Little Egret
July/Aug 2010
A Little Egret has been spotted around the Tyne and Biel estuaries. Formerly a rarity in Scotland this beautiful bird is being seen more regularly around wetland areas.
Sand Lizard
Saturday 3rd July 2010
A lizard was spotted climbing out of a hole on East Beach Dunbar! It was photographed at the Friends of John Muir's Birthplace Annual Sand Sculpture Competition! Other creatures included a turtle, an octopus, a duck and a lobster.
Herring Gulls
Thursday 1st July 2010
Image courtesy of Liz Curtis
Tug-of-war! An adult Herring Gull was photographed fighting over a flatfish with a juvenile gull at Victoria Harbour, Dunbar. The adult gull won!
Kittiwakes
Wednesday 30th June 2010
Image courtesy of Liz Curtis
East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service have counted over 1,000 Kittiwakes nesting on the old castle walls and surrounds at the Victoria Harbour, Dunbar. We are very fortunate to be able to observe Kittiwakes and their chicks here at close hand as usually they nest on precipitous cliff edges and stacks out at sea.
Buzzard
Wednesday 30th June 2010
Sightings of buzzards in flight or perching on fenceposts in the local Dunbar area. Often seen when driving along the A1.
Northern Marsh Orchid
Wednesday 16th June 2010
A colony of Northern Marsh Orchid (tbc) was spotted alongside the Skateraw/Torness footpath, Dunbar.
Grey Heron
Wednesday 12th May 2010
Grey herons were spotted nesting on a Scots Pine tree near Dunbar
Otter
Wednesday 12th May 2010
An otter was spotted on the coast east of Dunbar
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Wednesday 5th May 2010
First new crop of small tortoiseshell seen at Castle Park, Dunbar
Wood Anemone
Tuesday 27th April 2010
Beautiful show of Wood Anemone on hillslopes by the path to Edin's Hall Broch near Abbey St Bathans. Also Wood Sorrel and some Primroses.
Meadow Saxifrage
Monday 26th April 2010
Several plants growing along the Clifftop Trail, Dunbar.
Coltsfoot
Sunday 25th April 2010
Image courtesy of Hugh Panton
Saw clumps of Coltsfoot pushing their way up through the hard mud crust of recently disturbed ground. The flowers appear first then the leaves (shaped like a colts foot).
Biel Estuary, Belhaven
Tuesday 20th April 2010
15 mute swans with juveniles, 2 pairs of courting eider duck, a small flock of oystercatchers and a heron were gathered around the mouth of the burn.
Swallows
Tuesday 20th April 2010
Eight swallows were seen swooping along the cliffs at Dunbar. The brave wee things have made their way back from Africa - despite ash clouds!
Swans and geese
Little Egret
July/Aug 2010
A Little Egret has been spotted around the Tyne and Biel estuaries. Formerly a rarity in Scotland this beautiful bird is being seen more regularly around wetland areas.
Sand Lizard
Saturday 3rd July 2010
A lizard was spotted climbing out of a hole on East Beach Dunbar! It was photographed at the Friends of John Muir's Birthplace Annual Sand Sculpture Competition! Other creatures included a turtle, an octopus, a duck and a lobster.
Herring Gulls
Thursday 1st July 2010
Image courtesy of Liz Curtis
Tug-of-war! An adult Herring Gull was photographed fighting over a flatfish with a juvenile gull at Victoria Harbour, Dunbar. The adult gull won!
Kittiwakes
Wednesday 30th June 2010
Image courtesy of Liz Curtis
East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service have counted over 1,000 Kittiwakes nesting on the old castle walls and surrounds at the Victoria Harbour, Dunbar. We are very fortunate to be able to observe Kittiwakes and their chicks here at close hand as usually they nest on precipitous cliff edges and stacks out at sea.
Buzzard
Wednesday 30th June 2010
Sightings of buzzards in flight or perching on fenceposts in the local Dunbar area. Often seen when driving along the A1.
Northern Marsh Orchid
Wednesday 16th June 2010
A colony of Northern Marsh Orchid (tbc) was spotted alongside the Skateraw/Torness footpath, Dunbar.
Grey Heron
Little Egret
July/Aug 2010
A Little Egret has been spotted around the Tyne and Biel estuaries. Formerly a rarity in Scotland this beautiful bird is being seen more regularly around wetland areas.
Sand Lizard
Saturday 3rd July 2010
A lizard was spotted climbing out of a hole on East Beach Dunbar! It was photographed at the Friends of John Muir's Birthplace Annual Sand Sculpture Competition! Other creatures included a turtle, an octopus, a duck and a lobster.
Herring Gulls
Thursday 1st July 2010
Image courtesy of Liz Curtis
Tug-of-war! An adult Herring Gull was photographed fighting over a flatfish with a juvenile gull at Victoria Harbour, Dunbar. The adult gull won!
Kittiwakes
Little Egret
July/Aug 2010
A Little Egret has been spotted around the Tyne and Biel estuaries. Formerly a rarity in Scotland this beautiful bird is being seen more regularly around wetland areas.
Sand Lizard
Saturday 3rd July 2010
A lizard was spotted climbing out of a hole on East Beach Dunbar! It was photographed at the Friends of John Muir's Birthplace Annual Sand Sculpture Competition! Other creatures included a turtle, an octopus, a duck and a lobster.
Herring Gulls
Thursday 1st July 2010
Image courtesy of Liz Curtis
Tug-of-war! An adult Herring Gull was photographed fighting over a flatfish with a juvenile gull at Victoria Harbour, Dunbar. The adult gull won!
Wednesday 30th June 2010
Image courtesy of Liz CurtisWednesday 12th May 2010
Grey herons were spotted nesting on a Scots Pine tree near Dunbar
Otter
Wednesday 12th May 2010
An otter was spotted on the coast east of Dunbar
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Wednesday 5th May 2010
First new crop of small tortoiseshell seen at Castle Park, Dunbar
Wood Anemone
Tuesday 27th April 2010
Beautiful show of Wood Anemone on hillslopes by the path to Edin's Hall Broch near Abbey St Bathans. Also Wood Sorrel and some Primroses.
Meadow Saxifrage
Monday 26th April 2010
Several plants growing along the Clifftop Trail, Dunbar.
Coltsfoot
Sunday 25th April 2010
Image courtesy of Hugh Panton
Saw clumps of Coltsfoot pushing their way up through the hard mud crust of recently disturbed ground. The flowers appear first then the leaves (shaped like a colts foot).
Biel Estuary, Belhaven
Tuesday 20th April 2010
15 mute swans with juveniles, 2 pairs of courting eider duck, a small flock of oystercatchers and a heron were gathered around the mouth of the burn.
Swallows
Tuesday 20th April 2010
Eight swallows were seen swooping along the cliffs at Dunbar. The brave wee things have made their way back from Africa - despite ash clouds!
Saturday 10th April 2010
12 Mute swans and 3 Greylag geese were seen on Seafield Pond, Belhaven, Dunbar
Whalebone
Saturday 3rd April 2010
A section of whalebone was found on the beach following recent bad storm and landslide.
Woodpecker
Friday 2nd April 2010
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Woodpeckers were heard drumming in Lochend woods
Peacock Butterfly
Friday 2nd April 2010
A Peacock butterfly was seen flitting amongst meadow grasses on a sunny slope by the Clifftop Trail in Dunbar. This one will have newly emerged from hibernation. Peacock butterflies are on the wing in spring and lay eggs in late spring. The caterpillars feed mainly on nettles and change into butterflies during the summer. These summer butterflies will hibernate over winter and emerge again the following spring...
Frogspawn
Sunday 28th March 2010
Our garden pond is hoaching with frogs and spawn! We counted over fifty frogs this morning - croaking and splashing and clambering over each other. They have spawned at least a week later this year than last. This winter we have had thick ice covering the pond for weeks at a time. Hopefully the weather has turned a bit milder now and the spawn will survive.
Gannets
Wednesday 24th March 2010
Image courtesy of Steve Jones
The Gannets are back! We saw them flying low across the sea from our office window in Dunbar today. You can watch them from Belhaven Bay, the Clifftop Trail, East Beach ... and along most of the John Muir Way! For a closer look at the gannets you can go to www.seabird.org and watch them on the Bass Rock via the webcam!
Seal pup
Saturday 13th March 2010
A visitor walking the John Muir Way near Dunbar reported a lone baby seal lying on the rocks. Normally the advice is to leave pups alone as their mothers are likely to be fishing off shore, but will return to feed and look after their pups. However, the visitor felt that the pup may have been injured. This pup was born late in the season as normally seals are weaned and away by Jan/Feb.
The SPCA were contacted for advice and they decided to check it out, but due to limited resources could not arrive before nightfall. Local wildlife enthusiast, Sam, 16, agreed to monitor the pup with daily visits and was pleased to find no major injuries, and also to see milk around the pup's mouth. The mother was not far away. By the third day the pup had left.
Many thanks to Sam! And good luck to little Sammy!
Fox Cub
Wednesday 17th Feb 2010
In the evening we sometimes see the occasional fox cub 'sauntering' along the back gardens at Belhaven on his way to John Muir Country Park. This morning though, when I was out walking the dog as usual, I suddenly realised there was a cub sitting just a few yards in front of me on Winterfield Golf Course! The cub and our dog looked at each other and both seemed unconcerned, before the cub padded off across the course!