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Autumn ( Verse 1)
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness John Keats |
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| December 9th: Aberlady and Port Seton Like last week we had the same weather predicted across the whole of Scotland’s Central Belt, but this time it was to be bright sunny weather throughout. I rather fancied going to Aberlady as in recent weeks there had been reports of interesting sightings, such as the Shore Lark at Kilspindie. We drove, then, east to the Lothians where, much to our disappointment, we found the skies were filled with low, grey clouds. Hoping that it would soon clear, we went into Dalkeith Morrisons for breakfast (8.5/10, nice food but slow service). When we emerged the clouds were punctuated by patches of blue so we were fairly optimistic as we completed our journey to Aberlady. Kilspindie We parked on the A198 just before the approach road into Kilspindie Golf Club. On the shore we immediately found a flock of about 30 Wigeon nibbling in the salt marsh. They were fairly close to us, but the light was still pretty dim (see also “Pictures of the Week”, below). We picked our way west along the marshy shoreline. The tide was well out and there were a few patches of birds visible but they were fairly distant. To our great delight the sky cleared pretty quickly to leave the bright conditions we had expected and we got some passable pictures of a few Lapwings that were on the exposed sands. John spotted a solitary Golden Plover near to the Lapwings. We wondered why it had become detached from its flock. Perhaps it was unwell. As we veered north towards the area the Shore Larks had been seen, we passed wrecks of some fishing boats. Apparently there were 8 boats that were sunk there in the period at the end of the 19th to the start of the 20th centuries.
We searched the salt marshes just to the north of the Kilspindie Golf Club car park but sadly the Shore Larks were nowhere to be seen. Another birder told us they had flown off an hour before we arrived (I subsequently learned they had returned soon after we left!). We observed that there were some birds in the channel of the Peffer Burn, notably more Wigeon, Eider and Mallards. About 500m to the north beyond the Burn, John pointed out an impressive collection of 250 +/- 50 Shelduck . Overhead, in the distance I heard the honking of geese flying in from the Forth. As they came nearer I saw by their orange beaks that they were Greylags. They flew across our view and towards Aberlady LNR.
To the north-east, the light of the low sun had coloured the very prominent hill called North Berwick Law . It is the remains of an ancient volcano that was active about 300 million years ago. About a mile away from us we could see the south shores of the Forth where very large flocks of Oystercatchers were in the air, with south Fife in the background. As we retraced our footsteps back to the car, I snapped a few Bar-tailed Godwits flying up the Peffer Burn. A cautious Curlew left the channel and crept towards us along a trickle of water. The low sun was behind us so it probably was unaware of our presence.
Next I captured images of a fly-past of a quartet of Oystercatchers and of a well-lit Lapwing that was sitting amid a nearby pile of rotting seaweed. Greylags were still wandering the skies in an excited state, this time flying even closer. Just as we were about to move off of the salt marsh, John directed my attention to a single Red-breasted Merganser sitting mid-channel looking rather lost.
I used my iPhone to record an impression of the scene before us as we left Kilspindie.
Aberlady LNR I next wanted to check out the Marl Loch in Aberlady LNR as it has thrown up some interesting sightings in the past, such as the Long-eared Owl . The walk there too can be rewarding, as we found out on crossing the rickety wooden footbridge. We heard the familiar calls of Fieldfares in the Sea Buckthorn thickets, then one of them suddenly appeared just in front of us. It must have been starving as these birds are normally very flighty, and will fly off at the mere glimpse of a human. It was feasting on the mass of orange berries. Then to our surprise and delight, a female Bullfinch joined the feast, although it didn’t seem to eating berries. After snapping a Magpie that had been sitting in the conifers beyond the fieldfares, we moved on to the Marl Loch and sat expectantly on our 3-legged stools waiting for something to photograph. John spotted the fairly uncommon sight of a Moorhen nibbling at the berries on the branches of the Sea Buckthorn
As the sun started to set and low clouds crept ever-nearer from the west, the light deteriorated. A raptor sped across our view from right to left above the Loch - its dark brown vertical stripes on the underside of its body identified it as a juvenile Peregrine . Somewhat pleased, we headed back to the car, after quickly taking a picture of some Sea Buckthorn berries. Back at the wooden bridge, some Teal were dabbling in the salt marsh. These are smallest of our ducks. The tide was now coming in and what had been wide expanses of sands had become a seascape. As we crossed the bridge a pair of Teal passed overhead down the Peffer Burn.
Port Seton At the car in Aberlady we decided we were about done for the day and we’d move west along the coast to Port Seton where we’d watch the last of the incoming tide as we sipped our tea inside the car. However when we got there we discovered that rocks nearest the sea wall, which were uncovered by the sea, were covered by flocks of small waders. Most were Dunlin, now in their winter plumage. Also, a few Redshanks were hanging onto the wet rocks. Right by the sea wall on the last remaining patch of sand there were several Turnstones scurrying around, dodging the action of the waves as they tried to feed. Their dark, mottled, brown plumage contrasted with that of a fourth species we saw, the Sanderling which has light grey and white winter plumage.
The light was now very dusky. A pair of Herring Gulls ghosted past, an adult and a first cycle juvenile. Out in the Firth of Forth we could just make out a navy vessel, HMS Scott, an ocean survey vessel. An impression of how the light was at this point can be had from our final image of the bridges over the Forth, which can just be seen in silhouette, and the flashing warning lights on their posts can also be seen. The rocks that had provided perching positions for the waders had become fully submerged. The birds had flown. It was time for tea.
One again we had failed to see our target species, and once again we had seen a fair old collection of sightings. My favourite was the Peregrine. Although it was brief and in poor light, it was quite thrilling to see one of the world’s foremost species (IMHO). To our regular readers it probably goes without saying that the teas and pastries were very enjoyable, but this would be an understatement as the Danish pastries were particularly scrumptious. Roll on next week! Pictures of the Week:
2nd December: Musselburgh This week we had the whole of Central Scotland to choose from as the weather was similar throughout - dull, gloomy and damp - hardly conditions conducive to fine photography, but, we’re experienced enough at watching nature to know that it can be observed in all conditions, and interesting pictures are still possible. We headed east to Musselburgh via Dalkeith where we enjoyed a fine, warm breakfast in Morrisons cafe (9/10, -1 for leaky teapot and messy table). In Musselburgh I thought it would be nice to start near the Millhill car park that overlooks the River Esk at a point where water birds usually congregate. On arrival it was evident I’d made a good decision as there were lots of birds on the river. I managed some satisfying shots of a few Mute Swans that were feeding off the river bank (see also, “Pictures of the Week”, below). I quickly moved away from there to capture some shots of a pair of fighting Mallard drakes. It seemed the drake with the brighter-coloured bill was getting a pounding from a male with a duller bill. Apparently a Mallard’s bill colour is symptomatic of it’s sexual health. Maybe that had something to do with the argument.
I don’t know if the duck commotion had an unsettling effect on some of the other birds, but there was an outbreak of preening and wing flapping. Female Mallards, Mute Swans, Canada Geese and even Herring Gulls were all in a flap.
We walked up to the footbridge that overlooks an island and the area where some kind people turn up to feed the birds. I noticed a single Duclair Duck amongst the feeding melee of Canada Geese, Mallards and of course, Black-headed Gulls. Below the footbridge, on the edge of the island, I spotted a pair of geese, a Greylag with a Greylag/Canada hybrid .
On the walkway that runs along the river, some feral pigeons were picking up the leftovers after the feeders had gone. One pigeon caught my eye due to its unusual plumage. I have called it a “Pied Feral Pigeon”, which, like most wild pigeons, is descended from Rock Doves . Also nibbling at the crumbs were Jackdaws , the smallest members of the Crow family, and Black-headed Gulls (see also, “Pictures of the Week”, below). John pointed out a pair of female Goosanders floating mid-channel further upstream. They were inactive. Maybe they were resting after a hard morning’s diving for fish.
Having had our fill of observations at Millhall we moved down to the end of Goose Green Place, just before the Cadet Hall, where we immediately saw a Goldeneye midstream at the mouth of the Esk. We put up a large flock of Redshanks that had been sheltering out of sight on the near bank. The tide was high, so the birds were fairly inactive waiting for the feeding opportunities that would come as the waters receded. That must have been about to happen as waves of Oystercatchers were flying into the area from their high-tide roosts, such as the Scrapes. We came across the Redshanks flock on the rocky shore further downstream (see also, “Pictures of the Week”, below). Mingling with them were a few Turnstones.
The weather had been dull but dry, but as we left the Esk mouth the light got really dull and it began to rain. The view across to Portobello will give you an impression of the conditions - as we say in Scotland, it was “dreich”.
We scanned the seascape as we headed to the Scrapes at Levenhall Links. Some Velvet Scoters were about 70m out. We couldn’t make out much detail with the naked eye, but my camera did not too bad. They seemed to be courting rather than diving. Further east, another diving species, a pair of female Red-breasted Mergansers , were passing. They didn’t dive but seemed to be moving closer. Not far behind were a pair of Shags, more divers, that also edged towards us and actually got close enough for as good a picture as we were going to get in the conditions. The fourth diving bird we saw on our walk to the Scrapes was a winter plumage Great Crested Grebe . It too was close to the sea wall. It dived a few times before it presumably saw us and moved off.
As I photographed the divers in the rain and gloom I was joined by an insect that looked like a Mosquito or Gnat. It seemed very late in the year to be seeing it, a sign of the mild weather we’ve had. A familiar “cheep” heralded the arrival of a Pied Wagtail, that, given the choice, would surely have gobbled up the Gnat. Simultaneously, a female Reed Bunting (linkI) flew onto the wall. It was no more than 5m away but we could hardly make out its plumage due to the terrible light. Honking Greylags flew overhead and into the Scrapes, leading us to move away from the sea wall to observe them and the birds they had joined.
As we entered the Scrapes we weren’t too hopeful of seeing much but we pressed on. From the east-most hide we found about a dozen Wigeon feeding in the grass in front of the hide (see also, “Pictures of the Week”, below). In the west-most hide we found ten Lapwings resting in the middle of the scrape. Closer to the hide a half dozen Dunlin and a few Teal were feeding. I felt as if I was taking pictures in the dark, so we called it a day and made our way back to the car. En route John was sure he saw a Short-eared Owl around the area I call “the bing”. As we investigated, we met a couple who also had seen it. Unfortunately it failed to reappear so I didn’t get a picture. However, the banner at the top of this page shows a photo of the Short-eared Owl we saw in the same area almost exactly three years ago.
Instead of our more usual al fresco cuppas, we had our tea and very nice Danish pastries inside the car. We’d had quite enough of the cold damp weather. We were satisfied with the sightings (some of which we struggled to see!) and the pictures were satisfactory and fairly interesting. We hope next week’s weather is much better, but if it’s not, we’ll once again do our best to get some more interesting pictures. Pictures of the Week:
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