Boatbirder.com: 📖 Musselburgh Weekend 6/7th September 2025

Autumn is my favourite time of year, and from a birdwatching perspective, the season started off slowly, but things are looking promising. Unfortunately, I missed a brief sighting of a Wilson's Phalarope on the Ythan Estuary on the 2nd by about half an hour.

My annual October trip to Shetland is just around the corner, and thankfully, I'm now beginning to walk a bit farther with less discomfort. Since I had already planned a weekend getaway in Lothian with the RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group this weekend, I decided to give it a go, of course, accompanied by my brilliant wife, Dazza. It turned out to be a fantastic weekend filled with some great birds, including a lifer, wonderful company, and even some excellent food. We were based around Musselburgh, which proved to be an inspired choice!

On Saturday morning, we began our outing at the old scrapes at Levenhall Links, where we enjoyed excellent views of Dunlin, Snipe, Ruff, and Little Stint. After some time, we moved to the sea wall to scan the Firth of Forth, where we quickly located a Red-necked Grebe, one of our target species. We also observed a significant number of Velvet Scoter, some surprisingly close to the shore, which allowed everyone to appreciate the plumage details. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the Surf Scoter and White-winged Scoter reported the previous week. There were plenty of Gannets, Eider, Guillemots, Razorbill and a few Red-breasted Mergansers.

A couple of Velvet Scoters on the move.

At the mouth of the River Esk, hundreds of birds were gradually pushed along by the tide. Among them were five species of gull: Herring, Common, Black-headed, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed, along with Goosander, Curlew, Turnstone, Dunlin, and Tufted Duck. A large flock of Mute Swans included a solitary Whooper Swan, and both Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits were spotted.

Lesser Black-backed Gull parenting.

Then the excitement kicked in! A Marsh Sandpiper had been sighted at one of the pools about 2 kilometres east of the reserve. This was going to be a real test for my ankle! I think David Leslie felt like running, but as the designated guide for the weekend, he held back and stayed perfectly professional.

Marsh Sandpiper

The trek to the Marsh Sandpiper spot was tough, and Dazza and I ended up being the last ones there. Luckily, as I scrambled up the bank, the group already had the bird in the scope—a lifer for all of us! From what I know, this is only the 10th record for Scotland. Everyone in the group got to enjoy the sighting, along with a great lineup of Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Snipe, and Dunlin.

Some of the group at the Marsh Sandpiper.

After such a great morning, the afternoon seemed hard to top. However, after a quick lunch break, we made our way to Aberlady Bay, where the high tide had drawn in an impressive number of birds along the edges. We spotted at least nine Little Egrets, a single Wheatear on the grassy shore, and flocks of Greylag Geese, Lapwing, Redshank, and Starlings. While the group ventured off for a walk around the reserve, I chose to stay on a bench and skip the walk, as my ankle was feeling a bit sore. I did get good views of a Sparrowhawk, which scattered the flocks.

We continued our journey to Gullane Point to scan the Forth. We spotted many Common Scoters, and hundreds of Gannets passed by and fished offshore, although it was generally quiet overall. Several members of the group returned to their accommodation before dinner, including Dazza and me.

On Sunday morning, we met at Dalmeny for a walk to Hound Point. Leaving the cars, we quickly spotted plenty of Fulmars near the Forth Bridge and Common Tern and Sandwich Terns offshore. In the wooded area, we added Coal, Great, Blue, and Long-tailed Tits, along with a Treecreeper and a Chiffchaff in the same feeding flock. Surprisingly, a Chaffinch was our first of the weekend! Near the point, we scanned the beach and spotted Bar-tailed Godwits and a few Dunlins, while offshore, both Great Skua (Bonxie) and Arctic Skuas were harassing other birds to steal their catch. A flock of Wigeon flew by, led by a lone Pintail, and on our way back through the woods, a loud call alerted us to a Nuthatch. The group spotted at least two high up in a beech tree, along with some other small birds.

A (Bonxie) Great Skua passes Hound Point.

Our final stop of the weekend was Loch Leven RSPB Reserve on the route back to Aberdeen. The area around the centre was pretty quiet, but scanning the loch, we spotted Tufted Duck, Pochard, Little and Great-crested Grebe, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, and Goldeneye. A Marsh Harrier was seen over the reeds, and an Osprey made an appearance, later seen carrying a large fish. We walked out to the hides, where a Moorhen was about the only new species we added, and we returned to the visitor centre just as the rain began. It was an excellent weekend, with a great number of species spotted, including some species harder to find in Aberdeenshire. A brilliant weekend was enjoyed by all.