We started out from Balvicar at 0700 hours and had an uneventful journey to Blairdrummond Safari Park, where we met John Simpson our guide at 0930 hours.  On our way to the Slamannan Plateau we stopped off at the Carse of Stirling to look at a flock of about five hundred Pink-feet Geese. They were distant views, but with our telescopes they were clearly identifiable. In another nearby field was a small flock of about fifty Greylag Geese.  This was obviously Goose country !

We travelled south now on the M80/A80 and then left the motorway at Castlecarry. The area we were to cover was approximately five square miles with the chance of the Bean Geese being in any one of around three hundred and fifty fields. Add this to the fact that Geese are very secretive and this task was going to be very difficult. This area had previously been opencast and had been replanted and restored, although some areas were not as good as others. Our search took us to various prime locations but without success. There was a shooting party in the area which was also a hindrance. A call at the mining village of Slamannan produced Pink-feet and Greylag's again but not the elusive Bean. We eventually took to walking and visited a bridleway leading to Beam Farm a favoured location of the Bean Geese. Still no success, but we did meet the landowner from Beam Farm who expressed the problems he was having with the local planning authority. As this is a specially protected area, restrictions have been placed on applications. However there is a payment scheme to encourage landowners to attract Bean Geese to their land.  Despite not finding the Bean Geese we got a good feel for the area and some of the difficulties in maintaining this very important over-wintering species here in Central Scotland.

Check out BBC article on Bean Geese Protection :-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_4702000/4702798.stm

Lunch was a quick affair at the Castlecarry Hotel before heading north to Argaty. We arrived in good time and took up our place in the observation hide. Argaty Red Kites is situated north of Stirling on Lerrocks Farm, a working farm in the Braes of Doune. It is with the help of the SNH and the RSPB that this facility was made available for enjoying this very special bird. A small amount of food (venison) was put out close to the hide and we waited for the action. Several Red Kites were circling in the sky but all seemed reluctant to come down for the chunks of venison. The first recipient was a Common Buzzard followed by three Magpies.  It took nearly half an hour before the Kites, unable to wait any longer, swooped down for the food. There were approximately seventeen to twenty Kites in the air at any one time. The warden explained that the food was restricted, and to later in the day, so as to prevent the Kites becoming too dependant on this food.

   

This group of re-introduced birds here in Central Scotland is one of three sites in the United Kingdom, the others being Oxford and the Black Isle near Inverness. All these populations have been successful and are growing steadily. This reintroduction into Central Scotland sees the Red Kite back here after one hundred and thirty years. Each bird is fitted with wing tags, the left wing to identify the site e.g. Red for Central Scotland and the right wing tag represents the year e.g. Purple for 2007.

More information can be found on the Argaty Red Kites website :-

http://www.argatyredkites.co.uk/

  

We left Lerrocks Farm at three o'clock and arrived back at Balvicar at six o'clock after several stops to keep awake. It had been a tiring day, but very worthwhile  !

I met Carl Farmer at the Tigh an Truish car park at 08:30 hours to complete a Bird Atlas TTV survey for NM71U.  From here we took one car and parked on the road leading down to Ardencaple. As we reached the bridge and the estuary leading to Loch Caithlim,  several Wigeon could be heard whistling and a group of four Teal were skulking in the background.

After speaking to Carl Bonner the gamekeeper about our route we set off through the black gates on the left just below the lodge and made our way to Ardfad Castle. We climbed the hill at the side of the house and took in the views across to Mull.  We then dropped back down behind the house to see the small lake with two resident Mute Swans.  It was good to see the edges of the lake well endowed with Reed Mace and Soft Rush. It was also good to see the overflow planted with Phragmites, the first I had seen here on the island.

Continuing on we came to a sheltered bay to the north-west of the castle, and enjoyed a few minutes taking in the Little Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Oystercatchers and the total peace and quiet.

All that remains of the castle is a flattened mound with a single tree to one side, but close by are some old cottages which remain in good condition, with glass still in the windows. On inspecting the mortar filled walls surrounding the cottages we discovered Maidenhair Spleenwort, Black Spleenwort, Wall Rue and Hart's Tongue Fern, all new species to be recorded by myself.

We returned keeping close to the house this time, with the lake to our right but never entering the private grounds of the house, which is of course out of bounds.