Birdwatching at Musselburgh Lagoons

On a beautiful October day, Wild Reekie member and birdwatcher Ewan took a group of complete novices down the Esk to Musselburgh Lagoons.

We saw a huge range of birds which sit there at high tide, including Oyster catcher, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew, Bar-tailed godwit, Snipe, Lapwing, Grey plover, Teal, Widgeon and Grey heron. Canada goose, Greylag goose, Gooseander, Black headed gull, Herring gull and Lesser black backed gull were in the mouth of the river. Out in the Forth, we saw Merganser, Gannet, Eider duck, Swans and Cormorants. The grassland of Levenhall Links was full of Meadow pipits.

Lapwing (foreground), Teal (behind), Godwits and Oyster catchers (further lagoon)

Snipe on a tussocky island

Many thanks to Ewan for leading such an excellent event: he couldn't have planned the weather, but the route, the perfect state of the tide, the knowledge of the birds we were looking at and the clear explanations all combined to leave a very happy group, with a much better knowledge of the birds that live around Edinburgh's coast.

I hope Ewan will lead some more birdwatching events in future so sign up to follow our Meetup page for these and other events celebrating the wildlife of Edinburgh.

Follow me on Twitter @eleanormharris.