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Week ending: 28th January: Aberlady and Port Seton
We headed for Aberlady this week following a vain hope that the cloud might clear to allow the
sunlight to illuminate our sightings. The cafe in Dalkeith Morrisons was our first stop, for our usual
breakfasts (10/10: excellent, well prepared food, served within a few minutes by friendly staff).
Our first impressions on arrival at the Aberlady LNR car park (apart from our amazement that there
were actually spaces) was the unexpected strength of the wind - not ideal for birds. The tide was
fairly low and there were flocks of Wigeon and Teal congregated on the Peffer Burn, just
downstream from the wooden footbridge. A Redshank was busy wading midstream while we
could see a flock of geese, probably Pink-footed Geese, spiralling over Kilspindie golf course on
the other side of the bay. Flying over us as we crossed the wooden footbridge was one of many
Herring Gulls, obviously relishing the gusty conditions.
Below is a view of the wooden footbridge looking back to the car park.
We had an uninspiring trek to Marl Loch where we saw only three Mallards sheltering from the
wind.
Beyond the loch we had a bit more luck. Fieldfares and Carrion Crows flew out of the areas
of Sea Buckthorn that surrounds a water treatment facility. Some minutes later Curlew flew
in…...
| Fieldfare |
Carrion Crow |
 |
 |
| Sea Buckthorn |
Curlew |
 |
 |
…. and landed in the field between the reserve and Luffness Links golf course ….
….but not for long though, since they were spooked by a young man in a hoodie who thought it
was ok to wander the reserve off the path, across the field.
John spotted dark shapes in the middle of the saltmarsh to the west of the path. Visibility was
poor due to the thick low cloud, but we both agreed at the time that the shapes were either low
bushes or boulders. However, I’m now of the opinion that the shapes are actually Hebridean
Sheep used
to graze down the grasslands over the autumn and winter, as part of a
longterm grazing scheme to improve the grasslands for plants and
animals.
As we walked back past the Marl Loch, a pair of Mallards flew in and landed on the loch with a
splash. Back at the bridge the tide was a bit higher but there were still some birds still wading,
such as Oystercatchers and Curlew. John pointed out a nice pair of Teal paddling upstream from
the bridge. We had been keeping an eye out for a reported Little Egret and, just before we
had reached the end of the bridge, the bird appeared behind the far bank of the burn.
It foraged in a small pool for a bit before flying down to the edge of the burn.
Delighted with our eventual success in photographing the Little Egret, we moved on to the other
side of Aberlady Bay to Kilspindie. Walking along the foreshore John scanned the water’s edge
with his trusty binoculars and informed me that a few Teal were dabbling near the shore and that
there were several waders on the shore.
A bit further along the shoreline a pair of Bar-tailed Godwits were stabbing the wet sand with their
long, straight bills as they searched for invertebrates. There were also Dunlin scurrying around
them as they foraged for different, smaller invertebrates.
Further along still was a curved-billed Curlew with more Dunlins .
| Dunlin / Curlew / Bar-tailed Godwit |
As the tide filled the bay the birds were gradually edging up the shore in their search for food.
| Oystercatcher / Dunlin / Bar-tailed Godwit |
 |
I noticed there were birds - Carrion Crows and Oystercatchers, on a sand pit about 200m away
near the centre of the bay.
Looking even further, to the other side of the bay, there were what looked like 20 Pink-footed
Geese sitting on the beach.
We moved westwards around the rocky shore and immediately came upon a Bar-tailed Godwit at
relatively close quarters. A Rock Pipit then appeared on the scene and obliged us by posing on a
rock just in front of where we were standing. We sat on our stools for a few minutes to see what
might turn up. We weren’t disappointed because a large Curlew emerged from behind a boulder
and began probing the salt pools. An Oystercatcher passed overhead and out into the bay.
| Curlew |
Rock Pipit |
 |
 |
| Curlew |
Oystercatcher |
 |
 |
Next a large Carrion Crow descended onto a boulder to checkout seaweed growing there. In the
meantime the Godwit we’d just photographed spotted an approaching dog and took flight, as did
a few Oystercatchers. Returning to the car John heard the sound of distant geese. They flew
close to the geese I’d just seen sitting on the beach across the bay. They look like Pink-footed
Geese but I’m not 100% sure.
| Carrion Crow |
Bar-tailed Godwit |
 |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
|
|
 |
We returned to the car and drove to Port Seton to check out reports of the King Eider and Surf
Scoter that had been seen there in recent days. On arrival at the car park overlooking Wrecked
Craigs, the tide was still well out and Eiders, Cormorants and Oystercatchers were active on and
around the most distant exposed rocks.
Although we could make out that birds were in the water beyond the rocks, identification was
difficult due to the very choppy conditions. We decided to walk to the harbour. Along the
promenade we discovered many Redshanks and Turnstones were sheltering in the rocks just east
of the harbour. There were a few drake Eiders there too and John spotted a Purple Sandpiper among the Redshanks - great find.
| Redshank |
Turnstone |
 |
 |
| Eider |
Purple Sandpiper |
 |
 |
At
the harbour, a pair of Mute Swans were on the lookout for bread from
visitors. Herring Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull were searching
for food scraps on fishing nets on the harbourside. When a fellow
birder claimed to have seen the King Eider ) landing in the waters just
outside the harbour, I scanned outside the harbour - but to no avail.
| Mute Swan |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
| Great Black-backed Gull |
Eider |
 |
 |
We returned to the car after a final check that the King Eider wasn’t with the Common Eiders off
Wrecked Craigs. It didn’t seem to be.
 |
Despite the overcast sky and stiff breeze, it had been a fairly satisfying outing. My favourite
sightings were the Little Egret, the Purple Sandpiper and the Hebridean Sheep. We had tea and
chocolate cream eclairs on the leeward side of the car. Hoping for ideal conditions next week
when very mild weather is predicted (but I’ll not mention the likelihood of rain).
Week ending: 21st January 2024: Linlithgow Loch and Blackness
On Sunday the whole of the UK was waiting for the arrival of Storm Isha. From mid-morning it
would move in from the Atlantic, bringing moderate weather at first but, by the evening, heavy rain
and high winds would prevail. I chose to visit Linlithgow Loch, a fairly sheltered inland site where
sufficient sightings would be possible. On the way there, John and I popped into Bathgate
Morrisons for breakfast (10/10: excellent food and service). When we arrived in St Ninian car park
the rain was threatening so we set off without delay around the west side of the Loch.
The light was very gloomy but the birds were gathered around the edges of the water. Tufted
Ducks, Coots and Moorhens made it easy for me to photograph them as they seemed to
have little fear of the people walking on the lochside paths. There had been reports of a Ring - necked Duck but we didn’t see it with the Tufted Ducks.
Mallards too were there in good numbers. Also unafraid of the camera was a very accommodating
Robin that was perched on a pathside bush, literally a few centimetres from us as we passed.
| Drake Mallard |
Female Mallard... |
 |
 |
|
Robin |
 |
 |
Of course there were many Mute Swans. Four of them passed overhead as we reached the
northwest corner of the loch. Unfortunately it started to rain, but thankfully it was light rain.
We encountered another Robin that was sitting at the entrance of one of the houses that
overlooks the loch. A foraging Blackbird stood ahead of us on the path and as I moved slowly
towards it, a Grey Heron came into view, standing at the water’s edge, a few metres from the
path. We continued along the north side of the loch and I noticed that the birds on the water,
Tufted Ducks and Goldeneyes, seemed to be less tolerant of people, moving away from us as we
passed. John spotted some distant geese that were paddling across the loch. As we got nearer to
them I could see that they were Canada Geese. They had moved across to join a white goose,
probably an Emden Goose or a leucistic Greylag, and a few Mallards. There was still
no sign of the Ring-billed Duck.
We stood directly across the loch from the ruin of Linlithgow Palace, a significant building in
the history of Scotland. As can be seen, it is currently undergoing renovation work.
We were pleased to see a Little Grebe surfacing near us at the edge of the loch. Of course
when it saw us it dived and swam to the perceived safety of nearby reeds. With the rain starting to
fall a bit more heavily, we decided to track back to the car. On the way I photographed a few
Herring Gulls. One immature Herring Gull was trying, unsuccessfully, to break open what looked
like a Freshwater Mussel, probably the Duck Mussel.
| Little Grebe |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
| 3rd Cycle Herring Gull |
Duck Mussel |
 |
 |
We walked the lochside path between the car park and the angling club jetty. When we were
passing some tall trees we heard what at first sounded like a Magpie with a sore throat, but I
wondered if it was the sound of a Grey Squirrel. A quick scan up the tree trunk confirmed
my suspicion. I also got shots of a female Tufted Duck that was paddling about the jetty. Also,
three Little Grebes were fishing in the same area.
| Grey Squirrel |
Wood Pigeon |
 |
 |
| Female Tufted Duck |
Little Grebe |
 |
 |
There were about a dozen Jackdaws foraging on the short grass between the loch and car park.
We were, though, disappointed not to have seen any Rooks. We had been unsuccessful in our
search for the Ring-necked Duck but maybe it was on the loch east of the palace.
We relocated to the Tesco car park and crossed the main road in order to access the loch just
east of the Palace. From the access path adjacent to the chapel we saw a Blackbird raking
through leaf litter. John noticed a Dunnock that was watching us from its perch on a bush.
He also spotted a Chaffinch just above the park gate. A big Carrion Crow didn’t flinch as we
passed it and continued foraging along the banks of the loch.
| Blackbird |
Dunnock |
 |
 |
| Chaffinch |
Carrion Crow |
 |
 |
Below is the view of the east side of Linlithgow Palace as seen when we re-entered via the path
from the main road.
John and I scanned the loch for the Ring-necked Duck. There were a few Tufties and Goldeneyes,
but once again, sadly, no Ring-necked Duck. A Cormorant flew past every now and again. As we
returned to the car I snapped a hungry Goldfinch that was feeding in the reeds. From the path out
to the street I managed shots of a Great Tit and a Chaffinch that were moving on the
leafless branches of surrounding trees. Back at the car we decided to finish the trip at Blackness, a small port that used to serve the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow.
| Female Tufted Duck |
Female Goldeneye |
 |
 |
| Cormorant |
Goldfinch |
 |
 |
| Great Tit |
Chaffinch |
 |
 |
We made the 10 minute drive to Blackness and had a quick scan of the Forth estuary. At first
there weren’t birds showing, but, with patience, I captured images of an Oystercatcher that flew in
from the east. John then noticed a young Rook sitting on top of a telegraph pole. As we
returned to the car due to the worsening rain, a Common Gull was paddling in the water near the
pier and a Redshank flew in and landed on the shoreline. Our final sightings were of a Cormorant
that surfaced near a Herring Gull that was bobbing up and down about 40m from the shore.
| Oystercatcher |
Juvenile Rook |
 |
 |
| Common Gull |
Redshank |
 |
 |
| Cormorant |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
The wind was getting stronger, as predicted. Storm Isha was knocking at the door. We had our tea
and strawberry tarts in the car rather than outside on our 3-legged stools. The conditions had not
been ideal for a nature-watching mission, however we managed to see 26 species (none of which
were the RND) and bagged a few decent photos. My favourite pictures were the Goldfinch, Grey
Heron and young Herring Gull with the shellfish. Mild, wet and windy weather is due to continue
through next week. Hopefully we’ll get some sunshine next time
Week ending: 14th January 2024: Troon
The weather predictions for Sunday indicated that Central Scotland would be cold but dry until
late afternoon with sunny intervals, the best of which would be in the west. I opted then for Troon,
on the North Ayrshire coast, which John and I last visited in late October ‘23. We were pleased to
see blue sky and bright sunshine when we arrived the the car park of Troon Morrisons for our
customary breakfasts (8/10: tasty enough but let down massively due to cold beans and tepid
bacon).
We drove across the road to the North Shore Road car park which overlooks Barassie Beach. The
tide was low but rising and there was a bit of a breeze as can be seen below by the rather choppy
sea.
A few Mallards were lounging by some rock pools close the the shore.
Other birds around the rock pools included Oystercatchers, Redshanks and Turnstones. We next
investigated the bird sounds emanating from the bushes at the edge of grassy areas close to the
shore. A very accommodating Robin watched us as we did so, but a female Hedge Sparrow was
more wary. I also managed a decent shot of a busy wee Blue Tit. However, we weren’t able to
photograph a Redwing and Collared Doves we also saw.
| Oystercatcher |
Redshank |
 |
 |
| Turnstone |
Robin |
 |
 |
| House Sparrow |
Blue Tit |
 |
 |
We drove towards Troon Harbour and on to the sea-facing car park. First impressions were that
there were very few birds on the rocks in front of the car park. A cold, stiff northerly wind was
blowing across the rocks so we checked the more sheltered southern end of the rocky shoreline.
We were pleased to discover a Curlew standing there and also a few Rock Pipits were exploring
the area. Oystercatchers flew in as well as Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls.
| Curlew |
Rock Pipit |
 |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
| 1st Cycle Herring Gull |
Black-headed Gull |
 |
 |
John spotted some Dunlins scurrying around some rock pools near the Oystercatchers. I
snapped a pair of Shags that flew past, heading north. John noticed a commotion some 200m out
(too far for a decent picture), involving a large number of gulls that seemed to be mobbing fishing
Cormorants or Shags. As John was discussing this with an inquisitive motorist, I
photographed a Starling that was watching us from a boundary fence. A south-flying drake Eider
sped past as we moved on to the short beach just north of the car park.
As we approached the end of the tall harbour wall, we came across more Dunlin, closer than the
last. Note there is also a Purple Sandpiper at the top and centre of the picture.
I peered through the stiff wind, studying the harbour wall where Shags usually perch. At first I
thought there were no Shags, but later inspection of my photos they revealed a pair coorying into the gaps between the large wall bricks. I was pleased to get an opportunity to
photograph a passing Cormorant which was possibly returning from the fishing expedition
mentioned above that interested the mob of gulls. On returning to the car, one last look towards the
rocks produced pictures of a female Red-breasted Merganser and a Rock Pipit.
| Shag |
Cormorant |
 |
 |
| Female Red-breasted Merganser |
Rock Pipit |
 |
 |
We relocated to Titchfield Road at the south end of the Ballast Bank. The road runs parallel to
the rocky shore and we usually check there each time we visit, as it can be fairly productive in
terms of sightings. On getting out of the car I noticed straight away that there were a pair of
Turnstones on the short grass beside the road. They were soon scared off by dogs but I watched
where they went - onto the rocky shore - so I checked it out and found a sizeable flock of
Turnstones very close to the footpath. I was delighted to see a Purple Sandpiper in their
midst, foraging in and around the small pools.
We noticed a large bird presence on the exposed rocks a good bit further along the shore.
Unfortunately the sunlight was behind the birds making identification difficult. However, the
images were made much brighter during processing.
We walked along the shoreside path, almost to the Titchfield Road car park, and I took pictures of
the various flocks gathered there. Later I identified them (as mentioned above) as mainly
Oystercatchers and Dunlin, with some Sanderlings , Golden Plovers and Ringed
Plovers.
 |
 |
| Golden Plover |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
| Dunlin |
Ringed Plover |
 |
 |
In the gardens beyond the car park John directed my attention to a group of well-lit Starlings and
also a Jackdaw and Carrion Crow. After these I was surprised to see a Meadow Pipit in the
grass. We emerged from the gardens onto the main promenade of Troon South Beach. A wee
female Pied Wagtail popped onto the tarred promenade and searched for scraps of food that had
been discarded by the day-trippers (and of which there were many). Nearby a juvenile Herring Gull
was tucking into good old seafood it had probably pinched from another gull.
| Starling |
Jackdaw |
 |
 |
| Carrion Crow |
Meadow Pipit |
 |
 |
| Female Pied Wagtail |
1st Cycle Herring Gull |
 |
 |
Looking further along the shore we could see a huge pile of seaweed that stretched along the
beach for about 100m. We reached the seaweed pile and realised that it was attracting lots of
small waders including very unsettled Sanderlings. Time and again a group of around 30 flew
in…..
…landed on the pile ….
….only to take flight, circle out over the water and land again….
The Sanderlings joined Turnstones and Dunlin on the seaweed. There were also Pied Wagtails on
the seaweed searching for invertebrates and Herring Gulls on the seawall watching for chips.
| Sanderling |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
Female Pied Wagtail |
 |
 |
We had our warm teas and strawberry tarts sheltered from the cold wind . We agreed that
it had been a decent outing - 27 species seen, not bad considering the conditions. My favourites
were the Purple Sandpiper, Sanderlings and Meadow Pipit. Warmer weather is predicted for next
week (hurrah), but it will be dull and wet (boo) - but they often get it wrong. Here’s hoping
Week ending: 7th January 2024: Stevenston, Saltcoats and Irvine Harbour
For the first time in over a month, the weather prediction was best in the West. The weather for
Stevenston was encouraging: early mist would clear to leave blue, sunny skies with little chance of
rain. So after a very fine breakfast in Stevenston Morrisons (9/10: only the slightly undercooked
fried tomatoes prevented a perfect score), John and I drove to Stevenston Point to start our
exploration
The Isle of Arran was shrouded in mist with only the peaks of Goat Fell treated to the light of the
Sun.
The blanket of mist stretched south, hiding the familiar view of Ailsa Craig. Instead, we had a view
of a passing ship.
It soon became obvious that Stevenston was in an oasis of light when John noticed that the land
to the east and north was also covered in mist. I snapped a passing Herring Gull and John drew
my attention to what we thought was a Redshank on the large concrete slab off the north side of
the Point. It turned out that it was a Purple Sandpiper. I then spotted a Redshank that was
picking its way across the rocky tip and also spied a distant pair of Eiders flying north past the
breakwater.
| Herring Gull |
Purple Sandpiper |
 |
 |
| Redshank |
Eider |
 |
 |
We moved to the parking area just before the main picnic spot, since there were many birds
feeding around that shore. We found a Curlew and the usual noisy Oystercatchers as well as
Black-headed and Common Gulls. Carrion Crows were also very active. I also got a pretty shot of
a wee Ringed Plover on the wet sands.
| Curlew |
Oystercatcher |
 |
 |
| Common Gull |
Black-headed Gull |
 |
 |
| Carrion Crow |
Ringed Plover |
 |
 |
Reports of a Glaucous Gull near Auchenharvie Loch drew us there, but the low winter sun
was right behind the roof and unfortunately silhouetted any gulls gathered there. Instead we
checked out the Loch and were delighted to find that it was teeming with birds, most of which
were Canada Geese.
The Geese were grazing on the short grass of the Auchenharvie golf course, as was a Curlew.
John pointed out a Grey Heron that was on the island, and on the water a pair of Mallards
paddled past.
| Canada Goose |
Curlew |
 |
 |
| Grey Heron |
Drake Mallard |
 |
 |
The female Mallard looked particularly fine in the golden winter light.
A few Goldeneyes, including a juvenile, Tufted Ducks and Little Grebes were diving
in the blue waters of the Loch. I got very close to one Little Grebe because with the Sun behind
me I was silhouetted. However, when it resurfaced with a small fish it turned its back to the Sun,
so obscuring its head and the fish. A proud cob Mute Swan glided across the water with its wing
feathers held like sails. There was no sign of the Glaucous Gull on or around the Loch, just the
usual Herring Gulls.
| Drake Goldeneye |
Juvenile Goldeneye |
 |
 |
| Tufted Duck |
Little Grebe |
 |
 |
| Mute Swan |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
As we left, a person appeared on the opposite side of the Loch and began feeding the birds
unfortunately disturbing the Canada Geese causing them to escape to the safety of the Loch.
We moved to Saltcoats Harbour where we found that the tide was low and there didn’t seem to
be many birds around.
There was a pair of Feral Pigeons at the harbour’s edge. As I snapped these I noticed that there
were Dunlins foraging among the exposed rocks at the edge of the harbour floor. We
ascended the stairs onto the walkway on the high sea wall which leads to a viewing tower at the
harbour mouth. From there I snapped a pair of Rock Pipits that had flown onto the sea wall, and
also a Herring Gull resting on a post.
| Feral Pigeon |
Dunlin |
 |
 |
| Rock Pipit |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
Looking back from the sea wall I photographed Cormorants that were standing on a rocky crag,
alongside some gulls and small waders.
We drove the short distance to the car park beyond the opposite side of the harbour. I spotted a
Common Seal lying on top of rocks at the water’s edge. From the viewing tower we could
see that there were many small waders feeding around the rocks. Closest to us was a Redshank
and furthest were a group of Shags standing on a large rock. John noticed a Curlew poking
around in the rocky surrounds of the neighbouring paddling pools. A dog then appeared on the
scene, putting up many of the waders, including a Purple Sandpiper which landed conveniently to
the side of where we were standing. Likewise I captured images of Ringed Plovers.
| Common Seal |
Redshank |
 |
 |
| Shag |
Curlew |
 |
 |
| Purple Sandpiper |
Ringed Plover |
 |
 |
The commotion caused by the dog spread to a large flock of Dunlins and Turnstones …..
….. which took flight and disappeared to the north.
We relocated 5 miles south to Irvine Harbour and immediately came across a drake Red-breasted
Merganser diving in the River Irvine. We got excellent views of it since it came within about
20m of the promenade. Across the river a Curlew was moving along the water’s edge. Next, John
sighted a trio of Common Seals that were relaxing on a wooden float a few hundred metres up the
River Garnock. I then snapped a Mute Swan paddling midstream, while John discovered a Grey
Heron standing in the water by the other side of the River Irvine.
I also got nice shots of the flypast of an Oystercatcher, which led my eye to some Wigeon that
were grazing on the top of the riverbank. I was pleased to find a Greenshank picking its
way along the edge of the opposite side of the river, not far from the Heron. At this point a helpful
passer-by informed us that there was an Otter diving a little further upstream. We had no
bother finding it since it had attracted an audience of people gathered at the harbour’s edge.
| Oystercatcher |
Wigeon |
 |
 |
| Greenshank |
Otter |
 |
 |
We watched it making several successful dives for fish for about 10 minutes before it moved into a
shadowed area.
We headed back to the car for tea and strawberry tarts (well, John couldn’t resist buying them
because they made him think of warm summer weather). It was agreed that it had been a very
enjoyable and productive trip - 28 species seen. My favourites were the Otter, Seals, Greenshank
and Purple Sandpiper. The weather was cold but colder weather, maybe even snow, is predicted
for next week. Let’s hope it’s sunny.
Highlights
- January 2024
We present this month’s gallery of my
favourite pictures I’ve taken during January 2024. They are
not listed in the order they have been taken, but according to a series
of themes. I’ve kept
commentary to a minimum, preferring to let each picture talk for itself.
WINGS
ON THE GROUND
PORTRAIT
ON THE WATER
SMALL BIRDS
MISCELLANEOUS
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