Exploring

Decided to have an explore of Skinflats Lagoons. A couple of Snow Geese among the Pink-foot flock for interest, but really it was an area I'd attempted to find before and failed, so it was more about the explore than anything else. Mind you if I'm heading down that way anyway, might as well pop in and see the Taiga Bean Geese at Slamannan, they weren't in their usual field by Luckenburn Farm, but when I pulled into the playing field at Slamannan, there was another birder there and there were the geese in the distance in the fields up by Jawcraig. The other birder actually turned out to be the guy who monitors this flock and runs the Scotlands Bean Geese Website.

Heading on, as I was told that due to the contours of the land there were actually no closer views to be obtained, I ended up beside a field with an impressive collection of birds. Redwings, Fieldfares, Starlings, Chaffinches and Linnet, all in good numbers, all relatively close. RCB blipped a Redwing, while my photo of the day is the other "Winter Thrush", a Fieldfare.

Now for Skinflats Lagoons and it was a case of reliving the nightmare of not finding it again. How come I managed to drive round Grangemouth and end up back where I started after quarter of an hour? My excuse is the road I wanted was closed and first time round I hadn't realised that. Second time round following the diversion signs at last brought me to Skinflats and excellent views of the large Pink-foot flock. I spied another birder at the far side of the flock and he obviously spied me as he headed quickly in my direction. Classic birding mentality. The other birder is always watching the bird you're looking for. Unfortunately I had to disappoint him, no sign of the Snow Geese for me either. However he was a local and able to tell me about the paths around the area.

Unfortunately the best path to the lagoons passed very close to the Pink-foot flock, so a more circuitous route was required. A large mixed flock of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings was the highlight of the walk to the Lagoons. The main lagoon held loads of gulls and not a lot else. The second lagoon though was more interesting, plenty of mud on view being explored by Shelduck, Redshank & Black-tailed Godwit. I finished my walk up the path close to the Pink-feet, treading carefully I only disturbed the few birds that were very close to the path, the remainder of the flock seemed quite happy with my presence, but a complete lack of any presence of Snow Geese. Still a successful explore, at last I now know where Skinflats Lagoons are.