I wasn't expecting to any birding this weekend. The football club presentation evening went to plan on Friday evening with England's No 1 goalkeeper, Rachel Brown, handing out the prizes for us. I hadn't slept well but Saturday morning we headed up to Glasgow for a brief visit to Bernie's sister.
As they caught up, Graham and I went out to the Clyde at Gourock for a walk - the weather was kind and the showers only fleeting. Nothing much to see so we watched the local Herring Gulls plunge diving rather successfully for whelks. There were a few drake Eiders around, no doubt their mates sitting tightly tucked away in the vegetation.
We had not been back for long when my text alert went off - OMG - Collared Flycatcher in Fife. Well it's just over one and a half hours driving if the roads are clear and as it hould be light until late, I decided to twitch it. At 7:30, I pulled up in Crail with the rain just about abating and made my way into Denburn Wood. I noticed a birder searching an overgrown area and decided to go that way - probably not the best plan as the bird was seen way above my head as we searched!
An anxious 3/4 hour followed - a Chiffchaff and numerous thrushes were making a right old din but there was no sign of he bird which had only been seen fleetingly by most of those assembled (which were less than ten!). I wandered towards the open area near the road and caught glimpse of something in the trees; I got my bins onto it straight away - got it! "It's here" I called and thankfully everyone got some better views, still high up in the trees and often obscured but no sooner had it appeared, it went again. I'm glad to say I found it again 20 minutes later - still couldn't see its rump but the broad white collar and vast areas of white on the wings were clear.
Though the views were brief, it was a lovely bird!
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