What a glorious day! Summer arrived just in time for the gathering on East Beach armed with nets, buckets, trays, shorts and picnics. Marine biologists Dee and Ali Davison and Bill Sanderson, along with our Countryside Ranger Tara Sykes, took four groups out to the rockpools along Meikle Spiker by the old harbour. Surefootedness was well rewarded here, and there were a few slips and slithers on the seaweed as we eagerly headed out to the farthest pools.

We were shown to carefully lift and turn the rocks, and collect anything interesting we found. Everyone stepped into the water and guddled away with fascinating results. Our fab leaders identified everything, adding in further information on each find along with plenty of ecology.

Here are some of the things we found:

• Edible crab, Hermit crabs, Shore crabs, Porcelain crabs, Velvet crabs, Pea crabs
• Ragworms, Catworms, Scale worm, Bootlace worm
• Sea slug, Sea lemon, Sea strawberry, Shore urchin
• Brittle stars, Common sea stars, Flatfish hatchlings, Butterfish, Shanny fish (blenny), Sea scorpion fish, Shrimp, Sponge

It was soon time to head back to the sand and take out another two groups all over again. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was great to have parents and younger science club members come along too. Thank you again to our four fab leaders!

If you are keen to find out more about what’s in your bucket when you’re rockpooling, there are lots of handy little guides available. We recommend the Collins Gem guide to the Seashore, or Usborne Spotter Guide for starters.

You can check the times of low tides at the Belhaven Bridge, or online at several tide table sites, including BBC Weather Dunbar.

Remember to turn rocks back to the way they were, and put any creatures back in the same pool within a few minutes so they don’t overheat and die!