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Breeding birds and St. Abbs Head

Grade of Trip and walks - easy

Experience the cocophony of thousands of guillimots, razorbills and other seabirds massed on the coastal cliffs around StAbbs Head NNR. The Marine nature reserve also supports grey seals and porpoises. Our wildlife tour starts by visiting the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick with views and cameras on the bass rock with its multitude of gannets. This is followed by a boat journey around St Abbs head observing the puffins, razorbills and nesting seabirds on the coastal cliffs. The aerial display of the terns and puffins being chased by arctic skuas fill the sky. The prrrr of the Eider ducks with their young is a common sound along the coast at this time.

Our botanical foray along the St. Abbs coastal path identifies the numerous smells of the coastal wildflowers of the coastal grasslands and sand dunes. Hear the dawn chorus, a multitude of cries from the meadow pipits and skylarks as they skip and climb above the sandunes. We visit the St Abbs Heritage Centre and display on underwater life of this European Marine Site. The NTS voluntary Marine Reserve Ranger leads a rock pool ramble and wildlife excursion along the coast explaining the features of interest on the site. We explore the coastal cliffs with beautiful wildflowers such purple milk vetch and bird foot trefoil.

We also have a day trip to the Isle of May which is on the May Princess, a tour boat which departs from Anstruther in Fife. The coastline of Fife also offers a wonderful arena for trips to Tentsmuir Point a national nature reserve with a large population of common seals. We may also see kingfishers on the Eden Estuary as they recently appeared to be competing for territories. These sites make up part of the Tay estuary Special Protection Area which is internationally important for its wintering wildfowl and some breeding species which are nationally important for species such as water rail.

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