Musselburgh is an excellent coastal site that hosts a very great variety of birdlife - easily viewed from a miles long promenade. We usually start our walk from the banks of the mouth of the River Esk and do a circular trail along the promenade to a lagoon about a mile away and back along an inland path that runs parallel to the coast. This path passes through grassy woodland and so offers a different range of birds - so enriching the birding experience.
Musselburgh
30th January 2011
   
Weather:
Wild, cold and windy
   
We returned to Musselburgh only a week after our previous visit for two main reasons. Firstly, we drove East, as the Met Office predicted that that's where the best weather was going to be. Secondly, we rather fancied getting better views of the Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter. We started at the Esk Estuary and moved East along the Promenade, which is part of the John Muir Coastal Walk. We doubled back at the hide at the east-most lagoon. The Baltic weather chilled us to the bone but we managed to bag a few decent pictures - including one of the Long-tailed Duck. We rounded off the trip at the Harbour - but the tide was in and only Black-headed Gulls were in evidence.
                           
As I inspected the Esk estuary a female Mallard swam past.
A lonely Redshank foraged for any morsel it could find.
The cold windy weather seemed to bring this small flock of Turnstones to a chittering standstill.
At a location adjacent to the Lagoons a pair of Long-tailed Ducks fluttered past at speed some 100 m offshore
Under Construction
Flocks of Oystercatcher swept in and out of sight nervously searching for the best palces to settle.
 

Black-headed Gulls rested on Musselburgh Harbour wall awaiting theIr next opportunity for a meal.
A flock of Eider patrolled the cold windy coast.


 
POSTSCRIPT: On the way home, as we drove past the Derby Inn, Mossend, John got his first sight of Waxwings.