Egrets, I've had a few ....................

Welcome to another Update!

I'll start by mentioning that I am leading a guided walk from Hogganfield Park LNR to Frankfield Loch via Cardowan Moss LNR on Wednesday 3 September 2014. This is a FREE event organised by the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs in conjunction with the RSPB Glasgow Local Group - all welcome. Meet at the Hogganfield Park car park at 10am; the walk will commence at 10.30am. See the following link for a location plan

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/55%C2%B052'43.2%22N+4%C2%B010'40.8%22W/@55.8786735,-4.178006,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

Also remember you can get a no.38C FirstBus to the park - the stop is close to the car park.

Now onto my latest birding trips and I make no apologies that they have, in the main, been to the east coast.

On 28 August 2014, I headed off to Aberlady Bay, in East Lothian, using the X24 First service from Edinburgh Princes Street. Approximately one hour later I was standing on Goose Green on the edge of Aberlady overlooking the Peffer Burn and admiring 3 Little Egrets .............

Two of the Little Egrets - 28 August 2014

 

Walking towards the timber bridge I was able to admire 3 Ruff, also in the Burn, before scanning the bay - the tide was well out .......................

 

 

Walking towards the Marl Loch I heard a Wren and Blue Tit call and then spotted movement in a hawthorn bush. This bush played host to Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Whinchat, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit and Wren! I was asked by a passing birder if I had spotted a Whinchat that he thought he had seen earlier - imagine his surprise when I showed him not only the Whinchat but many of the other species!

 

I carried on to the Marl Loch ....

 

 

 ... stopped for a bite to eat and was amused by this Pheasant in amongst the Sea Buckthorn ..............

 

 

I was soon on my way again and again noticed activity in the bushes just before the Sewage Treatment works. It looked like the flock of birds I had seen earlier although this time I managed a few photos .................

 

Record shot - Lesser Whitethroat

Sedge Warbler

Reed Bunting

Juvenile male Bullfinch

Juvenile female Bullfinch

Whinchat

Whitethroat

 

I walked slowly through the 'scrubby/bird cover' type area towards the path to the sewage works where I managed more record shots ........

 

Chaffinch and Stonechat

Chiffchaff

 

At this point I could see that the weather was beginning to turn and headed back to the village for a bus back to Edinburgh. However, when I reached Musselburgh I couldn't resist paying a quick visit to the wader scrapes ...

 

 

and was rewarded with another adult Little Gull ..

 

 

 and loads more Ruff ...

 

 

All in all I managed 55 bird species for the day!

 

Details of our trip to John Muir Country Park, Torness Power Station and Musselburgh wader scrapes will have to wait!