30 April 26. Good to see these two Ruff at Gladhouse this morning. Rare in spring passage (scarce in autumn) in Midlothian @birdinglothian.bsky.social

7 April 26. At Gladhouse this am, watched this 2cy Little Gull glide in from height and eventually settle on water to feed on flies. A site tick. Also FoY Common Sandpiper present. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

30 March 26: A relatively early Little Ringed Plover in Lothian today @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Smart adult and bulky 3cy Caspian Gulls at Gosford Sands today. Have only ever seen 1cy Casps so happy with this😊 @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Geese at Gullane Point today. Confiding juvenile Brent Goose and a close pass of a flock of yapping Barnacle Geese #BirdingLothian

Yesterday at Gladhouse, probable Tufted Duck x Scaup, one remaining Slav Grebe and m&f Pochard @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Good to bump into this Siberian Chiffchaff in the gloomy, damp under-storey of the wood at Barns Ness this morning @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Gladhouse this afternoon had 3 Little Egrets for the first time and the cooler conditions brought in 2 Whooper Swan and 2 Goldeneye (both unusual here in September) #birdinglothian

Citrine Wagtail at Gladhouse this afternoon @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Bumped into this nicely showing Great Egret this morning at Gladhouse. Increasing in Lothian but still scarce inland #Birdinglothian

An eclectic morning at Gullane Point. Wall Browns fluttering around my feet as I watched a Minke Whale feeding below a cloud of diving Gannets. A Sooty Shearwater joined in and a total of 79 Manx Shearwater were seen. Little Tern also and always good to see Little Gulls (5nr) #birdinglothian

Interesting to pick up this albino Sandwich Tern sw past Gullane Point this morning. Assume same as 27 July (see previous post) but also same seen off Ayrshire 31 July. Has it returned after yesterday’s storm? @dorseth.bsky.social @lothianrecorder.bsky.social #birdinglothian

Thought this was a leucistic bird due to dusky underwing from BOC shots but probable photo artefact and more likely to be an albino Sandwich Tern sw past Gullane Point this morning. (3 albinos ringed at Forvie NNR to date). Thanks to @lothianrecorder.bsky.social for info

A common butterfly but I have never seen so many Green-veined White (or butterflies in general) together. 1000 along 1Km of hill road in Midlothian yesterday @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Three juvenile Goldeneye amongst the Eider flock in the mist and murk of Musselburgh last night. Yesterday morning, a moulting Red Kite in the Midlothian hills #birdingscotland

It was good to see my first Sanderling at Gladhouse last night (a single bird). I also enjoyed seeing a brood of three Curlew chicks nearby as I thought that the nest may have been destroyed by the farmer working his field. #birdinglothian

Although not looked for with the same vigour that other migrants are, White Wagtail are almost exclusively a coastal migrant to Lothian during Spring so it was good to see this 2cy female at Gladhouse today - my first inland Spring record #birdinglothian

Relatively rare and scarce birds again at Gladhouse with Geoff’s Wood Sandpiper still and new for today, Whimbrel, two Little Egret and two Shoveler #birdinglothian

Evening trip in Midlothian resulted in 6 Black-tailed Godwit at Caspian Pond and a male Ruff at Gladhouse. The latter a particularly scarce (rare) spring visitor to the county and this bird probably a first Spring record for the site #birdinglothian

Rain influenced birding today. 5 LRP, 12 inland Redshank, flocks of 250 Sand Martin, 75 Meadow Pipit and 200 Fieldfare, and 15 Wheatear bobbing about a field. #birdinglothian

Dull and calm this morning at Gullane Point but immature drake White-winged Scoter, immature White-billed Diver and 2 GN Divers were good to see. The Scoter is that well found by kgbirder.bsky.social at Yellowcraig last week #birdinglothian

Quiet bird-wise at Whitesands & Barns Ness today but a few FoY for me. #birdinglothian

Busy at Gullane Point today with lots of feeding birds including a WW Scoter and GN Diver. Light passerine movement too but spent some time watching the coordinated flying of 50 Sanderling in nice light. Elsewhere, my first Osprey this year with its tea. #lothianbirds

Busy at Gullane Point today with lots of feeding birds including a WW Scoter and GN Diver. Light passerine movement too but spent some time watching the coordinated flying of 50 Sanderling in nice light. Elsewhere, my first Osprey this year with its tea. #lothianbirds

This caused some confusion until the internet came to the rescue - a drake Australian Wood Duck at Gladhouse this morning 😁 #Midlothianbirds

Gadwall are scarce visitors to Gladhouse with most recorded in the autumn so nice to see this pair today feeding on a fly hatch. Also the first Redshank of the Spring here joining the Ringed Plovers. #midlothianbirds

Another rural Med Gull and this time wearing its smart suit. Also, at least three pairs of Shelduck back and the county roost of Curlew now up to 180 birds #midlothianbirds

Had to abort the seawatch at Gullane Point today due to sea haze but at least the WW Scoter showed relatively well. Back in Midlothian, noticeable increase in breeding waders & LBBGs returning and my first rural Med Gull this year #birdingscotland

Saw this Herring Gull with attached plastic cup on a wet 31 Dec 24. Two days later, saw that it could use its Uropygial gland at least and today, after seven weeks, cup still attached and its obviously able to feed but mandibles growing larger #midlothianbirds

Good to see a build up of Gannet and Auks pass Gullane Point today plus the White-winged Scoter showing well in the scope - but not in the photo🫣 #birdingscotland

Some Scoter showing well today at Gullane Point but all of the Velvets seen well had the wrong bill colour & shape and eye flash for the WW Scoter that I was looking for #birdingscotland

Nice afternoon light to watch the small wader roost at Barns Ness today. Included 145 Golden & 25 Grey Plover and 13 Purple Sandpiper (to complete the colour theme …) #birdingscotland

One of the few female Long-tailed Ducks in Gullane Bay attracting some attention from the males. Lots of chin-lifting and calling. #BirdingScotland

A calm day in Gullane Bay with thousands of Common Scoter and Eider well offshore but this relaxed pair of Scoters drifted close in to the rocks.

A lot of Kittiwake today in the raw NWN F4 at Gullane Point. A high January total for Lothian of 143 past (sw and ne). Pic from November. Also 2 Little Auk past and at Port Seton late pm, a FoY Med Gull west past. #BirdingScotland

A bit of a long shot but can anyone make out anything regarding its source on the ring on this Twite? #ukbirding

A nice end to a dull, grey day. Came across a group of seven confiding Twite at Port Seton harbour this afternoon. An enchanting finch that I don’t see often enough. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Domestic duties meant a late start at Gullane Point today and I missed the main Little Auk movement and saw just the three. A tough day for nature on the sea today in F5 cold northerlies but some species appeared to enjoy it more than others. #birdinglothian.bsky.social

Gullane Pt had a couple of surprises today in the form of a GW Egret (the white speck in the pic😳 but helpfully also seen by others) and 4 Lap Buntings west (3+1). Little Auk still around with 22 seen. Squabbling LTD were entertaining @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

With few Little Auk being reported from the Forth recently, I wasn’t expecting too much today but 138 east past Gullane Point was a total surprise. In one hour from 10.25, 127 past but in the second hour, just 11 past. Nothing much else of interest but a GND was also nice to see. #birdingLothian

11 Whooper Swans at Gladhouse late pm today. A group of 7 adults and this separate family group. These are the first juveniles I have seen this autumn. (Not your ugly ducklings imho). #birdingLothian

Now becoming a scarce species in Lothian, 2 dozing Pochard at Gladhouse today. (6 here last month was the highest number seen at the site for 20 years.) And why have we only seen drakes here in the last few years? #birdinglothian

At last the Fieldfares have arrived with 65 at Straiton and 25 at Gullane. 29 Little Gulls sw past Gullane Pt but best was a distant but very probable Imm White-billed Diver west past (ie it would have been a WBD if they weren’t a local rarity here🤔). #birdinglothian

Scare raptors in Lothian yesterday with Goshawk (2) and a late passage Marsh Harrier moving south west #birdingscotland

Good numbers of Redwing and Blackbird on the coast today. Also at least one YBW at Whitesands and another at Barns Ness where a Barred Warbler also showed well at the south end. #birdinglothian #ukbirding

Pleasant but quiet day on the coast. Skateraw best with YBW, Lesser Whitethroat (attached, note pale iris), Blackcap, Chiffchaff and in-off Jack Snipe. Another Jack at Torness and a couple of Redwing at Whitesands #birdinglothian #ukbirding

A quieter day in the Forth with lighter winds but another juv Sabine’s going east was nice (it may have be the same seen off North Berwick shortly afterwards). Also a group of 3 Harbour Porpoise, a species not often recorded in the Forth (as far as I’m aware).

A lovely leucistic Barnacle Goose at Aberlady today. Before that, nothing in the bushes but 15 Little Gull and 2 Sooty Shear at Gullane Pt and 5 Sooty at Whitesands. A few flocks of Barnies south off the coast and first of season Goldeneye and Purple Sand. #birdinglothian #ukbirding

Good day for Shearwaters in the Forth today with 24 Sooty and 432 Manx all east past Gullane Point in 2hrs 15mins late morning. Easily my best day for them in Lothian. Also a bonus Marsh Harrier passing inland at Aberlady. #birdinglothian #ukbirding