The Coast.

I went for a long walk on New Year's Day, down to the sea at Newhaven and then along the coast to Silverknowes, passing Granton harbour and Wardie Bay.

There are signs of coast's industrial heritage all the way along.

Plovers.

The tide was coming in at Wardie Bay, beside Granton Harbour. I looked over the wall and saw a crowd of birds huddling together on the remnants of the beach, thousands of birds.

They were grey plovers - I think.

I watched as they were spooked and flew up as a flock.

I stayed for ages, watching and photographing.

On the way back an hour later, the tide was fully in and there was no beach at all. The birds had migrated onto floating platforms, harbour-furniture, filling all the available space. Every so often, the birds would rise and flock again, circle the harbour, and return to the platform. I wondered whether all the birds got back on, or if they were playing a game of musical flocks.