#Swifts this am 19/05/26 in south #Edinburgh. This date is about avge +/- a few of days. First Recorded arrival 2025 was 15 days earlier than prev year on 12/05/25. Pic last yr. #BirdingScotland @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social

At last I'm at my computer for #wildflowerhour! Greater Stitchwort, Crosswort, Forget-me-not sp, native Bluebell. Woodhall Dean, @scotwildlife.bsky.social nature reserve. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Carrion beetle x3, Woodhall Dean @scotwildlife.bsky.social NR y'day with ENHS. 1.Caterpillar-hunter, Dendroxena quadrimaculata (told about it) exciting find. 2.Red-breasted Carrion Beetle, Oiceoptoma thoracicum. 3.Common Snail-hunter, Phosphuga atrata. @ashwhiffin.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

From my recent visit up north, Ant Beetle, Thanasimus formicarius. Seen on gravestone in Migvie Kirkyard, South Aberdeenshire, 03/05/2026. Recorded on #iRecord via #CemeteryWildlifeWatch activity.

Ruth Tingay's commentary at the end is a must read. raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/05/14/s...

Two Swifts at Skateraw y’day around 1pm, flying low, westwards. No photos, except pic in my head. Recorded by @battybirder.bsky.social. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

Cannae whack a good Scots Pine wood for #WoodlandWednesday

Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus, I've only seen the one plant at Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh. It is well hidden, growing underneath a Juniper bush. Why is it called 'celandine' when it's not in the Ranunculaceae family? @scotwildlife.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Green Longhorn, Adela reaumurella, out in force when the sun shone. A cloud appeared and they disappeared, completely out of sight. Camera shy! Bawsinch NR @scotwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A joy to behold, an uncut verge. Grasses, Dandelion, Oxeye Daisy, and I spotted a solitary (I think) bee deep down, possibly a nest site. #Edinburgh @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

So as you can see, bees need what most people call weeds. So leave the daisy and the dandelion in the garden till they're done. wildflowers are not weeds! #savethebee #savethepollinators #wildflowers #nature #macro

Pair of Osprey at their nest, photos taken with a very long lens so no disturbance, when I was up north last week.

Here’s a poem called ‘Life of a Naturalist’.

Lots of volunteers working on the wildflower meadow north of Warrender Park Rd, removing invasive Thistle and Dock which is choking out the seeds. Used to be a w/f meadow before being dug up for sewage works and is being replaced. #Meadows Bravo @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social

Affy chuffed to find Green Tiger Beetles at Tullochgrue last week and to get such good views. Saw one sitting on path when still a chill in the air and it flew when I approached. Then the heat of sun brought them out, on two nearby locations. @colsocbi.bsky.social @cairngormsnews.bsky.social

Willow Warblers singing everywhere I went. Here at Tullochgrue @cairngormsnews.bsky.social on a warm end of April (29th) day. @btoscotland.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Help with ID please if possible from photos. Underneath very ancient Dryad's Saddle on ground, three individuals found, one photo of each. Amaurobius sp and possibly A. fenestralis? 01/05/2026, Migvie, VC92 #CemeteryWildlifeWatch. @britishspiders.bsky.social

Sorry I missed you Ben @countrysideben.bsky.social on Sunday, but I had a nice blether with ranger Kaitlin (think that's her name, apologies if wrong my memory is sh...e!!) I told her about some Chaga I found on Birch. Can dm you grid ref if you want it. @n-t-s.bsky.social #MarLodgeEstate

Green Hairstreak, Lecht, Banffshire. Was delighted to get the upper wing view of a male. @bchighland.bsky.social Recorded on #iRecord

Brown Hare sauntering up the road just outside Nethy Bridge. Fortunately passing car saw it and stopped, or the driver saw me standing on the verge photographing the Hare! Disappeared into rough ground where Kestrel had been hunting. @mammalsociety.bsky.social

Kestrel sitting on overhead wires outside Nethy Bridge, then flew off to hunt. Fortunately on straight bit of road where I could stop car safely. @btoscotland.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Week on hols up north on 2-centre holiday, Speyside and Deeside. Random photos. Here I think an unrecorded site for Green Hairstreak, with at least 8 individuals, at Uath Lochans, with no records on #iRecord or @nbntrust.bsky.social. I will iRecord. @bchighland.bsky.social

A wee bit late for #WildFlowerHour, but here are a few from Speyside anyway, Loch Insh to be precise. Common Dog-violet and Wood Anemone. And is this a true Wild Daffodil (petals paler than trumpet, almost white?

Willow Warbler making his presence known. Loch Pityoulish, Speyside. @btoscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

More from Morningside #CemeteryWildlifeWatch on Thursday - Dark-edged Bee-fly and a Red Mason Bee @twic.bsky.social

Visit to Morningside Cemetery for #CemeteryWildlifeWatch on Thursday; recording on #iRecord. Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood. @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Calling young nature enthusiasts! We've got a BTO Youth event at Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve! Book a spot at www.bto.org/our-work/eve...

Double your impact for Scotland’s nature! Donate at dub.sh/donate-scotl... Scotland’s nature is vital to all of us. Every £1 donated to Scottish Environment LINK is doubled until April 29th. Help us hold the Scottish govt to account & push for action to restore nature! @biggive.bsky.social

Stop feeding garden birds with seeds & peanuts between May & end October. OK. I wonder how the farms that supply us will fare? And how is it that suet is OK? We’re back to where we were when I first got a garden, seasonal feeding! @rspb.bsky.social @bto-gbw.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Good afternoon @alan678.bsky.social. Here's my offering for today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme #Petals&Perches any bird with flowers in capture. The alt is #WhatTheFlock any capture of three or more of the same bird. White Wagtail in Sea Campion for the first # and Eider family for the second #

I just asked my candidates to sign the Rewilding Nation Charter, committing to a wilder Scotland for the benefit of all. Write to your candidates here: actionnetwork.org/letters/ask-... #RewildingNation #Holyrood2026 #SP26 #ScottishElections

#ukbirding #birdingscotland #NatureCommunity www.the-soc.org.uk/blogs/news/v...

A walk in the park, King's or Holyrood, take your pick on name, #Edinburgh. I just love Chaffinch's jaunty tilt of the head! #HolyroodPark @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Here's my #BirdOfTheDay theme #ABCD offering set by @alan678.bsky.social. Any bird beginning any part of their name with these letters. Extra points for a set using all. So I'm going for one of each!🤓 Avocet, bathtime Blackbird, Crow twofer, Dunnock. #Nikon D7200 and Z6ii. Love doing birdoftheday!

@alan678.bsky.social's co-host Rob @robcrank68.bsky.social has said today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #DucksOutOfWater, but NOT FLYING. The Alt Theme is #Finches, but I'm missing out the Alt theme tonight. Harlequin Ducks, Laxá í Aðaldal, Iceland, June 1991 Nikon slr, enprints scanned.

Please consider this and sign to help our butterflies in decline. butterflyemergency.good.do/big-insect-r...

At SWT reserve, Hermand Birchwood, West Lothian @scotwildlife.bsky.social yesterday. Was photographing what I think is Rustwort, Cephalozia/Nowellia curvifolia (a liverwort) when photobombed by a Devil's Coach-horse, Ocypus olens. @bbsbryology.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

Juniper Rust aka Tongues of Fire, Gymnosporangium clavariiforme. Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh @scotwildlife.bsky.social

Summer migrants flooding in, or is this one perhaps my garden winter visitor? Would be nice but I doubt it! Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Chiffchaff. Move please so I can see colour of your legs (heard a Willow Warbler close by). That's better, can see pale legs. And then he sang, just to confirm. Chiff chaff chaff chiff chiff. Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Clusters of tiny wee black balls on rotten wood, Ruzenia spermoides. Blairadam Forest #Fife #fungi

@alan678.bsky.social's cohost Rob @robcrank68.bsky.social has set today's #BirdOfTheDay theme - #Reflections any bird reflection. The Alt Theme is #Robins, any Robin will do #ForJanet. Here are two Teal photobombed by a Kingfisher and a worm's eye view of a Robin for Janet.

Do hope this helps stop the decline. I've seen a fall in Finches at feeders recently, not because of disease but because they can't get near for Squirrels and I'm using a squirrel buster feeder! Was advised to use a pole with 20" long arms! @bto-gbw.bsky.social www.birdguides.com/news/rspb-ca...

Nettle Rash, Leptosphaeria acuta, on dead Nettle stem. Bawsinch NR this afternoon @scotwildlife.bsky.social

Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee bumbling along, looking for somewhere to nest. Bawsinch NR this afternoon. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

@robcrank68.bsky.social set today's #BirdOfTheDay theme #LongNecks, birds with long necks. Alt Theme is #Gulls. My first digital camera was Panasonic DMC-FZ5 & I took these Black Swan pics from sea wall at Musselburgh on 02/05/2010. LBBGs #NikonX6ii, River Esk, Musselburgh 17/04/2024

Looking forward to Hamza Yassin’s talk tonight, celebrating the SOC’s 90th anniversary, in Kirkcaldy. @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Moved to house with garden 1987, advice was don’t feed birds in summer. Then changed to do feed in summer. Now we’re back to don’t. RSPB also said last autumn not to feed birds on tables or ground, 2 weeks after I bought a new wood flat feeder from them! @rspb.bsky.social @bto-gbw.bsky.social

Today's @alan678.bsky.social #birdoftheday theme is #manmadeperch any bird perched on a manmade object. The alt theme is #naturalperch any bird perched on something provided by Mother Nature. Wren on a fence post, Loch Teacuis, Highland; Wren on a branch, Bawsinch NR, Edinburgh

Visit to Jupiter Artland with our guidechildren today. Nuthatch and Greenfinch singing everywhere and nice to see a Morel (Morchella esculenta) @birdinglothian.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk