Forthcoming Event and Walking the John Muir Way

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Firstly, news of an event at Hogganfield Park LNR on Saturday 27 September 2014. The City Council are hosting a Nature Reserve Celebration Event in the park from 11am to 3pm.

Their marquee will be located close to the sandy beach/children’s play area in the south east corner of the park.  Activities include wildlife counts, guided walks, stalls, displays and lots more. Phone the Council’s Countryside Rangers at 0141 276 0931 for details.

I shall be attending with the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs and we shall be handing out free barley to help feed the wildfowl from our stall on the viewing/feeding platform next to the car park. I also shall be leading a guided walk.

See http://friendsofglasgowlnrs.wordpress.com for more information. Please drop in and say hello.

Now some news of two excellent days birding in East Lothian when I walked part of the John Muir Way. On both days I travelled by public transport to Dunbar and on the Saturday (20th) walked east and on the 23rd walked west .......

On Saturday 20 September 2014, the weather was overcast as I left Dunbar ..... 

Fluke Dub - outward walk - 20 September 2014

 

.. but within an hour or so it had brightened up ...............

 

White Sands Bay -20 September 2014

 

My aim was to reach Barns Ness, a famous east coast birding location ...

 

Barns Ness - 20 September 2014

 

Here I visited the 'wire dump' where common species were seen, some feasting on elderberries ..................

 

Yellowhammer - Barns Ness - 20 September 201

Blackbird - Barns Ness - 20 September 2014

Whitethroat -  Barns Ness - 20 September 2014

 

I also visited the 'old caravan park' where this Kestrel posed long enough to allow me a quick shot ...

Kestrel - Barns Ness - 20 September 2014

 

On my return it became really quite warm and the contrast can be seen with this photo of Fluke Dub compared to the one above ...

 

Fluke Dub - return walk -20 September 2014

 

The improved light also meant reasonable photos of the two Ruff that had been present on the outward journey ....

 

Ruff and Dunlin - Fluke Dub - 20 September 2014

 

In the end, I saw 55 species of bird including Red-throated Diver, Brent Geese, Gadwall, Greenshank, Whimbrel, Kingfisher, Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher and lots of Wheatears ......

 

Wheatear - 20 September 2014

 

Tomorrow I shall report on my second trip.