The taiga bean goose has a relatively recent yet highly significant history at Slamannan in central Scotland, where it now represents one of Britain’s most important wintering goose populations. Historically, taiga bean geese wintered more widely across Scotland, but numbers declined sharply during the twentieth century as a result of habitat change and broader population decreases across Europe. By the late twentieth century, Scotland’s remaining birds were largely confined to Carron Valley in Stirlingshire, where a peak count of 122 birds was recorded in the winter of 1987–88. During the late 1980s, small numbers began appearing on the nearby Slamannan Plateau, marking the beginning of a major shift in wintering distribution.
Through the early 1990s, the entire Scottish flock gradually relocated from Carron Valley to Slamannan. By this time, annual monitoring programmes had begun, with the flock numbering roughly 130–150 birds, and Slamannan becoming Scotland’s only regular wintering site for the species.
My brother and his wife moved from Glasgow to Croy last year, and I had hoped to fit in a visit to see the flock while we were in Scotland in February, as I had never encountered the species before and the site lies only about fifteen minutes from where he lives. In the end, however, my brother travelled down to the coast to visit us, and an unplanned trip to the Highlands followed before we returned home, meaning we never managed to add the bean geese to our holiday list.
The reported sighting of a taiga bean goose at Isombridge in Shropshire immediately caught Kev’s @kev07713 and my attention, and we soon hatched a plan to go and see it. It’s a superb species to encounter in the UK, and one located just a couple of hours from home was too good an opportunity to miss. We set off along a familiar route towards North Wales - a road well known to us from our annual trips to see grouse - but this time stopped short of the moorland, parking instead along quiet farmland lanes bordered by hedgerows.
A couple of other birders pulled in behind us and joined us scanning the fields, though initially we couldn’t locate any geese. Rather oddly, they soon returned to their car and drove off just as we decided to walk down towards the pools, where the distant sound of calling geese could be heard. A jay flew through as we made our way down.
At the pools we found plenty of Canada geese, constantly on the move, some hopping between pools while others lifted off to feed in surrounding fields, but our target bird was nowhere among them. We headed back to the road to view the area marked by the previous day’s BirdGuides pin, squeezing between a line of trees and a barbed-wire fence to set up our scopes.
After a short while scanning, we picked up three geese feeding several fields away in longer grass. The report had mentioned the taiga bean goose associating with two pink-footed geese, and with two pink-foots clearly visible, these seemed promising. The third bird, however, was partly obscured. When it finally walked into the open, the reality became clear - it was a greylag. Damn.
Now set up, Kev scanned back along the fenceline and picked up a fourth bird, partly obscured and previously overlooked as we had assumed the greylag was our target. Through the scopes it quickly became clear that this was indeed the bird we had come for.
The taiga bean goose is a large goose, slightly bigger and noticeably longer-necked than a pink-footed goose. It shows a strong, elongated profile, with a fairly long neck, gently sloping forehead, and substantial body. The head appears angular rather than rounded, giving the bird an alert, purposeful expression, and it looked tall and upright when standing.
Overall, the plumage was a cold grey brown. The upperparts were dark brown with pale feather fringes that created a scaled appearance, while the underparts appeared paler grey with darker barring along the flanks. The head and neck were darker than the body, giving a subtly hooded look. The bill, one of the key identification features, was long and mostly dark with a broad orange band across the middle. In taiga bean goose this orange band is typically extensive, though variable between individuals, and the bill often looks long and parallel-sided rather than stubby. The legs and feet were bright orange.
The bird had originally been reported as a tundra bean goose, one of many that have visited the UK this winter, but photographs later posted online led to its reidentification as a taiga bean goose.
We spent some time photographing and watching the geese as they fed and rested in the grass below us, gradually working their way to the right and eventually disappearing behind a denser stand of trees. By now the pink-foots had rejoined the taiga, while the greylag had drifted off elsewhere. Once the birds slipped out of view, we took it as our cue to move on.
As we walked back towards the car, who should arrive but Adrian Sparrowhawk and Bryan Manston, our friends from Banbury and Didcot. After sharing the bird’s location with them, we left them to it and headed off to search for a hoopoe that had been reported nearby, somewhere between the farm and the village, though it hadn’t been seen the previous day. Despite a thorough search, we came up empty-handed - the bird has most likely moved on.
Having enjoyed success with the taiga, we discussed our next move and decided on a visit to Ryton Pools. Kev hadn’t seen a ferruginous duck yet this year, and a smew had recently begun to be reported there again, a bird I had missed on my previous visit. We arrived, parked up, and agreed to look for the birds before stopping for lunch at the Visitor Centre.
It’s a relatively short walk from the car park to Paget’s Pool, where both the ferruginous duck and smew are usually reported, and along the way I allowed myself a small hope of encountering a bullfinch - though it wasn’t to be. Instead, we came across a flock of Hebridean sheep grazing quietly in a field beside the path.
The Hebridean sheep is a striking and ancient breed, instantly recognisable by its jet-black fleece and impressive multiple horns, often four in number, which sweep outward and curl elegantly around the head. Small but robust, it has a compact, primitive build well suited to harsh upland and island environments, reflecting its origins in the Hebrides of western Scotland. The coarse, dark wool and alert, narrow-faced expression give the animal a distinctly wild appearance compared with modern farm breeds. Highly hardy and adaptable, Hebridean sheep thrive on rough grazing and are now widely used in conservation projects, where their natural browsing helps maintain species-rich grassland and open landscapes.
We reached Paget's Pool and scanned the water, eventually spotting the ferruginous duck again, though at a considerable distance - first from the viewing platform and later from the track running along the pool’s edge. The bird seemed determined to keep its distance, always staying beside or beyond the tree-covered island that separates this side from the open water. While seeing this bird was the main reason for our visit, we also hoped to find a smew, and it didn’t take long. From the hide, I was joined by a woman who had seen the redhead from the next viewing platform. As I stepped outside to tell Kev, he said that he had just located it diving in the narrows.
At first, we could catch glimpses of the redhead smew through the trees along the water’s edge. By the time we moved to the viewing platform, however, we had uninterrupted views as the bird dived repeatedly in the narrows right in front of us - so close that we could often see her clearly beneath the surface.
A female (redhead) smew is a striking small diving duck, quite distinct from the male. Her overall plumage is a soft grey, with warm reddish-brown on the head fading into a pale, subtle throat. The body is pale grey with slightly darker flanks, and her wings show fine white edging that are more noticeable in flight. Compared to the boldly patterned black-and-white male, the female is understated yet elegant, blending soft earthy tones with subtle contrasts.
She is an adept diver, hunting small fish and invertebrates, and here we watched her successfully bring up both great-crested and smooth newts, a display of her skill and feeding behaviour.
The smew made its way back along the narrows into the larger pool, and we followed. Eventually, we returned to the hide, where we also spotted a buzzard on the far bank, busy with its prey - though what it was eating remained a mystery.
Eventually, we returned to the Visitor Centre and ordered some sandwiches for lunch. While waiting, we were scrolling on our phones when Kev spotted a post from Alan Boddington @alanbodd, noting that the garganey from the day before had been refound on East Marsh Pool. After finishing lunch, we jumped in the car and drove the short seven minutes to Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Brandon Marsh reserve, hoping the bird would stick around this time.
Passing through the Visitor Centre, we bumped into Alan Boddington, who mentioned it had been a surprise to see the garganey again, as everyone had been searching for it the day before but there they were, back on East Marsh Pool. We hurried through the reserve to the John Walton Hide, which overlooks the pool and the reeds where the pair had been active. As we settled in, I realised that beside me was Dennis Woodward @DennisW500, whom we hadn’t seen since Pitsford Reservoir last year when searching for the American golden plover. He mentioned we’d arrived at just the right moment - the pair had cruised into the bay after being out of view for a short while and were now busy feeding together.
Garganey are primarily dabbling ducks, feeding mostly at or near the water’s surface rather than diving. They tip forward in the water, submerging their head and neck while keeping their tail raised, allowing them to reach aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates just below the surface. Their diet includes aquatic insects, larvae, crustaceans, molluscs, and seeds, with insects and small invertebrates being especially important during the breeding season. Garganey can also take small amphibians, such as tadpoles or newts, when foraging in shallow water.
By mid-March, many garganey have formed pairs. A male and female are often seen feeding and moving closely together. At this stage, pair bonds are strong, but they are not yet involved in nest-building. In the UK, most March sightings are migrants passing through on their way north. Pairs may form at stopover sites, feeding together and resting, but they typically continue to breeding grounds further east or north. Reserves such as Brandon Marsh in the Midlands serve as important refuelling and resting sites rather than likely breeding sites.
However, garganey are confirmed as a rare breeding duck in Britain with an estimated 100–120 pairs nesting each year in suitable wetland habitats, including shallow marshes and flooded grasslands in central, southern, and eastern England. Because these birds are secretive and remain within dense vegetation during the breeding season, their numbers are difficult to monitor, and confirmed nests or broods are often hard to document.
The UK’s Rare Breeding Birds Panel includes garganey on its list of regularly reported breeding species, highlighting their status as a rare breeder rather than just a migrant. Nationally, breeding records are most frequent in areas such as the Ouse Washes, Norfolk Broads, Somerset Levels, and parts of eastern England, where extensive shallow wetlands provide ideal conditions.
After feeding for a while, the birds drifted further out into the bay and began preening and washing in the deeper water. The garganey often dipped repeatedly into the water, sometimes quite vigorously, flapping and creating splashes that helped loosen dirt and parasites before preening. The male was particularly energetic, frequently tipping forward and performing partial somersaults, submerging his head and neck while keeping his feet raised skyward - an entertaining display that he repeated at least half a dozen times.
After spending some time watching the garganey pair, we returned to the car and headed home, content with having seen a lifer, Kev finally catching up with the “fudge duck", and connecting with garganey that I’d/we'd missed on previous days. Another great day out.
Year list: 197.
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