The beginning of
July for most people means, the Forth, naturally, but for birders like me, it can also mean I need to be on the alert for shorebirds, since we
bird watchers actually begin to see some movement in this bird group during the mid-summer months. I will be carrying my
birding binoculars after the Fourth and checking daily on some wet meadows and mudflats on my daily bike commute. Last year, I did reasonably well on shorebirds when you consider my limited access and range on a bicycle. On the weekends, I will also carry a spotting scope and tripod and spend more time bicycling to outlying areas in search of more shorebirds. As always, water conditions are critical to attracting shorebirds or, should I say, mud conditions. For scanning with a birding binocular, we want exposed mud flats and beaches. Too much water when
birding for this group can be as bad as too little. Right now, I would love to see things dry out a bit.