Driving up from Blackpool I arrived at Killington, the first pick-up, to find a couple of people had already arrived. A quick bit of birding from the car park produced 3 Barnacle Geese and a pair of Great Crested Grebe, as well as the ubiquitous Black-headed Gulls and Canada Geese.

The journey up through the borders to Edinburgh passed through some very attractive countryside. Birds seen en route including Goosander on a small river, and a group of Pink-footed Geese in a field near Biggar. Having spent several days watching Pink-feet on the Fylde mosses in Lancashire this winter I wondered if some of the same birds were involved. Roy Atkins announced there had been a Crane at Aberlady the day before, and when it came on the pager that it was still present we decided to head there first. This was a great relief for me, as one had been found on my doorstep the night before, with news only getting out after nightfall.

Arriving at Aberlady Roy Atkins approached the first birder we came across, who said the Crane has been chased off by gulls ten minutes previously and headed inland. Half an hour of relatively depressed birding on the Aberlady Local Nature Reserve produced a few different ducks and waders, and a number of Gannets offshore. Before leaving Aberlady we checked a back road for the Crane without success. At this point Roy’s pager stated that the Crane within half an hour of where I live was showing well – things were going from bad to worse!

Our next stopping point was not far west of Aberlady, overlooking Gosford Bay. As soon as we had emptied out of the minibus Long-tailed Ducks and Velvet Scoters were conspicuous. More thorough searching produced Mergansers, Guillemots and Razorbills and better still summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes and short views of single Red-necked Grebes and Red-throated Diver. It was all beginning to seem worthwhile again.

We would have stayed longer watching Gosford Bay, but a generous birder we had seen at Aberlady spotted our minibus and came out of his way to tell us the Crane had been relocated at Gullane. We piled back into the minibus and 20 minutes or so later had found the site. The Crane was fairly distant, but more than adequate views were had through ’scopes and it was clear it was a nice adult. After a couple of hard luck stories it was a tick for me, and presumably one or two others in the party. Morale now completely restored we headed to Musselburgh.

There were good numbers of birds nearby, in the shelter of the bay near Musselburgh racecourse, including Eider, Wigeon, Goldeneye and Mergansers with one or two auks and some Turnstones. As we followed the sea wall round the back of the lagoons the numbers of birds dropped, but there were more than first appeared and they included summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebes, Red-throated Divers, Long-tailed Ducks, Velvet Scoters and auks as well as more passing Gannets. A quick scan over the lagoons produced a few waders, but nothing out of the ordinary before the weather really began to close in, and though we headed straight back to the minibus we were all soaked before we got there.

The bedraggled party were given the option of bailing out early at this point, or to continue as planned round to Largo bay (an hour’s drive away) for Surf Scoters. It was probably a tough decision for many of us, but it was agreed to carry on. On eventual arrival at Largo the dreadful weather had not relented, and most of the time there were more people sheltering in the minibus than looking for birds. We did see a decent raft of Common scoter, some Velvet Scoters, Slavonian Grebes, Red-throated Divers and Long-tailed Ducks, but despite our best efforts in appalling cold and wet no Surf Scoter. Eventually as hope was virtually nil did Roy pick a drake up whilst trying to get on a Sandwich Tern in an area already well-scanned! Some polite banging on the back of the minibus, which was providing essential shelter for those still looking, brought everyone else out to enjoy this bizarre looking bird.

Any further stops birding stops were ruled out, which was a good decision as we driving through settling sleet on the way back. Personally I had two ticks, some people had more. Although the weather was ultimately very testing the birds seen more than made up for this, including 13 species of duck as well as the obvious specialities. I for one would certainly like to return in more friendly weather.