27 Sep. Musselburgh. The Marsh Sandpiper is still present after 3 weeks along with Spotted Redshank and Curlew Sandpiper. A few flocks of Barnacle Geese passing over too #BirdingLothian

24 Sep. Musselburgh. Pintail on pond briefly, Pochard (sea - scarce), 7 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall, Marsh Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 9 Ruff, 2 (+3 later) Whooper Swan, Surf Scoter #BirdingLothian PS I'm unsure why #BirdingLothian is currently not working (at least it's not for me)

19 Sep. South Uist. Baird's Sandpiper on Kildonan beach this morning. also Glaucous Gull and 2 Curlew Sandpipers #BirdingScotland

18 Sep. Uists. Grey Phalarope, juv Sabine's Gull, Glossy Ibis and 40 Curlew Sandpipers today #BirdingScotland

15 Sep. Uists. 2 Grey Phalaropes, Black Tern having just been attacked by a Peregrine, 40+ Curlew Sandpipers, adult American Golden Plover #BirdingScotland

12 Sep. Musselburgh. Marsh and Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshanks, Wood Sandpiper and Little Stint still present. New in were Pink-footed Goose and Scaup and there were 10 Little Egrets (new site record) #BirdingLothian

11 Sep. Musselburgh. Marsh and Pectoral Sandpipers still present, 2 Little Stint, 11 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Spotted Redshanks, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 31 Ruff, 12 Greenshank, 1 Shoveler, 8 Little Egrets #BirdingLothian

9 Sep. Barns Ness. Redstart and at least 1 Pied Flycatcher in the old campsite trees yesterday. #BirdingLothian

10 Sep. Musselburgh. Marsh and Pectoral Sandpipers still, 2 (or 3) Spotted Redshanks, 13 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Little Stint, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 13 Greenshank - all juvs. Offshore, juv Red-necked Grebe, male Surf Scoter #BirdingLothian

6 Sep. Musselburgh. Juv/1st-w Marsh Sandpiper at Morrison's Haven scrape - found by Mervyn. Also White-winged Scoter still, Black Guillemot, 4 Curlew Sandpiper. #BirdingLothian

1 Sep. Musselburgh. 3 juv Curlew Sandpipers, 1 juv Little Stint, 1 juv Wood Sandpiper, 13 Greenshank, 26 Ruff, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel, 1 juv Pintail, 11 Shoveler, 1 Arctic Skua #BirdingLothian

29 Aug. Musselburgh. A male Grey Seal has been hanging around the Common Seals at the E end of the lagoons recently. Yesterday, the Grey forced itself on a female Common Seal and attempted to mate! All very aggressive and outcome unknown. Has anyone ever witnessed anything similar? #marinemammals

29 Aug. Musselburgh. Juv Wood Sand (new lagoons, then at Morrison's Haven scrape), juv Curlew Sand, juv LRP (scrapes), 20 Ruff, 19 Greenshank, 9 Little Egrets (new site record), 1 Kingfisher, 6 Shoveler, 12 Snipe, 7 Black-tailed Godwits .. and my 1st migrating M'Pipits of the autumn! #BirdingLothian

28 Aug. Musselburgh. Juv Curlew Sandpiper, 12+ Greenshank (both new lagoons), 7 Shoveler, 20 Ruff (scrapes), 30 Bottlenose Dolphins headed E (some close in), Black Guillemot offshore. 8 Little Egrets yesterday. #Birdinglothian

25 Aug. Musselburgh. Juv Curlew Sandpiper (Esk mouth), 20 juv Ruff, 2 juv Little Stints, 1 juv Little Ringed Plover (scrapes), 7 juv Black-tailed Godwits (Morrison's Haven scrape). 2 adult Arctic Skuas, 1 Slavonian Grebe. More terns around this morning, but the Bridled didn't appear. #BirdingLothian

22 Aug. Musselburgh. Mainly waders again today - 2 juv Little Stints, 19 Ruff, 8 Greenshank. Also 1 Great Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 3 Arctic Terns, male Surf Scoter #BirdingLothian

21 Aug. Musselburgh. 2 juv Little Stints and 10 Ruff on the scrapes and 11 Greenshank on new lagoons. 328 Velvet Scoter and Surf Scoter offshore. #BirdingLothian

20 Aug. Thorntonloch. The adult White-rumped Sandpiper still present this morning (first seen by @kingleby1.bsky.social on 13th. Best of the rest - a Merlin chasing the waders at White Sands Bay. #BirdingLothian

16 Aug. Musselburgh. Green and Wood Sandpipers, Greenshank, Ruff, 20 Black-tailed Godwits, 5+ Little Egrets. Surf and White-winged Scoters still (early on). #BirdingLothian

15 Aug. Musselburgh. White-winged & Surf Scoters still (266 Velvets), juv Spotted Redshank, single Green & Wood Sandpipers, 5 Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 8 Snipe, 11 Black-tailed Godwits, 43 Little Gulls, 8 Little Egrets (site record) and a 5-star patch tick - high flying Raven cronking over #BirdingLothian

13 Aug. Musselburgh. Good selection of birds on the high tide this morning. Juv Spotted Redshank on new lagoons then scrapes, Green Sandpiper nr Prestongrange then scrapes, 81 Little Gulls (4 juvs), 5 Greenshank, 5 Ruff, 7 Little Egrets, 8 Gadwall plus female with brood of 9 #BirdingLothian

12 Aug. Barns Ness and White Sands. Small fall of migrants today with several Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats etc and a Whinchat #BirdingLothian

In September 2024, whilst researching specimens at the NMS for the forthcoming Birds of Fair Isle book, I noticed this pipit amongst the Red-throated Pipits - now accepted as a new British first for Pechora Pipit (but unfortunately knocking the 1925 Fair Isle record from that position).

10 Aug. Musselburgh. Green Sandpiper on the 'scrape' at Prestongrange end, 5 Ruff, 1 Greenshank, 14E 15W +3 Black-tailed Godwits, Osprey W at 09:00, 5 Gadwall, WW and Surf Scoters still with 235 Velvets #BirdingLothian

The 2022 Lothian Bird Report is now published and available from @scottishbirding.bsky.social at Aberlady. For details on how to purchase, please visit: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/local-... #BirdingLothian

9 Aug. Musselburgh. Both WW and Surf Scoters offshore still with 250 Velvets. Also 7 Little Egrets (maybe 8th in moat), 3 Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 39 Turnstone, 23 Knot, 24 Ringed Plovers, 4 Gadwall. Pair of Carrion Crows killed juv Woodpigeon (change from their usual Black-headed Gulls). #BirdingLothian

7 Aug. Oare Marshes, Kent. Good to get close views of the long-staying, moulting adult Bonaparte's Gull. Also 1 Spotted Redshank, several Ruff and Green Sandpipers and c.2000 Black-tailed Godwits.

30 July. Tyninghame. The green-ringed American Black Tern was still present this morning #BirdingLothian 1/2

28 July. Musselburgh. Gadwall brood doing well with 9 of the 10 surviving. Also, juv Greenshank, 11+ Sanderling, 318 Lapwings, 107 Bar-tailed Godwits, 14 Black-tailed Godwits, 9 + 5 Crossbills flew W. #BirdingLothian

27 July. Musselburgh. 45 Little Gulls, male Surf Scoter, adult male Ruff, juv Wood Sandpiper, c/r Black-tailed Godwit, 15+ Arctic Terns, c.30 adult Knot #BirdingLothian

26 July. Tyninghame. Up to 9 Roseate Terns with morning with 15 Common, 60+ Arctic and 100+ Sandwich Terns. Quite a variation in age/moult of the juv Roseates. Breeding species suffering from disturbance by walkers and dogs and no signs at all put up by East Lothian Council #BirdingLothian

23 Jul. Musselburgh. White-winged and Surf Scoters still present (both in wing moult) with 233 Velvets. Also, 9 Sanderling, 47 Little Gulls (scrapes), and strangely, a quietly singing Reed Warbler by the left hide of scrapes (2nd site record after May 2020 at exactly same spot) #BirdingLothian

22 Jul. Musselburgh. Two Wood Sandpipers (1 possibly new in as initially seen at new lagoons), 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Shoveler, 8 Little Gulls, 1 ad Mediterranean Gull (white 3447), 80 Bar-tailed Godwits, 8 Turnstone, juv Little Egret, male Surf Scoter #BirdingLothian

19 Jul. Musselburgh. Three juv Wood Sandpipers on the scrapes this morning (photo with Common Sandpiper). Also, 15 Little Gulls, WWS and Surf Scoters still #BirdingLothian

18 Jul. Musselburgh. Both White-winged and Surf Scoters off Morrison's Haven again (now 141 Velvets; Surf in wing moult). Also 1 juv Wood Sandpiper, 1 juv Greenshank, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Goldeneye, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Little Gull, Crossbills heard #BirdingLothian

17 Jul. Musselburgh. The White-winged and Surf Scoters were both present today - the WWS off the 'point' at Morrison's Haven. 129 Velvet Scoters now. Also, 7 ad Little Gulls, 3 Little Egrets. #BirdingLothian

15 July. Musselburgh. Adult White-rumped Sandpiper found by @kgbirder.bsky.social early this morning. Also, 3 adult Little Gulls, 3 Greenshank, c.10 Whimbrel, 3 Arctic Skuas, 1 Goldeneye, now 190+ Sandwich Terns #BirdingLothian

Comparison of the 2 recent White-winged Scoters - my photos (2cy bird right) and @kgbirder.bsky.social's (3cy bird left). Note differences in bill colour (esp tip), bill shape, extent of eye patch, eye colour and belly colour. Strange that 2cy bird has larger knob and darker belly #BirdingLothian

#birdinglothian #birdingfife

11 Jul. Musselburgh. Good news - WW and Surf Scoters still. Brood of 10 Gadwall on new lagoons. 2cy Med Gull at the Esk mouth. Not so good news - dead Row Deer on the scrapes and another trapped below the seawall wondering where to go next #BirdingLothian

10 July. Musselburgh. The White-winged Scoter and Surf Scoter were present again this morning. Velvets up to 72 now. #BirdingLothian

9 Jul. Musselburgh. The new White-winged Scoter and Surf Scoter were still of the east end this morning. Also Little Egret at the mouth and 3 Little Ringed Plovers (and a Knot) dropped in for a few seconds before heading off W #BirdingLothian

5 July. Musselburgh. 2 Temminck's Stints still on old scrapes, also 18 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Little Ringed Plovers. Surf Scoter still offshore with 14 Velvet Scoters, also 21 Common Scoter #BirdingLothian

4 July. Musselburgh. Two Temminck's Stints still albeit rather distant. Also single Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover #BirdingLothian

Friends of Fair Isle will be able to make accommodation bookings for 2026 from Friday 1st August 2025. General booking will open on 15th August. Prices will be published at that time. Discounted rates may also be available for certain periods in 2026.