Aberlady Bay

[delia todd]

Anything much happening there if we go this weekend?

D

[tom24]

The new soc hq opens.

[delia todd]

The new soc hq opens.

eh? :h?:

Sorry really being dim after a hard session at work! :gh:

D

[Steve G]

The Scottish Ornithologists Club have built a new HQ & Birding resource centre on the edge of Aberlady village (the opposite side from the Local Nature Reserve) -it opens soon.
If you do go to Aberlady Delia pay a quick visit to Musselburgh lagoons & then take a quick walk out onto the seawall -good for Slav. grebes, Red throated Diver, Velvet Scoter & (soon) Long tailed Duck but you'll need a scope.

[delia todd]

Thanks Steve.

The Scottish Ornithologists Club

Doh wasn't thinking straight!


If you do go to Aberlady Delia pay a quick visit to Musselburgh lagoons & then take a quick walk out onto the seawall

We've really only been to the Golf Course and driven round the bay. A bit hazy on the geography round there. Where are the Musselburgh Lagoons, please.

D

[Steve G]

Hi Delia,
Drive through Musselburgh & past the Race Track up to a roundabout -take the first turn-off (signed to Prestonpans) & drive for about 750m-1km looking for a turn-off on the left with an open gated affair which has a bar across the top preventing vehicles over 6ft from entering -assuming you don't drive an artic. ;) take this road & follow it till it becomes a gravel track -drive along the track till you reach a boating pond -park at the end of the track where the wader scrapes & small reserve are to your right along a small footpath between the willows. The seawall is reached by walking along the track heading north. The site is best visited in the run up to a high tide (check the Leith tide table by clicking on the Bird Forum resources tab at the top of the page).

[Steve G]

....or easier still for tides go to: www.ybw.com/weather/ & click on 14 day tide tables then click on Leith.

[delia todd]

Hi Delia,
Drive through Musselburgh & past the Race Track up to a roundabout -take the first turn-off (signed to Prestonpans) & drive for about 750m-1km looking for a turn-off on the left with an open gated affair which has a bar across the top preventing vehicles over 6ft from entering -assuming you don't drive an artic. ;) take this road & follow it till it becomes a gravel track -drive along the track till you reach a boating pond -park at the end of the track where the wader scrapes & small reserve are to your right along a small footpath between the willows. The seawall is reached by walking along the track heading north. The site is best visited in the run up to a high tide (check the Leith tide table by clicking on the Bird Forum resources tab at the top of the page).

Thanks for that Steve, much appreciated. Will check the tides as you say.

Actually, I'm hoping we can still manage this weekend, as Ken is a bit jet-lagged, just back from America (don't ask -he's got about 100 lifer's). So he's now wondering if he'll be awake early enough tomorrow - may have to put it off till next week. I'll see what the tides are doing and phone him a 5am te he!

D

[markgrubb]

Was at Musselburgh at around 5 today-7 r-t divers, 5 little gull, many slav grebe, gc grebe, velvet scoter++,arctic skua off the sea wall. Scrapes quiet apart from one black tailed godwit and a lame ruff. so hopefully you will see some action if you go

[delia todd]

Was at Musselburgh at around 5 today-7 r-t divers, 5 little gull, many slav grebe, gc grebe, velvet scoter++,arctic skua off the sea wall. Scrapes quiet apart from one black tailed godwit and a lame ruff. so hopefully you will see some action if you go

Thanks Mark sounds good - tides look better for us this weekend than next so he will be up! :-O

D

[markgrubb]

And this is todays wardens report from Aberlady just posted in lothianbirdnews
10,350 Pink-footed Geese (dusk roost)
84 Barnacle Geese
1 (d/b) Brent Goose
1 Canada Goose (one of the small races of indeterminate race!)
2 Twite (1st of winter)
1 Water Rail (Marl Loch)
imm f Peregrine
f/imm Merlin
11 Pintail
1 Arctic Skua
1 Ruff
1 Greenshank

[delia todd]

Thanks Mark - looks like being a good day then, hope the weather stays fair.

D

[delia todd]

Thank you everyone :clap: :clap: - just got back and had a brilliant day. Didn't make it to Aberlady though, we were enjoying Musselburgh too much and couldn't leave.

Found our way in there no bother at all, so thanks for the very clear directions Steve. 15 snipe greeted us at the middle hide, the first one we went into, so knew we were onto a winner for the day! :D

Will try and do a report later, but Ken is away with the list.

D

[Steve G]

Glad to hear it went well Delia.