On Sunday afternoon we went out to North Berwick for a shorebird walk hosted by the Scottish Seabird Centre. Edinburgh residents got an opportunity to learn more about the shorebirds who call the Firth of Forth home.
East Lothian still has lots of areas of rocky shore and mudflat in tact (far more than within the City of Edinburgh coastal area) which makes it a great home for our wintering wading birds, as well as sea ducks. As the Firth of Forth is a Special Protected Area for the huge numbers of overwintering birds it supports this is a very special time of year to head out with your binoculars.
It was a beautiful, sunny, crisp afternoon and we managed to see Greater Black-backed Gull, Shag (or Cormorant – they were a bit too far away to ID!), a Heron, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper, male and female Eider ducks and some smaller birds on the beach such as pied wagtail. Some of the eagle-eyed in John’s group also managed to spot there were grey seals and pups on Craigleith Island!
Many thanks again to both John and Charlotte from the Scottish Seabird Centre for leading the walk for us – it was hugely enjoyable! We will be back to see you soon, and we’d definitely encourage others to visit too.
