Roosting Wagtails in city centre. First 1 then 4 then more and more ... Circa 150 after about an hour watching. What a delight to watch and listen to. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @rspbedinburghlg.bsky.social

Another wee video from a very wet soggy garden y’day. Same wee Robin defending his/her suety bits. What happened to share and share alike😅😅 @bto-gbw.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Filling the bird feeders and this wee Robin came to help. Got frost bite while trying get it to eat from my hand🥶 Listen to its subsong, (apart from the chirping Sparrows) delightful. @bto-gbw.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Hundreds of these tiny Mites hibernating on gravestones at East Preston Street Graveyard, #Edinburgh. Pretty sure only in Edinburgh can you find an extinct volcano in the background! #CemeteryWildlifeWatch

Y’day I visited the Map Fest at @natlibscot.bsky.social maps@nls, #Causewayside #Edinburgh. Excellent hour spent, interesting, hope they do it regularly. With @Trove.scot, @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social, HES, Edinburgh City Archives &etc.

Great news, total rejection of data centre. #Edinburgh www.edinburghminute.com/green-data-c...

Same cave, Koh Haa, Andaman Sea, two years ago. The fabulous Bearded Scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis barbata, the main target of the cave snorkel. This was the only decent photo I got, there was quite a bit of water movement. Only need one pic eh!! Comments in Alt text.

Thinking back to warmer days, holiday in Thailand 2 yrs ago snorkelling (me), diving (him) & before I escaped to Bluesky. Cave snorkel at Koh Haa, Andaman Sea. The cave's roof had fallen in so this Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra had access. Camera on underwater setting so a bit of a weird view!

At Redford Birchwood, Bavelaw Marsh #PentlandHills on 20/01/2026, Linopenthaleus irki amongst moss and lichen on dead Birch. Very fast-moving so blurred photos. IDed via Acari Recording Scheme by @acaricious.bsky.social. Sadly this genus and/or species is not recognised on #iRecord or #IBNAtlas.

I had several close encounters yesterday with a brave wee female kingfisher on the Water of Leith. She flew over to my side of the river & landed circa 10 feet away. Unperturbed by passersby (except some off the leash dogs) she proceeded to catch several fish. @wolct.bsky.social #Birds #Edinburgh

£1,520 (fines, surplus and costs) is a joke. Gamekeepers should be licensed so they run the risk of losing their licence to work. His boss'll pay this no doubt, judging by the smug look on his face.

Colin the resident cock Pheasant at Bawsinch NR in Edinburgh, showing his nictitating membrane for #BirdOfTheDay with today's theme #EyeContact. When the eye steals the frame set by @alan678.bsky.social . Photo not cropped, long lens and he was very confiding!

Please spread this far and wide, as stories don't get much bigger than this. When the government blocks even the intelligence services from telling us we're heading for environmental catastrophe, you know we have a problem. A very big problem. Thank you. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously! 4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE ⁦‪ MARK RUSKELL MSP‬⁩ ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿by emailing [email protected] now!WOOP!

Baby Velvet Shank, Flammulina velutipes, with Springtail friend. Woodland round Threipmuir car park last week. And yes I paid my (voluntary for now) parking fee, cheap at half the price and money much needed to counteract the vandalism up in the #PentlandHills.

Always hoped our winter visiting Blackcaps would stay for summer. Today I thought well maybe there’s a chance, male singing. First ever heard singing in winter here. Rushed indoors for Merlin/phone and it confirmed. Don’t agree with Grey Wagtail tho! @bto-gbw.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Obsidentify (32%) suggests this might be Winter Grain Mite, Penthaleus major, but I can't find much about them anywhere on't net. Seen on Peltigera at Bavelaw Marsh woodland 20/01/2026. Can @britishspiders.bsky.social or @twic.bsky.social help? Only 2 blurred photos, it was moving very fast.

Mindless vandalism in the Pentlands Hills. www.justgiving.com/page/youthvi...

Lots of Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina in the woodland beside the car park at #BavelawMarsh in #PentlandHills Regional Park. And yes I paid my voluntary full day fee, soon to be mandatory. No complaints, a fiver well spent. @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social #fungi #NatureCommunity

#BigGardenBirdwatch completed @rspbscotland.bsky.social @rspbedinburghlg.bsky.social Above/below local average is pointless. I get above 'local' average every day, all depends on time of day you look, when they are hungriest ie early am or late pm. Little known fact birds do have a siesta imo!

I’ve spoken up for Scotland’s wildlife! The Natural Environment Bill is our chance to restore Scotland's nature, and bring Swift bricks into law. action.rspb.org.uk/page/183453/...

Rarely see both m & f wintering Blackcaps on/near feeders at the same time. Last photo of 2 together was 04/03/16, her cap 1/2 brown 1/2 black. Now thinking 'she' is a juv 'he' with black cap growing in? This yr photo taken 19/01/26. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbedinburghlg.bsky.social

Cryptic plumage, until you see the white ... a favourite woodland bird of mine, the Treecreeper. #PentlandHills @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Exquisite female flower of Hazel, red styles just peeping out of its bud; and male flowers on catkins ready to release their pollen. Not the first female flower I've seen this winter on this tree, that was on 17 Nov, an all-time early flowering. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @scotwildlife.bsky.social

Bit later on, more #aurora. Seen from #Edinburgh garden, camera only (iPhone). A lot more green showing than earlier. Cloudy now. @metoffice.gov.uk @bbcscotweather.bsky.social

Aurora red alert. Visible #Edinburgh camera only (iPhone)

In memory. #WinterRobin for #ForJanet, sent with kind thoughts and condolences to Graham @oldmanrambling.bsky.social. Alan H @alan678.bsky.social

I was walking home from Grange Cemetery for #CemeteryWildlifeWatch on 2 Jan, must have been bitterly cold on top of Blackford Hill. Photographed from Lover's Lane #Edinburgh

Filling bird feeders and listening to Redwings' sub-song and Robin's winter song. Delightful. @bto-gbw.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @rspbedinburghlg.bsky.social

Out with ELFE (Edinburgh & Lothians Fungus Enthusiasts) a week ago at Dalmeny, S Queensferry end of path, looked at some lichens on old stone wall. @petravergunst.bsky.social

We certainly do get the haar here when it’s an east wind and @metoffice.gov.uk says it’s ‘mist’ just now. Actually quite a nice day for January, no sign of so-called mist! Btw jury’s out on new MetOffice app, only got it this morning

Grypotes puncticollis found today on gravestone under pine in Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh. 3rd Scottish record I think. Associated with pine. #leafhopper #GrypotesPuncticollis #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

I’ve spoken up for Scotland’s wildlife! The Natural Environment Bill should be our chance to restore Scotland's nature, not destroy it. action.rspb.org.uk/page/183453/...

While looking for the Bittern at Duddingston Loch y'day (failed), instead nice to see 30 Teal roosting on ice, a drake Goldeneye with c 4 Tufties. #BirdingScotland @scotwildlife.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

Collared Dove pair back in garden; 8 Blackbird loving the apples I put out; Blackcap pair still on fat feeders. @bto-gbw.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

A petition to stop the hunting of gannet chicks has received more signatories than any other over the course of the current parliament. Nearly 70,000 people have signed the call for a stop to the guga hunt. 👏🙏 #BirdingScotland @btobirds.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2577311...

Dear @heraldscotland.bsky.social. Subscribed to paper online in Nov. Practically every single article I have read has an error. Am assuming all the journalists are writing using AI. Here's one today: "A section of the A9 has been closed by police following a series crash." *Series* crash? Seriously?

Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, flowering in our Edinburgh garden. @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Butterfly Conservation Spring Prize Draw www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/butterfly-...

The odd couple. Then reunited - the happy couple feeding together🤍 @bto-gbw.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Wee Robin. Whirr of wings. Couldn't have got this shot if I'd tried! @btoscotland.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Talking to @glenisilla.bsky.social and @alimak66.bsky.social about the sound made when something walks across a frozen loch or pond.... Love it!! Duddingston Loch 30/11/2017 @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Five Fieldfare newly arrived, picking off the last of the Haws in a neighbour's garden. Pity I can't claim this for my own garden for @bto-gbw.bsky.social ! @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Had a break from nature and spent 3 days in Glasgow 23-26Dec. Christmas Eve we went to House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park. Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed 1901, not built till 1989. Fascinating history. www.houseforanartlover.co.uk/discover/his...

Female Blackcap arrived in the garden yesterday. Only five days after the male; usually 1-2 weeks apart. @bto-gbw.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Winter walk this pm at Selm Muir Wood, W Lothian, looking for #HairIce. Mission accomplished! @edinburghnats.bsky.social. Only one flowering plant for #NewYearPlantHunt @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Not a solitary flowering plant today for #NewYearPlantHunt, but can I count these Holly flower buds?! Probably not, let me know and I will record. They are a pretty @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social