower Largo, drifting east from Temple carpark #birdingFife

male White-winged Scoter at Leven, in scoter flock just to east of caravans #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

Great to hear Will Cresswell here talking about Corn Buntings and some of the insights he’s gained from the work he’s been doing in the East Neuk #birdingFife www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

3 Little Auk east at Pittenweem in ongoing easterly blow, 2 Scaup at Kilconquhar Loch which also produced year tick Gadwall and Kingfisher. Exciting times #birdingFife