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A199 Slavonian Grebe Slavonian

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HADDINGTON

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Height barriers are in existence. existence. in are barriers Height Height barrier: barrier: Height There is a height barrier at the entrance off off entrance the at barrier height a is There Height barrier: barrier: Height

the autumn (Sept/Oct best), and swans. and best), (Sept/Oct autumn the A199 Gosford Bay Gosford

in geese the are as resident, are Wagtail Grey and Dipper

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7

A1807 Waterston House Waterston

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6

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the include can Sands) Seton (on bay the of end west the at

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Bass Rock Bass

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5

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4 plunge diving close inshore (Feb-Oct) inshore close diving plunge Gannet

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3

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in late summer. summer. late in amongst breed which Pipit, Meadow and Skylark for out Look

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look out for during your visit: your during for out look

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Gosford Bay Gosford

at close range on the rising tide. tide. rising the on range close at Red-necked Grebe Red-necked year round. round. year

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salt marsh and man-made lagoons), a corresponding large number number large corresponding a lagoons), man-made and marsh salt

(July-August)

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To Prestonpans Prestonpans To

coastline (including estuaries, beaches, cliffs, dunes, rocky islands, islands, rocky dunes, cliffs, beaches, estuaries, (including coastline A great site to see... to site great A Golf course Golf

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Musselburgh Lagoons Musselburgh

John Muir Way Muir John

Suggested route Suggested KEY

FREE Useful information The SOC Getting to Plan your journey to the coast using public transport at Watching over our birds * www.traveline.info or call 0871 200 22 33 * First Bus Edinburgh timetable information www.firstgroup.com Join us... Scotrail train timetables, fare and ticket information * www.scotrail.co.uk or call 0344 556 5636 Whether you’re new to birdwatching, a keen ornithologist or somewhere in between, the SOC can help you further your * Walk or cycle the www.johnmuirway.org knowledge and enjoyment of Scotland’s wonderful birdlife. * Access and site information can change. If in doubt check with Scotland’s About Waterston House the landowner or East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service. Who are we? Bird Club Information on birdwatching in East Lothian On the one hand, a birdwatching club. Lothian Bird News groups.yahoo.com/group/lothianbirdnews/ The SOC is Scotland’s bird club with 15 branches around the country * and a growing membership of over 3000. We bring together like-minded For up-to-the-minute information on bird sightings and rarities The perfect place to individuals with a passion for birds, nature and conservation. * in the Lothians, contact Birdline Scotland on 09068 700234* Birdwatching resources begin your birding * * Please note this is a premium rate service. Visit www.the-soc.org.uk/birdline-scotland/ On the other, a network of volunteers across Scotland, * Recent sightings board trip to the area or for more information. gathering vital information about our wild birds. Tide tables if you’re new to Recording and monitoring is our bread and butter. The data we collect * birdwatching and Optical equipment is made available to conservationists, planners and developers and * looking to get started. is one of the first points of reference in informed conservation planning. Wildlife art gallery * The SOC is very grateful for the BEFORE YOU GO... financial support received from Year-round programme the following funders: What’s in it for you? * of events and exhibitions Make sure you check the tide tables. For scanning, the use of a telescope * Library and children’s corner could enhance your visit! Gifts, bird food, cards, * second-hand books PLEASE NOTE: Parking charges may apply & artists’ prints at a number of the locations featured. * Wildflower garden (seasonal) AFTER YOUR VISIT * Toilets Tea/coffee making facilities Why not enter your sightings on BIRDTRACK? * www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdtrack * Welcome * The Club’s journal * A free thank you pack every quarter gift when you pay * * + an anonymous donor by Direct Debit

Contact us Visit us at SOC HQ Enjoy Scotland’s PLUS... ANNUAL Telephone: 01875 871 330 The SOC outdoors responsibly Email: [email protected] Waterston House MEMBERSHIP RATES • take responsibility for your own actions * Talks and Website: www.the-soc.org.uk Aberlady outings across Adult (aged 18+) £32 www.facebook.com/ East Lothian EH32 0PY • respect the interests of other people Scotland Family (2 adults and all juniors at the same address) scotlandsbirdclub £43 Open 7 days a week (except • care for the environment. Junior/Student (in full time education) www.twitter.com/ over the festive period). * Access to £12 Scottish Ornithologists’ Club scottishbirding Check website for detailed Scotland’s Unwaged (in receipt of state benefit) opening hours. £12 largest Concession (pensioner) £24 ornithological Joint Concession (at same address) £31 © The SOC 2015. The SOC is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated library To join the SOC or for more information www.the-soc.org.uk Organisation SC009859. Design by LSDZIN www.lsdzin.com. about membership call Slavonian Grebe by Ray Wilson www.raywilsonbirdphotography.co.uk. 01875 871 330 Red-necked Grebe by Hugh Harrop www.hughharrop.com. The opportunity visit www.the-soc.org.uk Belhaven Bay Aerial image by Cameron McVean/ Ashton Communication. * or Pink-footed Geese at Waterston House by Ian Andrews. Bass Rock cover to connect email [email protected] image by Roy Merrifield www.roymerrifieldphotography.com. with leading *Rates valid until August 2017, subject to change thereafter. Waterston House image by June Scott. All other photography Offer not available to previous introductory offer subscribers. courtesy of Laurie Campbell www.lauriecampbell.com. bird experts Please note, a £15 postage supplement applies to non-UK addresses. Leaflet reprinted August 2015. **Terms and conditions apply. See website for details.

140915_SOC_16PP_DL_LEAFLET_FINAL.indd 1 14/09/2015 23:30:19 POINT The first Local Nature Reserve in Britain KEY Aberlady Bay * 5 Suggested route A bird list almost unrivalled elsewhere John Muir Way Bass Rock * on mainland Scotland Driving road P Parking A large area of mixed habitats on 6 Kilspindie * the edge of a tidal bay &

4 Gullane Point NO PUBLIC ACCESS

ABERLADY BAY To North BerwickA198 

Shag Aberlady Bay offers a diverse range of waders in Marl Loch 3 large numbers. Lapwing, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Gannet Ringed Plover and Sanderling are all easy to see. 2 Wildfowl are also present in high numbers including Teal, Mallard, Shelduck and Wigeon. In winter, Geese over SOC HQ 1 The Bass Rock is the biggest Northern gannet colony in the world. Peregrine and Merlin can be seen hunting the bay. 8 P KILSPINDIE Peffer Burn During peak breeding season, the rock literally swirls with birds, From early September, up to 30,000 including the activity of around 150,000 Gannets. Waterston House 7 Pink-footed Geese can descend on the county to Goose Green A number of other species of seabird utilise the rock. spend the winter here or fuel up before continuing south. P Seeing them fly in to roost on the bay at dusk 9 ABERLADY Healthy breeding populations of Shag is a spectacular site and one not to be missed! and Guillemot occupy the lower ledges.

There are often Barnacle Geese in their midst. A137 Puffin are found in significant numbers A198 1 km on the nearby Forth island of Craigleith. Watch the spectacle from the car park or Goose Green Stonechat or join in with one of the SOC’s Goosewatch events. The Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick harbour offers visitors the chance to drop in STARTSTART Access Access to to the the reserve reserve is is via via Gullane Point at the north end of the reserve 7 Goose Green is an excellent place on seabird city life, with remote controlled 1 5 reserveis a good is locationa good location from which from to whichscan tothe toto watchwatch thethe birdsbirds inin thethe baybay andand cameras on the Bass and neighbouring thethe wooden wooden bridge bridge where where you you are are immediatelyimmediately greeted greeted by by waders waders and and scanForth and is an excellent place to view thethe geesegeese inin autumn.autumn. Forth islands. The centre also has exclusive wildfowlwildfowl on on the the Peffer Peffer BurnBurn below.below. theseabird Forth passage. and is an Red-throated excellent place Diver to andview tea/coffee making facilities and Bass landing rights. Contact the Seabird seabirdCommon passage. Scoter Red-throatedare all common Diver in winter, and 8 Walk from Goose Green to Kilspindie checkingchecking thethe baybay forfor birdsbirds asas youyou go.go. toilets are available. Friendly staff and Centre on 01620 890 202 or visit CrossingCrossing the the bridge bridge heading heading for for Commonwith rafts Scoter of Eider are presentall common all year. in winter, volunteers will be delighted to point you in 2 their website www.seabird.org thethe Marl Marl Loch, Loch, look look out out for for Whitethroat, Whitethroat, with rafts of Eider present all year. Waterston House, the HQ of the SOC, the direction of your next wildlife spectacle SedgeSedge Warbler Warbler (summer) (summer) and and Reed Reed Bunting Bunting 6 As you return to the car park, look out for 9 for more information. AsBullfinch you return and to Fieldfare the car (winter)park, look feeding out for on isis aa mustmust forfor anyany birdwatcherbirdwatcher toto Aberlady.Aberlady. as well as help plan your birdwatching trip enen route route to to to and and around around the the loch loch and and on on RecentA recent sightings sightings board, board, tide tide tables, tables, around the area. thethe way way to to checkpoint checkpoint 4. 4. BullfinchSea Buckthorn. and Fieldfare (winter) feeding on Go on a Forth boat trip with one of the local Sea Buckthorn. See page overleaf for more information operators in the area for the multi-sensory LookLook out out for for ducks ducks and and Little Little GrebeGrebe onon on Waterston House. experience (vocalisations and the whiff of guano). 3 thethe loch loch itself. itself. A large number of birds utilise the reserve throughout the year and it is crucial that visitors keep to the main paths Wheelchair access: TheThe reservereserve isis Details are advertised on the boards at ContinueContinue toto followfollow thethe pathpath towardstowards 4 so as not to disturb breeding, feeding or roosting birds. accessible over a wooden bridge and North Berwick harbour. thethe beach. beach. Watch Watch out out for for Short-eared Short-eared thus is not suitable for wheelchair users. OwlOwl hunting hunting overover thethe marshmarsh oror StonechatStonechat To minimise disturbance to wildlife, dog walkers are requested Some birdwatching from the reserve car The harbour is also a good spot for perchedperched on on a a bush. bush. The The beach beach itself itself is is to walk their dogs at nearby Yellowcraigs, Longniddry or park. Goose Green is wheelchair accessible. seeing Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone favouredfavoured by by Sanderling Sanderling in in winter, winter, wito with at high tide. theSnow dune Bunting edge. sometimes seen along Gullane Bents (beach), which are not nature reserves and only a 5 minute drive away. the dune edge. Puffin 1

KEY Suggested route Barns Ness John Muir Way KEY Driving road Suggested route P Parking John Muir Way T Toilets Driving road Scrub/woodland V Viewpoint White Sands Short-eared Owl H Hide P Parking Ringed Plover T Toilets Campsite Scrub/woodland 1 Wheatear H Salt marsh Shore Road Car Park OUTER BAY 4 Rocks SANDY HIRST V Lothian’s North Sea coast is always WHITE SANDS Lighthouse * BAY SPIKE ISLAND worth a visit, but the Barns Ness No Access area is migrant Mecca in the right  WHITE BARNS NESS To Dunbar T weather conditions/season SANDS To Skateraw  QUARRY 2 3 V (onshore winds or drizzle). P The first area of land for migrants No Access P INNER BAY 3 *  blown off course from Europe. A1087 4 BELHAVEN BAY Dunlin ACTIVE QUARRY To North Berwick Hedderwick Hill T Edinburgh Plantation To No Access T Cement Works  V P 1 P To RIVER TYNE 2 1 START On your way to A1 Biel Water the lighthouse, check out the recently CEMENT WORKS 6  5 V Linkfield Car Park To Dunbar flooded White Sands Quarry, which shows exciting potential for birds and birdwatchers alike and is worth a look A1087 A198 Hedderwick Burn Seafield Pond Ware Road at any time of the year. A small hide on  To Edinburgh the right at the bottom of the hill is the only viewpoint. The undisturbed grassland bordering the lake attracts finches, larks and pipits. Kestrel and 1 START at Linkfield Car Park. Whichever of the indicated routes you take (John Muir Short-eared Owl (winter) may be seen Dunbar Way {blue route} or red route) leads to the inner bay where large numbers of the hunting for small rodents. common waders (including Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover) and wildfowl feed at low tide. Finding them however, can be a challenge; the incoming tide can scatter 2 Continuing towards Barns Ness, birds in all directions and they can feed and roost virtually anywhere in the bay. look out for Stonechat and migrating Wheatear. The scrub around the John Muir Country Park 2 Taking the John Muir Way (signposted) leading to Ware Road, check out Hedderwick ‘wire dump’ and nearby woodlands, plantation for Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper. Continuing along are some of the best places to look the John Muir Way, Sand Martin nest in the small sandy cliffs below the path. for both common and scarce migrants Whitethroat (summer), Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow are best seen along (in favourable weather conditions the Ware Road. e.g. easterly winds) such as warblers, Tyne Estuary flycatchers, thrushes and finches. 3 Taking the red route along the edge of the salt marsh, look out for flocks of Linnet and Twite in the winter. During high spring tides, this area floods and turns into There is even the chance of wader Mecca (e.g. Ringed Plover and Dunlin). a vagrant rarity. The lighthouse is one of the best sites Belhaven Bay 4 The sand spit at the mouth of the estuary is a good place to check the shore for 3 Kittiwake waders (e.g. Grey Plover and Curlew). It’s also an excellent place to see terns fishing in the Lothians for viewing seabird Fulmar in the shallows offshore, particularly in late summer and autumn when large numbers passage with Gannet, auks, Kittiwake, Purple Sandpiper of Goosander also congregate. terns and skuas all possible in the right season (best when onshore winds). At the innermost part of the bay, many of the waders and wildfowl roost at 5 high tide and in winter, this can be a good place to see geese, ducks and swans. 4 The beach to the south-east of During the spring and summer, Dunbar harbour offers excellent the lighthouse is a good place to see A patchwork of habitats, Consequently, it’s a favoured hunting ground of Peregrine and Merlin. views of Kittiwake, which nest on the red sandstone blocks * wagtails and pipits (mainly in winter). attracting a wide range of birds The red route towards Belhaven Bay and Seafield Pond (nearest access from of the old castle walls. With several hundred noisy birds there, throughout the year 6 Shore Road car park) contains a good range of gulls and waders. Seafield Pond holds Height barrier: Height barrier it’s worth a visit for the sound alone. a variety of freshwater duck and Coot. Moorhen and Little Grebe are all regulars. in existence. Due to the large area the park Nesting Fulmar can be seen from the cliff walk west of the harbour * Disabled access: Paths are rough encompasses, the site is accessible Height barrier: Height barrier in existence at Linkfield car park. and the easternmost harbour wall is one of the best places from several directions and hilly and thus unsuitable for Disabled access: Rough paths mean this site is not suitable for wheelchairs. wheelchair users. to see Purple Sandpiper during the winter.

140915_SOC_16PP_DL_LEAFLET_FINAL.indd 2 14/09/2015 23:31:09