Spent most of the day in the Linlithgow / Bo'ness area, enjoying some remarkably mild and rain-free weather. Best birds were Red breasted Mergansers and Bar tailed Godwits at Kinneil, and the almost ever-present Buzzard (at least 5 in total). Also good was a flock of around 50 Chaffinches at the east end of Linlithgow Loch (searched in vain for Brambling but only found a single Greenfinch). Some that got away were 30 distant passerines swirling over ploughed fields south of Bo-ness. Linnet seems most likely, but Twite is also possible.
Totals for the Linlithgow Loch were as follows: Mute Swan (36 - not including first years), Domestic Greylag Goose (8), Shelduck (1), Mallard (52), Domestic Mallard (2), Goldeneye (3), Tufted Duck (245), Buzzard (2), Cormorant (3), Moorhen (21), Coot (220), Great crested Grebe (11), Little Grebe (15), Great black backed Gull (5), Herring Gull (2), Common Gull (5), Black headed Gull (c215), Woodpigeon (31), Feral Pigeon (6), Blackbird (3), Mistle Thrush (1), Robin (2), Wren (3), Dunnock (1), Jackdaw (1), Magpie (3), Carrion Crow (1), Chaffinch (c50), Greenfinch (1).