Musselburgh Lagoons, Musselburgh EH21 7QE
©M.J. Richardson, Geograph
Following the path along the shore beyond the River Esk, the Musselburgh Lagoons is one of the most famous birdwatching sites in the Lothians. It is home to wintering species of waders, terns, gulls, seaducks and grebes. Several hides are located around the different lagoons as a way to quietly and closely observe the birds without disturbing them. From the shore, often visible species include Velvet and Common Scoter, Cormorants and Divers, as well as Terns, Gannets, and other seabirds breeding on the Islands of the Firth of Forth. From the Lagoons, Long-tailed ducks, Teals, Shovelers, Oystercatchers, Lapwings, Curlews, Bar-tailed, and Black-tailed Godwits can be observed from the different lagoons.
©Vince, Wikimedia Commons
The Musselburgh Lagoons were originally created in 1964 to store ash waste from the former Cockenzie Power Station. The ash lagoons have been capped and landscaped over the years by Scottish Power. Later, with support from the RSPB, two of the lagoons were reconstituted to be wetland areas for breeding birds. As the area is an important breeding ground, it is now part of the Firth of Forth Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protection Area.
©Eddy Van 3000, Wikimedia Commons
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Scottish Nature Note by Molly Martin); Birdingplaces.eu; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)
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