Aberlady Bay

These Michaelmas daisies blooming on the edge of the saltmarshes at Aberlady Nature Reserve mean it's autumn and the time for the arrival of winter migrant birds. As the tide came in covering the seashore the air was full of the sounds of innumerable waders. About half a kilometre beyond were hundreds of geese resting, while above the calls of more geese announced their arrival after the long journey from the Arctic breeding grounds. The arrival of the first geese was reported on 9th September and now there could be 10,000 in the bay each evening. Most of the geese flying by this afternoon were barnacle geese but later in the winter there will thousands of pink foot geese seen each dawn and dusk.

Barnacle geese breed mainly on islands in the North Atlantic with three main populations breeding and wintering in separate areas. Those at Aberlady will travel 2500 km (over 1500miles) from Svalbard, an island north of Norway, to spend winter on the Solway Firth between Scotland and England and are grateful to rest in the bay where they feed on the plants nearby. Walkers are requested to keep to the paths in order not to disturb the birds' much needed rest but most people wandering past had huge cameras and binoculars and were probably able to get good photos of birds without disturbing them.