Hope OK to post now, I missed yesterday's @robcrank68.bsky.social #BirdOfTheDay #BestOfTheMonth. My best bird capture/s of March were first singing Chiffchaff of the year and two pairs of Great Crested Grebes displaying at Linlithgow Loch, 15 March. No Alt Theme yesterday.

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@robcrank68.bsky.social's #BirdOfTheDay theme for today is #AdulsWithChicks, and capture of an Adult with its young. The Alt Theme is #Yellow, and bird with Yellow in its plumage. My theme is #gardenbirds!!

Intrigued by this wee flower, Common Chickweed, Stellaria media. Stem hairy down one side, petals deeply bifid, but are these the stigma (white) and stamen (red-violet & black)? Not looked at these before! Collins more helpful than Wild Flowers @bsbiscotland.bsky.social #BlackfordHill

Two warblers, first definitely Chiffaff, was singing. Second one a lot yellower but no eye stripe & Willow Warblers not arrived here yet as far as I know. Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh 26/03/2026. Any suggestions? @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

Thought slime mould at first, on dead, attached Oak twig, Bawsinch NR, 2 days ago. Twig was really dry so I put it on a damp paper towel. Photos: two before when dry and two after. Only one of 3 apps IDed it correctly when dry, all correct when damp. Capitotricha bicolor @scotwildlife.bsky.social

Cormorant, thought it was a fishing line caught round its bill, but no, just a bit of weed. #DuddingstonLoch, Edinburgh. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingScotland @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social

@robcrank68.bsky.social has set today's #BirdOfTheDay theme - #OpenBeak - any bird with its beak open.The Alt Theme is #Gulls, any Gull will do. I’ve picked this young Cormorant seen at Linlithgow Loch recently. @alan678.bsky.social

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@alan678.bsky.social 's #BirdOfTheDay theme for today is #tricolour, birds with three colours or more. The alt is #YearRound birds you see all year round. @btogbw.bsky.social

Gadwall pair, love how she bobs up and down when diving, like a cork floating on the water! Listen to the background bird noises too. Springtime. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social

Colin the resident Bawsinch NR Pheasant, or possibly a usurper. Cropped and original photos, almost too close to focus! #birdingscotland @scotwildlife.bsky.social

You could be forgiven for thinking someone had swum over to the island and carved this old tree stump. Does it look like a Heron's wing to you?! #DuddingstonLoch @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Juniper Rust, Gymnosporangium clavariiforme, a wee bit further on from last week. It will need some rain soon though if it's going to fully live up to its other common name, Tongues of Fire! @scotwildlife.bsky.social

I bought a litter picker t'other day. First outing a small area by a woodland path leading from nearby Edinburgh school to local shops and an adjacent layby. One black binbag full of plastic, bottles and wipes, and this old TV aerial. Craigmillar recycling centre 7mins by car & 27mins on foot.

Spring Hazelcup, Encoelia furfuracea, somewhat elderly specimen, but undoubtedly it. Found at Bawsinch NR on Hazel on Friday. It can also grow on Alder where I found it fresh in Feb 2023, also at Bawsinch. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk

Cormorant fishing in Duddingston Loch a week ago. Not the green sheen of its plumage, reminds me of the colour of the fungus, Green Elf Cup. Heron was fishing too, between bouts of snoozing. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social

First of the butterflies this year for me. And they really were performing well🦋 @scotwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Best news today, thank you @edinburghminute.com for passing the news on. No bank holiday for men’s football👏 ⚽️

Can anyone explain please. When a post or comment I make shows “1 repost” but when I go into it to see who reposted it it says “No repost to show”? Very strange!

Needing help with this Cladonia which doesn't appear to have a stalk or cup, although I understand cups can be totally covered by the red apothecia. Seen 18/03/2026 on stone wall along a hill track above Loch of the Lowes near Dunkeld. Cladonia Bellidiflora? Can you help @petravergunst.bsky.social?

A brand new one for me, I spotted this Cosmospora arxii, a red nectria, on Beech Woodwart, Hypoxylon fragiforme. Seen at #KinneilEstate 01/03/2026. @britmycolsoc.org.uk

A young yawning Cormorant at #LinlithgowLoch on Sunday. The adult looks tiny in comparison. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social i

My first Chiffchaff of the year singing at Linlithgow Loch on Sunday, several birds round the loch. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Little woodland birds, all seen at Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh t'other day. And a slime mould for good measure, this one is False Puffball, Reticularia lycoperdon. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social

Visit to Bawsinch NR y'day. I always check a particular Juniper trunk for Juniper Rust from early March onwards each year. Checked last week no sign. Been more rain so I looked y'day, and there it is, only just beginning to show. Nice. @scotwildlife.bsky.social

I do love a slime mould. This is False Puffball, Reticularia lycoperdon, on an old Willow. I've heavily cropped the last photo to get an idea of its texture. @scotwildlife.bsky.social

Open wide. How such a tiny wee bird can make so much noise is beyond me! Male Wren singing his heart out. There were three of them in a triangle all shouting at each other, setting territory. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Lesser Celandine, Ficaria verna, arrived in a plant pot on its own accord a couple of years ago maybe self-seeded, I don’t know! It’s doing rather well. Found more in the back garden too! Phone pic, more tomorrow. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

I’ve signed this petition.

I've been looking out for the Alder (Alnus glutinosa) female flower for a few weeks, and found fully open at Prestongrange Mining Museum on Sunday. A joyful sight. Next up will be Larch (Larix decidua) flowering. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Last week, heard my first of year Song Thrush. Giein' it laldy he was! Bawsinch NR @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Resting on pile of last year's prunings of Fuschia and Escalonia garden hedge, I think a Common Plume, Emmelina monodactyla, seen 09/03/2026 @mothiduk.bsky.social

Obsidentify says (I know ID not guaranteed) Amaurobius ferox (Black Lace-weaver Spider). Also checked Britain's Spiders field guide, needs gendet? Seen at night (I was on toad patrol rescue) on cycle path, so I rescued it from bike tyre squishing! Duddingston, Edinburgh. @britishspiders.bsky.social

First hoverfly and first moth of the year. Episyrphus balteatus and Emmelina monodactyla (Common Plume). The hoverfly was at Prestongrange Mining museum and the moth was in the garden. @bto-gbw.bsky.social

Young buck Roe Deer at @scotwildlife.bsky.social's Bawsinch NR. First photo taken 17 Feb, second on 7 March. It has a slightly squint, what I call a "wonky" antler. Doesn't look to be in very good nick in second photo. @wildphotoscot.bsky.social

Great show of Elfcups this year, been seeing it everywhere I go. This is probably Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca) [PS please note Wikipedia's entry is incorrect, it gives the scientific name for Ruby Elfcup!!] @scotwildlife.bsky.social @britishmyology.bsky.social

Roe Deer buck and doe. Velvet cast from his antlers, blood still visible. She was more confiding, both were lying down when I first saw them, very close; I watched for 15mins before they both slowly moved off. @scotwildlife.bsky.social Bawsinch NR. Long lens used but they weren't bothered by me.

Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfaro, in full flower now, at @scotwildlife.bsky.social's Bawsinch NR in Edinburgh. Yellow sunshine flower in the sunshine. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Spring Hazelcup, Encoelia furfuracea. Seen in both Norfolk and Suffolk on yesterday's walk near Brockdish. These are Suffolk specimens. #Fungi #FungiFriends

Was looking at this Star Jelly, frog or toad spawn and intestines. Herons find it indigestible so its quite a common sight to see this lying in grass, as here. There was a heronry in the adjacent woods. Near Kinneil Museum @westlothiancouncil.bsky.social

Trees in spring. Alder, Lawson's Cypress, Yew. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Phellinus pomaceus (Cushion Bracket) on dead Buckthorn at @scotwildlife.bsky.social's Bawsinch NR. When first seen five or so years ago, this tree was dying, is now well dead. But the Phellinus continues to thrive. #fungi #bracketfungi @britmycolsoc.org.uk

Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit appear to be nest prospecting at same site! The Blue Tit was already nest-building. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbedinburghlg.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

Three separate encounters with Roe Deer, at least three animals, same day, same place. Here's one. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @mammalsociety.bsky.social

Mute Swan seeing off a youngster. Duddingston Loch, Edinburgh @scotwildlife.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

First of the year Lungwort and Coltsfoot in flower. Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh @scotwildlife.bsky.social. I spotted a wee speck of yellow out the corner of my eye, managed to get a closer shot with my long lens. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

@alan678.bsky.social's theme for #BirdOfTheDay today is a #WideOpenWings. First a Robin, seen at Dalmeny, near South Queensferry, more of a whirr of wings than wide open. And Long-tailed Tit, displaying, one wing wide open, at Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh

Springtime, dominant birdsong is Greenfinch. Don't always hear the mellow bit, the loud 'dzeeee' is dominant. Apologies for wobbliness, difficult to hand hold a heavy camera pointing high in the tree! @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbedinburghlg.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Good news🤩 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2588197...