Bay Watch

Now that lock down restrictions have eased and we have been able to go further afield I was able to visit Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve in East Lothian. It was lovely to get a change of scene!

The tide was in over the estuary and I was welcomed back by the evocative call of a curlew. Curlews have long down-curved bills perfect for rooting out worms, shrimps and small crabs as well as grassland insects and sometimes other birds’ eggs.

I saw lots of deer, some hiding in the long grasses, others in plain sight. This doe and fawn were on the other side of the wooden footbridge, foraging in the evening sunshine.

This one was enjoying the warmth of the sun on its back.

There were lots of skylarks around, singing higher and higher in the sky and then seemingly parachuting back down to the ground where they have their nests. They can be difficult to spot high up in the sky.

Here is one singing its heart out at the top of a bush.

There were also lots of reed buntings about.

Stone chats are another common bird at the reserve, and I have also seen a pair up by the lane at home.

The path at the nature reserve leads all the way to sand dunes and the open sea. As I got close to the sand dunes I noticed a couple of rabbits hopping about the path in front of me. I took photos from quite far back as I thought they would be timid.

It turned out the rabbits were quite unfazed by me and I was able to get some close up photos of them.

I could have picked this baby one up and popped it in my rucksack!

I’ve always got my eye out for owls at the reserve. There are short eared owls that hunt by day and in winter long-eared owls have been spotted roosting in bushes. However I’ve not had any luck seeing them. There’s always next time …

The geese were settling down for the night in the middle of a small loch and I decided it was time I settled down for the night too.