|
Week ending: 31st July: Doonfoot
For the first time in a few weeks the weather prediction for the west was head and shoulders
better than the east. The tide too was favourable - rising throughout the visit, bringing birds nearer
the shore. We had a very unfortunate hold-up on the journey though due to a bad road accident.
This resulted in a later than usual breakfast in Stewartfield Morrison (excellent, 10/10 : perfect in
ever way).
We were a bit disappointed when we arrived at the Castle Walk car park to find rather gloomy
conditions, although we could see blue skies further south. Undeterred, we set off for the mouth
of the River Doon, first taking the rough path past the pond that is behind the car park. The path
passed through a very dense area of plant life. The view below shows a large area of Reed Mace
behind a massive flowering Great Willowherb.
Although the pond was birdless we did set about exploring the impressive array of wild flowers
and insects that were thriving on its banks. I started with a picture of the sizeable group of tall
Yellow Loosestrife and followed this with a snap of a Honeybee at work on beautiful Water Mint
flowers. John pointed out that a Green-veined White butterfly had landed on a Catsear flower.
Next I noticed a Red Soldier Beetle on a Wild Carrot flower head.
| Yellow Loosestrife |
Honeybee |
 |
 |
| Green-veined White Butterfly |
Red Soldier Beetle |
 |
 |
Also on Wild Carrot were the hoverfly Eristalis arbustorum and the Common Greenbottle, Lucilia
caesar. I also shot a rather attractive half-opened Wild Carrrot flower head. My eye caught sight of
an unfamiliar flower near the pond edges. It turned out to be Hemp Agrimony ,
a newbie for
us.
| Eristalis Arbustorum |
Lucilia Caesar |
 |
 |
| Wild Carrot |
Hemp Agrimony |
 |
 |
Eventually we reached the mouth of the River Doon where we were slightly disappointed to find
that it was being used as a training area for paddle boarders. Hence the usual bird life that
normally gathers there were absent. We did see one of those displaced species, the Mute Swans
just beyond the river mouth.
We moved round the dunes to get a better view of the very end of the river mouth. I snapped a
wee Linnet that had been watching me carefully from its perch on the dune vegetation. We could
see a large number of birds assembled on the shallows. John pointed out a few Lapwings and
also a Rook. I could see a pair of Jackdaws hunting shellfish. I also made out a distant line of
Redshanks at the edge of a shingly bank. A juvenile Herring Gull swooped over the shallow
waters providing me with a nice photo-opportunity.
| Linnet |
Lapwing |
 |
 |
| Rook |
Jackdaw |
 |
 |
| Redshank |
1st Cycle Herring Gull |
 |
 |
The majority of the birds gathered at the mouth of the Doon were, unsurprisingly, gulls. The
picture below shows a Great Black-backed Gull with a Herring Gull and juveniles.
The paddle boarders were starting to impinge on the bird colony so we decided to return to the
car and drive to the Greenan Car Park. This took us past the pond again where we encountered
three bumblebees, namely the Red-tailed bumblebee on Smooth Sow Thistle, the Carder
bumblebee on Red Bartsia and the Buff-tailed bumblebee on Wild Angelica. We also found
Meadow Brown and Large White butterflies hiding in the long grass. John then came across a
small fly with black wings and a yellow abdomen, Sciara hemerobioides , a type of “fungus
gnat”.
| Red-tailed Bumblebee |
Common Carder Bumblebee |
 |
 |
| Buff-tailed Bumblebee |
Meadow Brown Butterfly |
 |
 |
| Large White Butterfly |
Sciara Hemerobioides |
 |
 |
We drove the short distance to the Greenan Shore car park and immediately set off to explore the
shoreline before and after the Greenan Castle. On the area to the west of the car park there were
large numbers of House Sparrows in the hedgerows, many of them in their first year. John spotted
a flighty Goldfinch atop a Common Ragwort. After some stealthy manoeuvres by me I managed a
satisfactory shot. We moved through the hedgerows to the dunes where I found some interesting
wildflowers such as Lesser Burdock, Wild Leek and Tansy.
| House Sparrow |
Juvenile House Sparrow |
 |
 |
| Goldfinch |
Lesser Burdock |
 |
 |
| Wild Leek |
Tansy |
 |
 |
John, who obviously had his eye in, noticed that almost every Common Ragwort plant was
loaded with Cinnabar Moth
caterpillars. As we rounded the crag which held Greenan Castle, the
only birds we saw were a passing adult Herring Gull, a Black-headed
Gull and a third year Herring Gull paddling in the shallow water
pecking at seaweed, presumably for invertebrates.
| Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar |
Herring Gull |
 |
 |
| Black-headed Gull |
3rd Cycle Herring Gull |
 |
 |
We paused for a few minutes to watch some action that was taking place a couple of hundred
metres away in Ayr Bay where three Gannets were diving for fish. After circling above the
fish shoal each bird dived repeatedly from heights of 20 to 30 metres, piercing the surface of the
water like a javelin.
The west side of the Castle ruin was very nicely lit by the Sun which had by that time graced us
with its presence. As always, we started our return journey by walking eastward along the edge of
the field adjacent to the east beach. We are usually rewarded with interesting sightings and
Sunday was no exception. In a few minutes we had a few pictures of a Willow Warbler that
was hopping between branches of the Hawthorns. A juvenile Robin then made a brief, shy
appearance. After that I heard the familiar call of a Yellowhammer. We had no trouble
locating the bird as it was sitting boldly singing on top of one of the Hawthorn Bushes. As we
retraced our steps back around the crag I snapped a shot of a passing Common Gull. My final
shot was of a male Stonechat sitting on a fence post not far from the car park.
| Greenan Castle |
Willow Warbler |
 |
 |
| Juvenile Robin |
Yellowhammer |
 |
 |
| Common Gull |
Stonechat |
 |
 |
After our initial travel holdup that lasted just over an hour we definitely managed to use the
remaining time gathering a satisfying range of images. We were a bit disappointed that we didn’t
see many waders. Perhaps that was due to the disturbances caused by the paddle boarders at
the mouth of the Doon. My favourite sightings were at the end of the trip when we saw the Willow
Warbler, Yellowhammer and Stonechat in quick succession. Our usual tea and strawberry tarts
were delightful and a nice reward for our efforts. Let’s hope summer holds out for another week
Week ending: 24th July 2022: Belhaven Bay and Dunbar Harbour
We headed for Dunbar this week. The weather maps on my WeatherPro app showed that cloud
and rain was piling in from the west but fizzling out before it reached the east coast. Our
breakfasts at Dalkeith Morrisons cafe were excellent (9.5/10:-0.5 for the small plates), setting us
up well for what we hoped would be a successful day’s nature-watching.
We started at Belhaven Bay. As we walked to Seafield Pond the tide was starting to cover the
sands. Some House Sparrows were gathered feeding at the sea wall and further along the wall I
noticed a patch of Field Bindweed. There were about a dozen Carrion Crows foraging on the
sand, including some juveniles.
| House Sparrow |
Field Bindweed |
 |
 |
| Juvenile Carrion Crow |
Carrion Crow |
 |
 |
There were also many Black-headed Gulls with their juveniles. A little Pied Wagtail was flitting
between them as it chased and caught flies. Further back on the beach was a large flock of
Greylag Geese.
| Black-headed Gull |
1st Cycle Black-headed Gull |
 |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
Greylag Goose |
 |
 |
When we reached Seafield Pond it was populated with many Mallards in eclipse plumage. An
adult female followed by five juveniles swam towards us probably hoping for bread.
In the centre of the pond there was a Black-headed Gull standing on a discarded container. John
spotted a single drake Wigeon standing on the far side of the pond. Not far from it we
could also just make out a Moorhen . A lot closer to us there was a Coot grappling with
some pond weed.
| Black-headed Gull |
Wigeon |
 |
 |
| Coot |
Moorhen |
 |
 |
We walked to the far end of the pond, passing a family of Mute Swans, two adults and seven
cygnets, careful not to disturb them. However, they started following us.
My attention was drawn to a couple of butterflies that were on Creeping Thistles that were dotted
along the reeds: a Ringlet and a Green-veined White. When I’d finished photographing them I
turned to find that I was surrounded by the seven large cygnets. Thankfully they quickly moved
away towards one of the static caravans where its occupant had appeared with food. As we
settled on our stools by the side of the pond we were visited by yet another family - a female
Mallard with her ducklings, which were younger and hence more cute that the older ones we’d
seen earlier. Before we left the pond area I snapped a pretty Great Willowherb flowering on the
bank and also got a shot of the partially hidden statue of a man with a fish on his head.
| Ringlet Butterfly |
Green-veined White Butterfly |
 |
 |
| Juvenile Mute Swan |
Mallard Ducklings |
 |
 |
| Great Willowherb |
Man With Fish |
 |
 |
Just as we reached the sea wall something put up the whole Greylag flock. It was a grand sight
accompanied with the stirring sound of perhaps a hundred honking geese.
On our way back to the car we were pleased to see a pair of Tree Sparrows by the wall.
That was the first time we’d seen them at Belhaven.
We relocated to Dunbar Harbour where we expected to see colonies of Shag and
Kittiwakes, and we were not disappointed. We had a quick look at the seascape from
Dunbar Battery. The panorama was rather short of birds but looking along the harbour towards
the old castle we could see that the Shags were still nesting on the rocky crags to the north of the
harbour entrance. Just before we made for the viewing gallery I snapped a shot of some Sea Holly
that was growing in the Battery’s “Coastal Garden” although it was not the wild variety. A
short walk later we were watching the fascinating behaviour of the many Shags that were on and
around the colony, the top of which was white with the droppings of its occupants. The Shags
were very active as they flew in and out of their rocky perches. There was hardly a moment when I
couldn’t see at least one bird flapping its wings.
On top of the highest rocky column there was a line of young Kittiwakes tended by a snoozing
adult.
Adult Shags were continually arriving back at the colony after catching fish from the Firth of Forth.
When they landed they were immediately accosted by their fledglings, now just as tall as them,
whose heads plunge deep into their parents’ gullets to retrieved regurgitated fish. I watched also
as some adults, rather than landing on the top of the column, landed in the water, then paddle
onto the rock and climbed almost to the top in order to find their young to offload their catch.
After watching and photographing the Shags we moved to the harbour entrance to watch for
passing Fulmars. Unfortunately we didn’t see any. Hopefully they were not victims of the Birdflu.
However we did see a passing Grey Seal that checked us out before disappearing beneath
the waves.
Next we turned our attention to the walls of the ruin of Dunbar Castle, a now annual site of a
large Kittiwakes colony.
Almost every square centimetre of ledge space was occupied by families of Kittiwakes. The
cacophony of their “kitt-I-wake” calls entertained at first but soon became irritating. Like the
Shags, the adult Kittiwakes were continually commuting between sea and nest as they dutifully
fed their young. Arriving adults greet their partners heartily with an intimate crossing of beaks. The
young appeared to be of fledgling age and we did see a few in the air.
After our very enjoyable and productive time at the harbour we decided to move to Winterfield
Park to have a quick check of the cliffs there before taking tea. I didn’t expect to see much but we
managed quite a nice haul for such a brief stop. We started with a pair of juvenile House Sparrows
that were waiting on the shrubbery for their parents to feed them. I also photographed a Pied
Wagtail carrying a grub. Next we plonked ourselves on a cliff top and scanned the rocky islands
below. I spotted a Cormorant flying onto a small island followed by a feeding session similar to
those I’d observed earlier with the Shags. John then pointed out that there were 5 Seals
swimming in between the small islands albeit distantly. Just below our cliff I snapped a nice shot of
a foraging Oystercatcher. My final shot of the visit was of a bonny wee Meadow Pipit that had
landed on the path in front of us.
| Juvenile House Sparrow |
Pied Wagtail |
 |
 |
| Cormorant |
Grey Seal |
 |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
Meadow Pipit |
 |
 |
All in all it had been a very satisfying visit with plenty to see in delightful weather. My favourites
were undoubtedly the Shags and Kittiwakes and of course the Strawberry tarts we washed down
with strong tea. Here’s hoping next week will be at least equally satisfyin
Week ending: 17th July 2022: Stevenston
We were slightly disappointed with the weather predicted for this week, a record-breaking
heatwave. However while England was sweltering underneath cloudless skies we had the usual
grey skies and the odd shower. After checking with my WeatherPro iPhone app I decided west
was best and we headed for Stevenson, starting in the Morrisons cafe for breakfast (9.5/10:
excellent - well done John for including black pudding).
We started our quest at a rather gloomy Stevenston Point. The sun was threatening to break
through the hazy clouds but we could see Cormorants and Shags on the rocks. There was also a
group of 5 Sanderlings in summer plumage on the Sandy beach to the east and we had a distant
view of a lone Curlew.
| Cormorant |
Shag |
 |
 |
| Sanderling |
Curlew |
 |
 |
On the north edge of the Point a group of 9 female Eider were in repose.
John was busy looking for insects in the grassy fringes. He pointed out the many Red Soldier
Beetles that were on Yarrow flower heads and several Garden Grass-veneer moths that we
unwittingly disturbed as we passed. We each got a bit excited when we realised that there were
Common Blue butterflies moving between the yellow flowers of Birdsfoot Trefoil. We also
were pleased to see a few Meadow Brown butterflies about, which I managed to
photograph rather more quickly than those of last week’s visit.
| Red Solder Beetle |
Garden Grass Veneer Moth |
 |
 |
| Common Blue Butterfly |
Meadow Brown Butterfly |
 |
 |
We sat and watched for any passing birds and we were rewarded by sightings of a 1st-year
Black-headed Gull, an Oystercatcher, a Shag and a fairly close Gannet (which we hoped would
dive, but it didn’t).
| 1st Cycle Black-headed Gull |
Oystercatcher |
 |
 |
| Shag |
Gannet |
 |
 |
The arrival of four cars with jet skis on trailers persuaded us that we should perhaps move on. I
suggested that the sand dunes to the west would be a good idea since Grayling butterflies were
reported there during the week. We moved the few hundred metres to the Shore Road car park
and, while John sat and watched for butterflies, I investigated the mouth of the burn from the
footbridge. A Sedge Warbler made a rather unexpected appearance in a large patch of Sea
Radish. John meanwhile had located a Small Heath butterfly and I managed a capture
using my long lens. We walked to the paths along the dunes where we immediately came upon
more Common Blue butterflies, including a female.
| Sedge Warbler |
Small Heath Butterfly |
 |
 |
| Common Blue Butterfly |
Female Common Blue Butterfly |
 |
 |
We settled on our wee stools for a bit and scanned the area. I spotted a Cinnabar moth caterpillar on Common Ragwort. After about 20 minutes of waiting and looking we were delighted to
find a Grayling on the rough footpath. These are red-listed as their numbers have
plummeted in recent years. It didn’t stop for long but I managed a fairly decent picture. There
were birds on the dunes, mainly Starlings and Meadow Pipits and we also encountered
Goldfinches but they didn’t settle long enough for me to get a photo.
| Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar |
Grayling Butterfly |
 |
 |
| Juvenile Starling |
Meadow Pipit |
 |
 |
There were lovely patches of Wild Thyme along the paths and we also saw
lovely blue Sheep’s-bit. We also saw tiny-flowered, but very
beautiful Eyebright and there were lots of yellow Lady’s Bedstraw
poking out of the long grass.
| Wild Thyme |
Sheep's-bit |
 |
 |
| Eyebright |
Lady's Bedstraw |
 |
 |
From the top path along the dunes we had a fine view over the beach, with the Point in the
distance.
On our way off of the dunes a wee male Stonechat landed on a wooden post several metres in
front of us. It had an insect in its beak, probably food for a hungry chick. Simultaneously, a
juvenile Linnet appeared on a bush high to our left, looking warily in our direction. I got a nice shot
of a juvenile Starling launching off of another tall wooden post. And just before we exited the dune
area I spotted a Grayling feeding on Wild Thyme.
| Stonechat |
Juvenile Linnet |
 |
 |
| Juvenile Starling |
Grayling Butterfly |
 |
 |
Our final stop in Stevenston was the Ardeer Quarry LNR. From the car park on Moorpark Road
we started our circuit of the site with a walk along the pond (which is the remains of the old
quarry). A female Mallard was in a panic, flying noisily around the end of the pond. We could hear
what sounded like a duckling coming from a large drainage pipe at the corner of the pond. After a
few minutes the two were reunited. Let’s hope they live happily ever after. We could also see a
family of Mute Swans paddling near the large island - 2 adults and 4 juvenile cygnets. There were
very pretty Pink Water Lilies growing at the pond’s edge and also a very large section of
Reedmace growing on the north side of the pond.
| Female Mallard |
Mute Swans |
 |
 |
| Pink Water Lily |
Reedmace |
 |
 |
Here’s a closer look at those cygnets:
Just to the north of the pond John spotted a dragonfly, a Common Darter, which was
hanging motionless under a grass seed-head. Near the railway line I photographed a few wild
flowers: Meadowsweet, Purple Loosestrife and Rosebay Willowherb. The last two are often
confused as they both have purple spikes.
| Common Darter Dragonfly |
Meadowsweet |
 |
 |
| Purple Loosestrife |
Rosebay Willowherb |
 |
 |
Next I was attracted to the beautiful yellow flowers of Hairy St John’s Wort. At the east side of the
reserve I managed to photograph a beetle, Bronze Carabid,
that was running across the footpath. We were disappointed not to have
seen more wildlife at the old quarry - for example, we’ve seen
Buzzard, Kestrel and Roe Deer on previous visits. But that's the nature
of naturewatching! Back at the pond John spotted a Ringlet butterfly that looked a bit worse for
wear. On the pond we could just see the cygnets sheltering in the reeds from the warm sun. I had
a clear view though of an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull that had the whole pond to himself.
| Hairy St John's Wort |
Bronze Carabid Beetle |
 |
 |
| Ringlet |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
 |
 |
By the end of the trip the skies had just about cleared and the promised heat was beginning to
kick in. We sat on our stools, on the shaded side by the car and I poured tea and demolished a
couple of big strawberry tarts. We were each well satisfied with what we’d seen and
photographed. As I alluded to above, we always wish for more, but we fairly enjoyed the
experience, especially the dunes, which we’d not visited in recent years. We’ve pencilled it in for
next time though.
Week ending: 10th July 2022: Skateraw and Torness
At last, summer has arrived! The weatherman on the telly cheerfully announced that the weekend
would be sunny and warm, with little chance of rain. He also said that there could be coastal mist
on the west coast, so we I opted to go east to Skateraw, one of our favourite destinations. We
popped into Dalkeith Morrisons on the way and received very fine breakfasts (9/10: -1 due to the
toast being too thick for John’s egg on toast).
After parking we walked up to the viewpoint on top of the old Limekilns. The picture below shows
the fabulous view that greeted us:
On scanning that scene we were pleased to see a family of Shelducks and
also a few Blackheaded Gulls. Looking towards the looming presence of
Torness Nuclear Power Station I spotted a bird flying towards moving
with a strange jizz . On inspection of the photo I discovered it
was actually a Peregrine Falcon carrying its latest kill, what looked like a Fan-tailed Pigeon
(there’s a dovecot in the Skateraw bungalows). We moved along the path towards where the bird
was, but it had dived out of sight. I snapped a Common Wasp by the boundary wall as we
awaited its reappearance.
| Shelduck |
2nd Cycle Black-headed Gull |
 |
 |
| Peregrine Falcon |
Common Wasp |
 |
 |
John spotted a pair of Linnets sitting on the farm field wire fence. The path by the wall overlooks
the bay and a look over the wall was rewarded with views of a few Oystercatchers lazing on the
rocky shore and Shelduck bathing in the blue shallows.
| Male Linnet |
Female Linnet |
 |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
Shelduck |
 |
 |
I scanned the verges of the path for insects on the wildflowers. There were very many Red Soldier
Beetles on Knapweed and Hogweed flowers. I was delighted to capture some nice images of a
Yarrow Plume Moth that was on a Hogweed flower head. On another Hogweed I got pleasing
shots of a Marmalade hoverfly. We also saw many very active Ringlet and Meadow Brown
butterflies but unfortunately didn’t manage to get a clear shot of either of them. As we returned to
the car park I was attracted by the blooming Knapweed and by the large Beach Rose bushes that
still had some flowers but were mostly displaying large red hips.
| Red Soldier Beetle |
Yarrow Plume Moth |
 |
 |
| Marmalade Hoverfly |
Common Knapweed |
 |
 |
| Beach Rose |
Beach Rose Hips |
 |
 |
We passed through the car park and walked up the road. The beach was beginning to fill with
people taking advantage of the warm, sunny conditions to sunbathe, swim, paddle, scare away
the wildlife etc. (as they have every right to do, unfortunately). In the field adjacent to the road I
photographed a beautiful blue flowered plant, Lacy Phacelia . John pointed out a stationary
Ringlet that was within a good range of my 600mm lens. After snapping it I used my LUMIX TZ70
to get photos of a large Red Valerian plant near the cottage. We headed next for Chapel Point and
moved past the remains of another building, where a family was setting up a tent (!). In the long
grass beyond the ruin I spotted a 6-spotted Burnet feeding on a Knapweed bud.
| Lacy Phacelia |
Ringlet Butterfly |
 |
 |
| Red Valerian |
6 Spot Burnet Moth |
 |
 |
The view to the east of the Point of Barns Ness shows the lighthouse
and long sandy beach, along which we have trekked many times. You can
also see the Bass Rock, home to a nationallyimportant Gannet colony.
Sadly it has been hit this year by an outbreak of Avian Flu.
There were very few birds on the rocks at Chapel Point, probably due to the people we had
observed as we arrived, who were walking out over the rocks. At first we could only see a young
Starling on seaweed piles and a few Oystercatchers on the periphery of the rocks. Just before we
moved off, a couple of Curlew flew in, probably returning after the beachcombers had gone. I
came across a Small Heath butterfly nestling in short grass as we walked along the raised edges
of the bay on our way back to the car.
| Juvenile Starling |
Oystercatcher |
 |
 |
| Curlew |
Small Heath Butterfly |
 |
 |
We noticed also a pair of Pied Wagtails on the rocks below us and John signalled that there was
an Oystercatcher on a small boulder. It was eating shellfish which looked like Limpets. As I
photographed these we could hear and eventually see a female Reed Bunting on the bushes
behind us. My final capture at Skateraw was an image of a Common Carder Bumblebee on a Red Clover flower.
| Female Pied Wagtail |
Oystercatcher |
 |
 |
| Female Reed Bunting |
Common Carder Bumblebee |
 |
 |
We decided to relocate to Torness Power Station car park. Viewing from the concrete coastal
walkway can often be rewarding. We got off to a good start when John spotted a Goldfinch
nibbling at something at the edge of the car park. On the walk down to the walkway we saw
Sparrow flocks moving around the area. There were a fair number of Barn Swallows sitting on the
wire fencing around various Power Station facilities (see below). There were also many House
Sparrows but we suspected that there could also bee a few Tree Sparrows, recognisable
by their brown caps. Once we reached the walkway I managed, after some early frustration, to
snap a Yellow Shell Moth that was fluttering its way along the concrete walkway.
| Goldfinch |
House Sparrow |
 |
 |
| Barn Swallow |
Yellow Shell Moth |
 |
 |
Barn Swallows lined up along the top of the wire fencing:
The picture below shows the view from the concrete walkway looking roughly south-east to the
Berkshire coast.
We watched a few long range passes of Gannets before one made a relatively close pass
enabling the fairly nice shot shown below. I followed this with a picture of a House Sparrow that
was perched on the railing at the Lifeboat harbour. We sat at the quayside for 15 minutes
watching for birds flying over the water past the Power Station, however all we managed were
distant views of a Shag and a pair of Sandwich Terns.
| Gannet |
House Sparrow |
 |
 |
| Shag |
Sandwich Tern |
 |
 |
Our route back to the car park was via the upper walkway, designed for use during stormy
conditions that might flood the lower pathway. It provides not only a great view of the Firth of Forth
but also a decent view of the land between the Power Station and the walkway. I spotted a Mason
Wasp, Ancistrocerus trifasciatus, on the path and managed a quick photo before it flew off.
John finally brought another piece of frustration to an end when he pointed out a Meadow Brown
butterfly that was sucking nectar from nearby Ragwort flowers. Common Mallow flowers were
blooming by the wall, although the plants were very small, indicating that their soil was probably
lacking in nourishment and perhaps water. There were quite a few healthy-enough Chicory plants
along the grassy edges of the path. Earlier I mentioned that we could see Tree Sparrows mixing
with House Sparrows. This was confirmed when John discovered a bush on which there were
several Tree Sparrows. Our final bit of excitement at Torness came as we were preparing teas. I
was attracted to a commotion in the undergrowth at the side of the car park, when a Stoat
suddenly ran out from the long grass onto the road, chased by a large buck Rabbit. I lunged for
my camera but it was all over before I got it to my eye. I did though get a shot of the angry Rabbit.
| Mason Wasp-Ancistrocerus trifasciatus |
Meadow Brown Butterfly |
 |
 |
| Common Mallow |
Chicory |
 |
 |
| Tree Sparrow |
Rabbit |
 |
 |
What a lovely day, both in terms of weather conditions and in enjoyment of the delights of the
natural world. Shot of the day has to be the Peregrine Falcon with its kill. It was a pity we missed
a shot of the Stoat but it had been thrilling nevertheless. We needed a wee flask of tea and nice
strawberry tarts to calm us down. It just so happened we had those very things in the boot. They
say the good weather may very well last until next week. Yes please.
Week ending: 3rd July 2022: Tyninghame Bay (John Muir Country Park)
This week John was back as we drove to John Muir Country Park (JMCP) which encompasses
Tyninghame Bay near Dunbar. According to my WeatherPro app, the weather in Central Scotland
was predicted to be mild but cloudy, with rain showers feeding in from the west. The BBC Tide
Tables page predicted low tide levels throughout our visit so the sands of the Inner Bay would be
exposed.
As usual, we had breakfast at Dalkeith Morrisons (8/10: nice food but -2 for slow service and
small plates) before driving down the A1 to Dunbar where we parked in the JMCP car park. Near
the entrance I noticed a flowering Great Mullein plant - a newby for us so we were off to a
flier. On our way to the saltmarsh I snapped a juvenile Starling that was watching us from on top
of a Hawthorn bush. I also photographed a Red-tailed Bumblebee feeding on a Meadow
Cranesbill flower and then a Meadow Pipit that was sitting on a log on a drier-than-usual
Saltmarsh.
| Great Mullein |
Juvenile Starling |
 |
 |
| Red-tailed Bumblebee |
Meadow Pipit |
 |
 |
As we walked along the edges of the saltmarsh we came upon a Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet
Moth that was on a Red Clover flower. Nearby were some delightful Meadow Cranesbill
flowers. John directed me to a Ringlet Butterfly that had fluttered in and come to rest on Clover
leaves. It was probably a female inviting the company of a male. Further along the track I noticed
a Red Soldier Beetle delving deep inside a Thrift flower.
| Narrow-bordered 5 Spot Burnet Moth |
Meadow Cranesbill |
 |
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| Ringlet Butterfly |
Red Soldier Beetle |
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A Reed Bunting could be heard calling from one of a number of small bushes along the periphery
of the marsh. We quickly located and photographed it. It was a similar story for some Goldfinches
that had been quite evasive at first, but after some excellent bin work from John, we quickly were
ably to track down and photograph. In order to reach the beach we decided to cross the marsh
while we could before we reached the point where the stream that runs through the marsh was
too wide the step over. On our crossing I managed to snap a juvenile Pied Wagtail and then a
Skylark both of which were foraging amongst the low vegetation
| Reed Bunting |
Goldfinch |
 |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
Skylark |
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 |
As we rounded the edges of the dunes that border Tyninghame Inner Bay I got a nice photo of a
White-tailed Bumblebee that was scouring the nectaries of a Sow Thistle flower. Since the tide
was low, the sands of the Bay were almost completely exposed except for the winding passage of
the River Tyne that was finally reaching the sea having flowed 30 mile from its source in the
Moorfoot Hills. We could see a few birds that were on that channel so we decided to trek across
the sands for a quick reconnaissance. On the way we encountered “beached” jellyfish. The one
shown below is a Cyanea Lamarkii, the Blue Jellyfish . The birds turned out to be Curlew
and Oystercatchers. Using his binoculars John reported that further upstream, beyond my camera
range, there were a half-dozen Shelduck.
| White-tailed Bumblebee |
Blue Jellyfish |
 |
 |
| Curlew |
Oystercatcher |
 |
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The view to the southwest is dominated by Traprain Law, the site of an ancient hill fort .
Next we had to cross the grassy sand dunes since we reached a barrier and sign that prevented
us from continuing to the river mouth. This was to protect a nationally important Tern nesting site.
Halfway across the dune we reached a clearing where we were joined by a wary Meadow Pipit.
There were Viper’s Bugloss flowers growing in the clearing.
|
|
 |
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| Meadow Pipit |
Viper's Bugloss |
 |
 |
When I looked more closely at the area surface I found very small flowers: Scarlet Pimpernel and Common Storksbill. We also found some beautiful pink Common Centaury on the path as
well a lots of prettily-patterned Brown-lipped Snails.
| Scarlet Pimpernel |
Common Storksbill |
 |
 |
| Common Centaury |
Brown-lipped Snail |
 |
 |
At the beach we walked to several metres away from the breaking waves and sat on our trusty 3-
legged stools watching for any passing birds. Straightaway we watched several Gannets making
repeated dives about 150m from where we were sitting
We watched the flypasts of other birds: Shag, Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull and Eider. There were
no signs of waders though
| Shag |
Sandwich Tern |
 |
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| Herring Gull |
Eider |
 |
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The final flypast was the closest - a Curlew passed within 30m of us as it took a shortcut over the
dunes to reach the Inner Bay. On our return transition over the dunes John spotted another Reed
Bunting, this time carrying a beakful of grubs. I dutifully got a picture. I also snapped some
Common Valerian and also Restharrow, a plant with very lovely flower which got its name since
large clumps of it could stop (rest) a farmer’s tool for tilling the soil (harrow).
| Curlew |
Reed Bunting |
 |
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| Common Valerian |
Common Restharrow |
 |
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When we looked over to the conifer forrest we were both shocked by the extent of the damage
caused by the storm Arwen that struck on November 26th 2021. We had heard that trees
had been uprooted but we didn’t realise quite how bad it had been.
I discovered an unfamiliar moth, a Common Rustic on a Ragwort flower. At the saltmarsh we
found a female Linnet perched on a log. We also watched a rather shabby Willow Warbler hopping
amongst branches of a large bush. My final shot of the visit was of a wee Robin that was boldly
sitting on a Fence-post at the edge of the car park
| Common Rustic Moth |
Female Linnet |
 |
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| Willow Warbler |
Robin |
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The weather had been a bit dull but there is nothing dull about our collection of sightings.
Fourteen bird species, eight invertebrates and eight flower species. My favourite moments were
seeing the diving Gannets and the flowers of the dunes. We had tea and, after a 3 week gap (roll
the drums), strawberry tarts (cymbals!). Hopefully we’ll continue the habit next week, when we
might even experience a summer day.
Highlights
- July 2022
We present this month’s gallery of my
favourite pictures I’ve taken during July 2022. 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.
BY THE WATER
WILDFLOWERS 1
PORTRAIT
INVERTEBRATES
ASSORTED BIRDS
WILDFLOWERS 2
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