Club Outing to Aberlady Bay
Eleven members went to the Firth of Forth area at the weekend (11th – 13th November) and the weather was mostly good with excellent light and a total of 98 species seen.
John went via the A68 seeing Red Kite and Hen Harrier. Most Members went via Northumberland Coast with visits to Cresswell Pond which produced Scaup and Avocet. Then to East Chevington for Bittern, Pintail, Little Egret, many Goldeneye, Teal, Wigeon and 5 Long-tailed Duck. The estuary between Amble and Warkworth increased the Wader total as did Budle Bay with Pink Foot and Brent Geese.
Saturday in excellent sunlight was a treat with 200 Waxwings in the village of Gullane. A stop at Cockenzie provided close views of Red-throated Diver. We then went to the Country Park at Musselburgh for a good walk and sea watch… Highlights again many Goldeneye and eventually Common and Velvet Scooter, 2 Slav Grebes, Sandwich Tern and a very large wader roost with perhaps 200 Oystercatchers but the highlight was close prolonged scope views of 4 Twite working their way through Sorrell seeds. At Dusk we went out of the East side of Aberlady Bay to a bank of Buckthorn with orange berries is the sunlight a splendid roost for Fieldfares. Finally at last light 1000s of Pink Feet kept coming in in waves to roost.
On Sunday Morning a walk on the West of the bay produced 2 Peregrine, more Geese, Ducks & Waders as well as possible Chiffchaff. With rain due in the afternoon we went to John Muir Country Park and before the rain came had a feast of some 40 Twite, 20 Snow Buntings and at least 12 Shorelark. David Atkins previously from York was a good guide on his home patch on Saturday and is thanked.
Peter Watson