best part of the day: diminishing returns

And it all started so well.

20th Jan, the day after the hastily thrown together trip to Cammo, the weather also looked promising. Although I have been avoiding big days out (or even small ones) back-to-back, there weren't enough decent forecast days in January to discard one while I caught my breath. So, after a late-ish night processing photos from Cammo I chose another outfit, this time running specific, not just as many clothes as possible against the weather, and heaved myself out of bed in time to get up to Waverley for the 10.39 train to Longniddry.

the only bullfinch photos of the day

I swithered about getting a station coffee. I can't remember the last coffee I had. Weeks ago. I have just got out the habit and was sort of saving the caffeine rush for when I might need it. Today nearly fitted that bill but the promise of wildlife between Longniddry and Gullane was sufficient to cheer me up and I side-stepped the caffeine. I had seen photos of fieldfares (at last!) posted by John S on Lothian Birdwatch, taken in Aberlady and they were the primary target today. Also an unexpected caffeine rush might provoke alternative and less desirable side effects.

I started down the road to the coastal trails just before 11 and the weather was shaping up nicely. A bit of a haze on the Forth, and Edinburgh behind 2 layers of tracing paper, but the sun was battling through and it wasn't too Baltic. I was wearing shorts which made sense while running but may have looked a little too keen in moments when I was standing still taking photos. I had a light jacket over a couple of running tops which worked fine for jogging along the trails. I kept the pace gentle to avoid getting soaked through.

quite a few robins about

redwing

The tide was well out and I ran past a pocket of waders.

at Aberlady they'd done a hard trim on the memorial garden hedge

There was a telephone pole of starlings where the corner swings left then right. Sadly they were too frisky to get close to and most flew off long before that. After photographing a more obliging house sparrow in the bushes below I walked out towards where the starlings had landed and were pecking in the long grass. They took off again and flew closer to the estuary. At least I got some in flight shots.

house sparrow (f)
apparently in decline and much rarer now than when I was young

starlings

A little egret was fishing in the ponds between the far end of Aberlady and the bridge to enchantment. It saw my approach along the pavement and removed itself to further away.

It was still just about near enough to video. However I have cropped in (in post) and also slowed it down to .75 speed of the original which was kinda jumpy. If you didn't know this I'm sure you wouldn't realise. Soundtrack: Endless by Portico Quartet.

redshank

curlews

fieldfare

After I crossed the bridge to the reserve I could hear fieldfares, possibly in the buckthorn bushes. From time to time a few flew high in the air. I could not get close to any of them. Rather than spend time chasing them I thought I'd bump into more obliging specimens later and kept moving.

Marl Loch

hebridean sheep

chaffinch

meanwhile on the Forth

yeah, somewhere in there

Normally I'd head to Aberlady beach to scout for sanderlings and the like. However I felt I should stick to the task, which meant taking the trail up the side of the golf course and watching the sea buckthorn for fieldfares (plus stonechats and any other birds there.) I came across a large grouped clump of buckthorn and could hear those elusive fieldfares but none of them were sitting up high for a photo. I spent 10 minutes creeping quietly around 2 sides of the clump of bushes and although one or 2 burst from the shrubs they would circle round to the far side and land before I could even raise the camera. It was very frustrating.

click twice for audio of fieldfares
and put volume up

So while standing around hoping the fieldfares would appear I recorded some video entirely for the soundtrack of the birds calling (like a sort of clucking chuckle) to each other (with obligatory wind noise) which I intended to use as the audio track when I later got some excellent slo-mo close ups of the birds. Ha! One thing it does convey is the utter pointless feeling you get when you know the birds are very nearby but refusing to show themselves. Seasoned bird enthusiasts will be all too familiar with this situation.

Once you pass the high point you descend on a thin trail signposted Gullane Point between high bushes of buckthorn and every type of thorn. Hawthorn and blackthorn likely. Again the birds made plenty noise but stayed well hidden. I marched on towards Gullane where I reckoned they'd be easier to photo in the high trees behind the car park, where they gather most years.

On the way I noticed a couple of young looking roe deer who hadn't noticed me. I took some distant photos and then moved in a bit closer. By this time a large purple grey cloud had covered the sun, and the light for the rest of the day was awful.

There were some oystercatchers in the car park. I pretended to skirt round them but they could tell I was moving in their direction and they flew in a big circle before returning to much the same spot.

I spent maybe another half hour wandering around the dunes on the other side of the car parks trying to get close to fieldfares. They were moving from one tree top to another and were far too lively to get close to. In the end I gave up as there was no point trying to get close when the light was so bad. I walked into Gullane and bought a sandwich at the Coop. I stood waiting (in damp clothes) for the bus, feeling cold and miserable. At least 2 or 3 were timetabled to show up while I was there. Eventually the slower of the 2 options showed up after I'd stood for an unpleasant 35 minutes. At least the bus was warmer than standing in the street. I ran back the last mile down Easter Rd to try to keep warm.

The only worthwhile thing I found in Gullane to photograph was this sculpture
in Fidra Art Gallery which is wrapped in Tunnock teacake wrappers I think.