House

With all the lovely pictures of Seacliff to choose from, not to mention the pictures I took from Longniddry Bents car park when we stopped off there on the way home, why, you may ask, have I blipped a picture of a House Sparrow? Well, mainly because it's the first time I managed to properly photograph a bird, since I had fat lens on all day today. And also to remind me that the Smiddy Tearoom at Tyninghame is just the dog's b*****x. And a sun trap to boot on a warm day.

Indeed we enjoyed more generally fine weather out in East Lothian (probably better than almost anywhere else on these islands...), where it seems to be all change as far as car parking is concerned. First we paid a stonking fee in the pay and display in North Berwick yesterday. Then we discovered that all the coastal car parks are pay and display now as well (or soon will be - see extra included for the excellent Parking Order, as well as the amusing graffiti), and then finally Seacliff has put its prices up from £2 to £3. I suspect that this is in anticipation of the new daily charge that East Lothian will be putting on Tyninghame Beach. I look forward to the new parking charge wars of East Lothian breaking out.

Our time at Seacliff was peaceful and full of observations. Fulmars catching the breezes and updrafts around the cliffs and landing to feed the few remaining chicks. A family of eider ducks grubbing around in the shadows. Very few other people on the beach - not even dog walkers.