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for which the area is particularly renowned and
following the arrival of a -female Red-Footed
Falcon in May there were regular reports of
Marsh Harriers and Hobbies throughout the
summer and early autumn, with subsequent
sightings of one or more Montagu's Harrier,
Sparrowhawk, Honey Buzzard, Osprey and
Peregrine. By early November both Hen Harrier
and Merlin were putting in regular appearances,
one of the former bearing red and white wing
tags, having been ringed as a nestling in
Perthshire a few months previously.
Perhaps the most unusual mammal sighting was a
Grey Squirrel, that decided to 'boldly go where
no squirrel had gone before', namely, to the
seawall at Marshhouse Outfall, an area that is
a good half mile from the nearest tree cover.
It may have followed the line of telegraph
poles that lead down to the pumping station but
they provide precious little protection from a
hungry harrier and one can only wonder as to
its eventual fate. A Porpoise - a species
that was once quite common but is now scarce in
the estuary - was seen in October and also,
sadly, a dead Common Dolphin. In fact, it was
a very dead Dolphin as my insensitive nose — a
trait inherited from my father - nearly
regained a sense of smell when it floated past,
a few yards off Sandbeach Outfall!
The hot, dry summer proved beneficial to most
butterflies but numbers could not equal its
counterpart in 1976. Indeed, the Gatekeeper
and all three Skippers were unusually scarce
whilst the Wall Brown and Common Blue were only