Aberlady Bay, the estuary of the Peffer Burn west, lies on the Firth of Forth 15 miles east of Edinburgh. The extensive mudflats, musselbeds, intertidal sand and saltmarsh extend to 1100 acres and are bordered by dunes, calcareous grassland, freshwater marsh, pools, scrub and woodland. Five golf courses adjoin the area and the adjacent sea is also rich in birdlife. This wide range in habitats within a fairly small area supports a varied population of resident and migratory birds and its accessibility leads to good observer- coverage. These two factors have given Aberlady a high birdlist - 249 species by 1988. The site has been designated a Grade 1 Site of Special Scientific Interest on geological, botanical and ornithological grounds and Aberlady Bay is managed by East Lothian District Council as a Local Nature Reserve. it was established in 1952 as the first local nature reserve in Britain.

It was presented as a management model by M.B. Usher in 1973. This plan still represents a good exemplar of the information and operations required to manage a nature reserve. In this version the material has been re-formatted in the light of  subsequent developments in the logic of setting out the operational structure of a conservation management plan.

The reserve is open to the public at all times but it is an important aim of management to ensure that visitor usage does not adversely affect the wildlife of the area. Those whose interests are rather general are encouraged to use other sections of the East Lothian coastline, but bona fide naturalists are welcome. All visitors are asked to avoid disturbance by following the main paths and dogs should be exercised elsewhere. The full-time warden, who can be contacted for advice at any reasonable time (telephone 01875 870588), posts a regular bulletin, indicating some of the birds to look out for, at the far end of the Timber Bridge. Groups are asked to make prior arrangement with him so that he may advise on suitable tides and routes and ensure an even spread of party visits throughout the year.

The site can be reached by car or bus (124 or 125 from St Andrew's Square Bus Station, half- hourly service) via the A198 Musselburgh- North Berwick road. The nearest railway station is at Longniddry, three miles away. From the car park at the Timber Bridge, a path leads northwards to Gullane with a spur, just past the Sewage Works, leading to the beach. A private road from Aberlady to Kilspindie (pedestrian access only) leads to a path round the north side of Kilspindie Golf Course to Gosford Bay. Keys to a hide on this path can be obtained by visiting parties on application to the Warden. Maggie's Loup, the clifftop with concrete defence blocks at the west side of Gullane Bay, is a good, if exposed, vantage point. Even at low tide some wildfowl will be close in at Gullane Point and, although the viewpoint is not so high, one can usually obtain some shelter from the wind here. The dunes at Aberlady and the edge of the Kilspindie Golf Course provide some elevation but little shelter and it is really only at high tide that seabirds are sufficiently close in for these stances to be worthwhile. The little promontory (Bellfire Knowe) 100 yards along the Kilspindie road is a particularly good viewpoint as the incoming tide is filling up Aberlady Bay.

This is perhaps the season that Aberlady has most to offer the birdwatcher but be warned that the site is exposed and can be very cold! Pink-footed Geese numbers peak in early November with 15,100 recently and they can be seen regularly until January - a superb spectacle as they flight in at dusk from feeding areas. These are usually to the south-east, near Drem, and it is there that the flocks are best searched through for the presence of an occasional White-front or Bean. Barnacles and Greylags are regularly found in the flocks at Aberlady and Snow Goose is almost annual in occurrence. Geese like to roost undisturbed on the water or sand at the entrance to the Bay and are best watched from the Car Park or the road to Kilspindie. Brents (both races) occur frequently but usually keep separate from other geese and feed on the saltings. A flock of Whooper Swans, usually 40-50 strong roosts at Aberlady and a few Bewick's are sometimes found amongst them. Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Shelduck and Goldeneye are the ducks likely to be seen in the Bay with the occasional Pintail, Shoveler or Tufted Duck. The sea off Aberlady and nearby Gullane Bay is especially good for wildfowl: Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Common and Velvet Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser are the main species with small numbers of Scaup and sometimes a Surf Scoter. Red-throated is by far the commonest Diver with largest numbers in Gullane Bay in late afternoon when they gather to roost. Black-throated and Great Northern Divers are seen fairly regularly and White-billed has been identified on a handful of occasions. Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes are common in winter but Black- necked is a considerable rarity. A calm sea and a telescope are essential for counting these birds but a few individuals can usually be picked out closer inshore.

Although there are high numbers of waders in winter, the range of species is smaller than at passage periods and they are in drab plumage. This is the time, however, for seeing Purple Sandpiper on the rocks at Gullane - strangely, they are almost unheard of at Kilspindie. Influxes of Snipe occur when severe weather elsewhere drives them to the coast and an odd Jack Snipe can sometimes be flushed from the saltmarsh. Merlin and Peregrine are often attracted by the waders at high tide and have disrupted many a counting session! Fieldfares (up to 5000) are supported by Sea Buckthorn berries, especially in severe weather, and a few wintering Blackcaps may also be seen there. A large flock of Crows, sometimes including Hoodies, also feeds on these fruits. On the saltmarsh look for Snow and Lapland Buntings (often identified only by flight-calls), Twites, Lesser and Mealy Redpolls and occasionally Shore Larks. Expect to see half-a-dozen Short-eared Owls hunting on calm afternoons and Long- eareds sometimes roost by day in the thickets - please wait for them to emerge at dusk rather than going in to flush them. Patience and luck are also required to see Water Rails which turn up at the Marl Loch each winter.

An influx of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in early March presages spring and the first Wheatear is often seen before the month is out. This season is an exciting one at Aberlady with daily arrivals of migrants and the constant likelihood that you're missing the action by being at the wrong end of the reserve! A wide ranges of passerine species arrives to breed and many others simply pass through. Willow Warblers sing from the Sea Buckthorn thickets and a few Lesser Whitethroats rattle from the taller bushes. Hirundines and Swifts hunt over the freshwater Marl Loch and migrant Tree Pipits may be identified by their calls as they fly over. Pied and White Wagtails feeding at the edge of the saltmarsh are often joined by Yellows (of several races) whilst Grey Wagtails tend to keep to the area of the Timber Bridge. A small duck rising from a pool is probably a Teal but Shovelers are regular at this season and the rarer Garganey has stayed to breed on a few occasions. Check whether that's a Whinchat (common) or a scarcer Stonechat (only slowly regaining its numbers after a catastrophic fall caused by hard winters).

Lapwings, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers and Snipes all breed here and a pair of Dunlin and Woodcock usually also nest. The winter waders such as Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit are now assuming their summer finery. Fresh water may hold Wood Sandpipers, Ruffs or perhaps a Temminck's Stint whilst Greenshanks, Common Sandpipers and Black- tailed Godwits feed on the estuary. Compare Arctic and Common Terns on the beach, watch Sandwich Terns plunge-diving into the sea or perhaps the rarer Little by the Bridge at high tide. Marsh Harrier is recorded almost annually in spring and an Osprey may fly over with its attendant flock of mobbing Crows or Oystercatchers. Spring days are never long enough!

Early June may see the arrival of a late passage migrant such as Turtle Dove or Red-backed Shrike and is often the peak of Sanderling passage - these waders time their arrival on their Arctic breeding grounds to coincide with the melting of the snows. Birds breeding locally advertise their territorial possession by song: Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings are abundant in the marsh, Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylark in drier grassland and Redpolls, Bullfinches and Blackcaps use the Sea Buckthorn spinneys for nesting. Drab Eider ducks seem to nest everywhere and usually sit tight. Should you accidentally flush one cover its three to five eggs with grass or down to hide them from Crows.

Tern flocks should be checked in summer for the presence of Roseates and Little Gulls, mostly immatures, often appear at this time. On the sea look for Puffins from Fidra or Craigleith and passing Manx Shearwaters from further afield. Great Crested and Red-necked Grebes start to assemble in late summer -  at this time they are all adults in full summer plumage and are probably failed breeders. As early as mid- June local Lapwings are already flocking and Golden Plovers have started arriving from the hills.

This is primarily a time for looking at waders at Aberlady with twenty species in a day not too difficult to achieve. If the tide is out or during neap tides view from the main road or walk up the private road to Kilspindie (no cars here please). It is much better however to visit on a spring tide when waders will be pushed in from feeding areas in Aberlady and Gosford Bays to roosting sites. For the smaller species this is usually at the sandpit, for larger waders the saltmarsh at the east side of the Bay, opposite the Marl Loch. It is best to settle down and wait for the water to bring the birds to you but please, what ever you do, don't walk along the water's edge putting everything to flight. Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot are often in orange breeding plumage and black- and-silver Grey Plover are particularly fine. Look amongst the Dunlin for Curlew Sandpipers from Siberia, first the adults and later the fresh-plumaged juveniles. These, and the sparrow-sized Little Stints, occur annually but are much commoner in some years than in others. Dusky-plumaged Spotted Redshanks dash after prey in the Peffer Burn and Whimbrels betray their presence in the large Curlew flocks by their seven-note whistling. Occasionally all the waders will rise in panic and an alert watcher may find the culprit - perhaps a Merlin, Peregrine or Sparrowhawk.

Most of the passerine summer migrants depart in August and, although species such as Tawny Pipit and Bluethroat have occurred in autumn, spring passage is generally better here. Seawatching from Gullane Point can be worthwhile, especially in strong onshore winds when Bonxies and Arctic Skuas can be expected and Pomarines and Black Terns are also regular. Long- tailed Skua and Sooty Shearwater have been seen here very occasionally but Little Auks are perhaps regular in November gales.

By mid-September the first Pink-footed Geese have arrived from Iceland and flocks of Barnacles may be with them by the end of the month, en route for Caerlaverock.