Cramond Beach, Cramond, Edinburgh EH4 6NU
The Cramond Shore, up until the Silverknowes Beach, is a great place to observe many waders during low tide, and even occasionally Common Shelducks. During high tide, it is also interesting to witness some winter visitors like the Red-throated Diver.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)
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Cramond Island, Cramond, Edinburgh EH4 6NU
Cramond Island is one of many along the Firth of Forth; it can be reached on low tide following a bridge, the Cramond Causeway. The island houses many old fortifications from the WW2 era, and it is also a great place to observe coastal birds and seabirds crossing the Firth of Forth, such as the Eider duck. Particularly during low tide, many waders, such as the Oystercatcher, the Dunlin or the Redshank, can be seen stirring sandy mud looking for seaweed, small invertebrate, and shells.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)
Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
The National Museum of Scotland hosts a collection of birds donated by two of Scotland’s pioneering ornithologists, Evelyn V. Baxter (1879-1959) and Leonora J. Rintoul (1878-1953). Many birds in the collection come from research and observations around Edinburgh and the Fife coast, with some sites located within this tour such as the Isle of May. Collecting bird specimens was essential in the mid-18th to mid-20th to advance knowledge on avian diversity and differentiate one species of bird from another. Today the collection of around 1,200 bird skins donated to the museum by Baxter and Rintoul is still used for comparative studies.
The two ornithologists are considered pioneers in Scotland as they were honorary members of the British Ornithological Union (BOU), founding members of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club in 1948, novel researchers on the migration of birds, and publishers of a book still considered today as a reference: The Birds of Scotland, their History, Distribution and Migration (1953).
Sources:
National Museum of Scotland Website; The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club Website; Scottish Seabird Centre (‘Celebrating Women in Science’)
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15 Old Church Lane, Duddingston, Edinburgh EH15 3PX
Located on the southern side of Holyrood Park, in the heart of Edinburgh, the Duddingston Loch is a great place to have a close encounter with several species of ducks and geese, and perhaps even spot some wintering migrants like the Great Northern Diver. It has been a Scottish Wildlife Trust bird sanctuary since 1925 and is home to breeding species of ducks such as the Canada goose, Pink-footed Goose, Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe, or passerines such as Reed Bunting or Willow Warbler.
Of particular note, the western end of the loch is the largest heronry in the Lothians. The Northern shore of the loch, accessible from the car park west of Duddingston Village, is the perfect place for a close encounter with the groups of ducks, geese, and swans breeding around the loch.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group); Scottish Wildlife Trust
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57 Abbeyhill, Edinburgh EH8 8DZ
Just in front of the Holyrood Palace gardens, this nest box is among many in Edinburgh and may be easily missed as you walk to the nearby Holyrood Palace or Scottish Parliament. But take a break on your walk and take note! This is a great place to witness some garden birds such as the European goldfinch, the Bullfinch, the Robin, the Chaffinch or the Blue Tit. As you walk in Edinburgh, try to spot some of these garden birds.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk
Hermitage of Braid, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ
The Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Nature Reserve offers some characteristic birdwatching of the woodlands. You can try spotting birds flying from tree to tree, but the easier option is to carefully listen for the birds singing. Often, their songs are a way to signal and mark their territory or to call their partner. You can train your bird song ID skills with online resources such as the RSPB website but you can also you the Merlin Bird ID App, developed by the Cornell Lab for Ornithology.
The woodlands of the reserve are home not only to passerines such as Tits, the Bullfinch, the Greenfinch, the Goldfinch, the Nuthatch, and the Goldcrest, but also birds of prey like the Sparrowhawk, Owls, Kestrels, and Buzzards. By the Blackford Pond, you may spot some swans, ducks, and gulls.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group); Friends of the Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve
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Flotterstone, Edinburgh, Penicuik EH26 0PR
Located south of Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills Regional Park is a good area to get a glimpse of the Scottish mountains wildlife without going to the Highlands. Along the hiking paths, especially from Flotterstone, you can hear – and perhaps see – some Pheasants, as well as the Red Grouse, an endemic species to the Scottish mountains. Along the few lochs and reservoirs in the park, such as Threpmuir, you can spot some hunting birds like the Cuckoo, Skylarks or Peregrine Falcons. You might also see waders breeding such as the Curlew and the Common Sandpiper.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)
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Shorthope Street, Musselburgh EH21
Running through Midlothian and East Lothian, the River Esk ends in the neighbouring city of Musselburgh. The mouth of the River Esk is a good place to spot groups of swans, Canada geese, gulls, Goldeneyes, Mergansers, and Goosanders. Spanning from the city centre of Musselburgh (‘Store’ Footbridge) to the seashore, the walk ends with a view over Edinburgh and the bay.
Especially at low tide, many waders breeding at the nearby Lagoons can be seen feeding. Between mid-summer and early autumn, up to 200 Mute Swans gather here on their migrating journey.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; East Lothian Council
Musselburgh Lagoons, Musselburgh EH21 7QE
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.
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.
Sources:
Individual Researcher Walk; RSPB (Scottish Nature Note by Molly Martin); Birdingplaces.eu; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)
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Longniddry EH32 0QB
In 1952, Aberlady Bay was the first site to be designated a Nature Reserve in the UK. Its great variety of habitats, from low water to salt marsh and sand dunes, makes it an important breeding site for the local bird life, as well as migrants. As in most of the sites covered in this tour, the birds that you may be able to spot differ according to the season. In autumn, Aberlady Bay is the wintering ground of over 30,000 pink-footed geese migrating from Iceland up to the coasts of South Europe and North Africa. Passerines such as Wheatears, Whitethroats, and Blackcaps also nest on site, along with species of waders like the Redshank or the Lapwing.
Sources:
The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club; RSPB (Edinburgh Area Local Group)
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