RARE species of birds are finding a home at a former quarry next to Lafarge Tarmac’s plant south of Dunbar.
The company reached an agreement with RSPB Scotland last year and Whitesands Quarry has now been turned into a lake and is home to some winter visitors.
Michael Thornton, RSPB Scotland project officer, said: “In late October/early November we had four species of geese using the lake, including pink-footed geese from Iceland and barnacle geese from Svalbard.
“We also have up to 20 pochard ducks, winter visitors from Eastern Europe and Russia, using the lake.
“It’s a very exciting development and shows the potential of the site for attracting wildlife in future years.
“With the right combination of habitat creation and public access management, Whitesands Quarry has the potential to attract regionally important populations of waders and wildfowl.” Mr Thornton was engaged by Lafarge Tarmac and RSPB Scotland last year on a 12-month project to design the new habitats at the quarry and future public access plans. The long-term aim is for visitors to experience nature through carefully managed access with trails and hides.
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