Beecraigs Country Park

Today Crafty Green Boyfriend and I joined his brother and their mother on a trip to Beecraigs Country Park in West Lothian. This was the first time we had visited this park.

It's a lovely place with a reservoir

 
plenty of woodlands

an Animal Attraction, that includes red deer, cattle and sheep

and wonderful views over to the Firth of Forth and Edinburgh (away in the distance)

There's plenty to see including damselflies that were too speedy to be captured on film and hoverflies, like this Sericomyia silentis

The reservoir was started in 1913 and despite having a sometimes difficult history supplied water to the local area until 1972, since when it has been a fishing reservoir and the centrepiece of the country park.

Several grey wagtails were flying round catching insects near this stony bank of the reservoir, it looked like there were two familes feeding their young, though the birds were too quick to be caught on camera

One of the highlights was seeing goldcrests (the smallest British bird) feeding their young! Hopefully Crafty Green Boyfriend has some photos of those on his camera and I'll be able to share those in the next few days!