Fife...... Siberian Thrush......

2 Oct - My Munro-linked foray north to Scotland, for Glen Etive, coincided with easterly winds and an arrival of vagrants - including an almost-mythical Siberian Thrush. So on arrival in Scotland I headed for Kilminning on the Fife coast, where this skulking bird was being seen (very occasionally) in the extensive scrub. Zoothera Thrushes are notoriously secretive, and Siberian is no exception. I soent the remainder of the day scanning the scrub to no avail, compensation being an assortment of other migrants including Common Rosefinch, Yellow-browed Warbler, Hawfinch and Brambling. Would the bird stay until I could try again? 4 Oct - After a days Munroing I returned east across Scotland to Kilminning. The Siberian Thrush was reported still present, and was being seen best in the early mornings, it was presumably spending a lot of time feeding on the ground.After several more hours, the bird flew up and perched in a low bush, unfortunately partly obscured from my angle but I had an excellent view of the bird in flight, showing the diagnostic striking black and white underwing. I also saw it later perched higher up showing the wing bars. It was loosely associating with a party of Redwings. This bird, being on the mainland, attracted a large number of admirers, vagrant Siberian birds being particularly sought after in the UK. I would have preferred better and more prolonged views, but was relieved to have finally set eyes on it after a lot of waiting. Interestingly, parties of Barnacle Geese were also arriving in off the North Sea presumably heading for their wintering grounds in south-west Scotland.