29th December with Michael Sinclair.

On Saturday the 29th of December I was dropped of at Michael Sinclair's house where we were about to head of on a days birding adventure. We headed of just before it was bright outside. We decided to start by heading to Strathclyde Loch where a regular returning Ring Billed Gull had been seen. We spent about two hours looking with no luck. No one was able to see it this day. However we had some very nice Common Goldeneye and Goosander which were very close into the banks.

We then decided to give up and we headed over to Musselburgh Seawall where lots had been reported. We started with lots of Goldeneye, Carrion Crow and Curlew in a river flowing into the sea. There was also Black Tailed Godwit, Dunlin and I was able to find some Sanderling in these flocks. On the sea there was incredible numbers of Eider, lots of Goldeneye and some lovely Velvet Scoter close in. We were also fortunate enough to find some Male Long Tailed Ducks which are very nice birds. However we had sadly dipped Surf Scoter, Black Necked Grebe and Slavonian Grebe which had all been seen the day before.

We then decided to try Aberlady Bay because there was meant to be a lovely pair of Shore Lark near the golf course. Sadly we were not able to see these but we had a large mixed flock of Golden Plover and Lapwing. We spent about 30 minutes searching with no rewards so we decided to head to Slamannan where there is regular groups of Taiga Bean Geese. The geese can be in any fields in this large area. Michaels dad was going to show us where he saw them as we are driving I notice a flock of Pink Footed Geese. We get out to check them and have seven lovely Taiga Bean Geese feeding in a field by the side of the road. This was a lifer for Michael and a year tick for me putting me onto 239 for the year.