Avocet!! Right here on the Skinflats reserve, an avocet!! Amazing! You can probably tell I am a little excited (hence all the exclamation marks) but at the end of last week I got a glimpse of a bird that I have never seen before and certainly did not expect to see right here on the River Forth!

Granted, the sight of an Avocet may be a regular experience if you live in areas such as Morcombe Bay (another fantastic Futurescape by the way) but here on the Forth we very rarely get a glimpse of these wonderful birds. I wanted to take a fantastic picture to put up on the blog but as is always the way, it was a little too far off to get anything more than a black and white smudge. So instead I thought I would use this wonderful picture taken down in Norfolk (credit: David Osborne (rspb-images.com));

Perhaps in the future, we will be lucky enough to have avocets breeding on the Inner Forth but for now, it is likely we will have to make do with these fleeting glimpses.

Talking of the breeding season, it is that time of year again and we are beginning to see the first signs of spring (if we are able to see past the snow drifts that is!). Unfortunately, this means that we are saying goodbye to our winter visitors that make the Inner Forth such a fantastic place for wildlife all year round.

These wintering species, such as knot, only spend half the year in Scotland, heading north to their breeding grounds in the Arctic when spring arrives. It will therefore be another six months before we will be able to enjoy scenes like the one in the picture below (credit: Andy Robinson, RSPB).

What makes this picture even more special is the fact that it was taken right next to the huge oil refinery at Grangemouth. Oil refinery and wildlife? Not two things that readily go together are they? However, that is what makes the Inner Forth special, right next to the towering industry of central Scotland we still have the chance to experience a truly inspiring natural spectacle.

Of course, in a landscape that is shaped by people, wildlife often finds itself under pressure, and it is no different in the Inner Forth. Much of the important inter-tidal habitat has been lost over the years and there will be many more pressure to face in the future. It is therefore vital that charities, industry, land managers, communities and local councils work together to help create a landscape where both wildlife and people can thrive. It is no small task but this is what we are trying to achieve with the Inner Forth Futurescape. 

So if you live or work around the Inner Forth, let me know what amazing encounters you have had with wildlife, or, if you live further afield, tell me about when you have experienced wildlife in place you did not expect (oil refinery anyone?).

Until next time!......