Taiga Beans

Managed a few hours birding this afternoon out at Slamannan to see if I could locate the Taiga Bean Geese. There was no sign in the fields around Luckenburn Farm but further East at Slamannan I located a distant flock of 67 in the fields just North West of the playing fields.

Driving around I managed to get a bit closer and discovered another flock of 92.

Some birds with neck collars

 

Other birds of note were a few Ravens and a small flock of Bramblings feeding in beeches by the main road

From here I headed back down the M80 and walked round Hogganfield Loch. Lots of Swans & Gulls milling around the car park area but very little on the North side of the loch and certainly not the hoped for Ruddy Ducks. Wonder if I'll ever see these beautiful Ducks again ? I was reading recently that they are now virtually wiped out in the UK. Seems such a dreadful waste to me !

Male Goosander

Whooper Swan