My first butterfly of the year this afternoon - a Small Tortoiseshell on a windowsill in our East Lothian Garden @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian

Went back this morning for another look at the Woodlark in Gosford Estate, near Longniddry. This time managed a couple of better pics than the spot the Woodlark one I posted last Monday @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

One for spot the Woodlark club - creeping about like a mouse in a stubble field at Gosford Estate, nr Longniddry @birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

Second set of Lesser Whitethroat from Haddington this morning @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

First of 2 sets of the Lesser Whitethroat in Haddington, East Lothian taken in the early part of this morning. Unable to get any flight shots with my bridge camera @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

3 adult 'Eurasian' Greater White-fronted Geese with Greylags this morning in field opposite entrance to Castle Park golf course, near Gifford @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

One more and last biking post. Three pics from a memorable day at Knockhill in July 2004 - presenting trophies to Scott Smart, James Haydon & Yukio Kagayama; Marion & me with James Reynolds, 2004 British Superbikes champion; with Colin McCrae, former world car rally champion.

Little Egret foot-paddling for prey at Aberlady on 29 December. Late 2025 also saw the end of my 60 years long motorcycling life when, with a heavy heart, I sold my beloved Honda VFR 750 which served me well for the last 23 of those years - pic from 2004 @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Also from this morning in East Lothian some pics of Whooper Swans near Prora on the way home - part of the flock, a posing adult and a posing juvenile @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

From this morning in East Lothian with friends from Hong Kong, this record effort of the Glossy Ibis taken at Scoughall in poor early light at a ridiculously high ISO @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

Quiet on the bird front during a visit to Aberlady 4 days ago but got a couple of pics of a Roe Deer @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Lothian

Couple of record shots of a solo Waxwing in Longniddry this morning - spotted from my bedroom window @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

Four more of the Glossy Ibis at Seafield Pond - I did say it was obliging. Not my first for Lothian but delighted to see it as my first for East Lothian @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Lothian #Birds

Felt guilty leaving my wife at home on an oxygen machine for quick dash to Seafield Pond for the very obliging Glossy Ibis. Less so after 10 quality mins with the bird. 4 pics, the first when it was in the shade @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Lothian #Birds

Despite having flu, felt the need for some fresh air yesterday. A 2 hr walk was tiring but fruitful with my East Lothian dragonfly season ending with more pics of male Migrant Hawker @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Final NE India: only one species and not the best of pics but they are of my most wanted bird on the trip - Blyth's Tragopan. Seen earlier at Eaglenest but no pics until Mishmi. Also a scenic view in the Mishmi Hills.

Penultimate NE India & Mishmi Hills: pics of Rosy Pipit, Beautiful Nuthatch and Lesser Cuckoo.

27th NE India: still from the Mishmi Hills. Two pics of Purple Cochoa plus a Streak-throated Barwing and a Large Hawk Cuckoo.

26th NE India: pics of Mishmi Wren Babbler, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Pale Blue Flycatcher and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, all from the Mishmi Hills.

25th NE India: more from Mishmi Hills. Two pics of Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler plus one of Black-faced Warbler and a record shot of the highly desirable Rusty-bellied Shortwing.

24th NE India: back to Arunachal Pradesh. This time to the Mishmi Hills, another site out of bounds to me in 2004. Start with 2 pics of Gould's Shortwing, a key target, plus a Black-faced Laughingthrush & a Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher.

23rd NE India. Last bird pics from Tinsukia area. Grey Peacock-Pheasant is easily heard but usually very hard to see. Pleased to get a very co-operative one. Three pics plus a record shot of Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher.

22nd NE India: back to Assam, this time the Tinsukia area. Pics of Austen's Brown Hornbill, Greater Adjutants and Eastern Barn Owl.

21st NE India: last pics from Eaglenest. Hodgson's Frogmouth, Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher, Beautiful Sibia and Nepal Fulvetta.

20th NE India: Eaglenest again with pics of Himalayan Cutia, White-hooded Babbler, Long-billed Wren Babbler and Yellow-throated Fulvetta.

Final from England trip. Last morning was in Dorset. No dragonflies seen at all at Silverlakes in not forecast overcast and windy weather so dipped Scarlet Darter. Best was Red-eyed Damselfly (2 pics) & Small Red-eyed Damselfly (2 pics) #Dragonflies

Also from Aston Rowant NNR 2 pics of male Adonis Blue plus a male and a female Chalkhill Blue #Butterflies

From Whitecross Green Wood to nearby Aston Rowant NNR, also in Oxfordshire, in the afternoon. Two pics of Silver-spotted Skipper and two of Brimstone #Butterflies

We had no info on dragonflies at Whitecross Green Wood so a big bonus to get 2 Southern Migrant Hawkers there. Two pics of SMH plus a Southern Hawker & a Ruddy Darter, all males @britishdragonflies.bsky.social #Dragonflies

Break from India pics for some from a short trip to🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 in early August. First morning at Whitecross Green Wood in Oxfordshire. Three pics of the main target, Brown Hairstreak, plus one of Brown Argus #Butterflies

Finally got snaps for the year this afternoon of Migrant Hawkers in East Lothian. Two pics of 1 of 4 males. Better still, but not sharp, one of a female in tandem with a male confirming on-going breeding in the county @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

19th NE India: more from Eaglenest WLS. Pics of Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Hoary-throated Barwing, Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler and Striated Laughingthrush.

First dragonfly outing in East Lothian this afternoon for over 5 weeks produced 5 Migrant Hawkers but no pics of them. Only decent snap was this Small White @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian

18th NE India: next was the fabled Eaglenest WSL, a site not on birders' radar when I was in Arunal Pradesh in 2004. Two pics of one of my top two birds on the trip - Ward's Trogon. Also singles of Black-throated Parrotbill & Rufous-winged Fulvetta.

17th NE India. Last pics from Sela Pass area. Two of Himalayan Monal (not new on this trip but, surprisingly, Himalayan was my last Monal after Sclater's first then Chinese) and one of Large-eared Pika. Plus a Russet Sparrow from down in the valley at our homestay.

16th NE India: more from the high altitude Sela Pass area. Two pics of Grandala and singles of Rufous-vented Tit and Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch.

15th NE India: more from the Sela Pass. Two pics of Fire-tailed Sunbird, one of Bar-throated Minla and one of Rufous-breasted Bush Robin (my final Tarsiger).

14th NE India: higher altitude birding up to 4175 metres at the Sela Pass. Two pics of Fire-tailed Myzornis, one of Rufous-breasted Accentor and one of Alpine Thrush.

13th NE India: last from Mandala. Pics of Brown-throated Fulvetta, Black-headed Shrike-babbler, Whistler's Warbler and Rufous-bellied Woodpecker.

Lastly from Musselburgh yesterday 2 pics of a Spotted Redshank on the scrapes; pic of 2 Spotted Redshanks on the lagoons and pic of 7 of the 9 Little Egrets on the lagoons @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

Also from Musselburgh yesterday, four record shots of the not close Pectoral Sandpiper on the lagoons @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

3rd recent visit to Musselburgh yesterday, this time with 2 pals from the Wild West (Glasgow). Four pics of the Marsh Sandpiper on the scrapes @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

12th NE India: more from Mandala. Two pics of Spotted Laughingthrush, a Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler and a brief Temminck's Tragopan.

11th NE India: busy morning up to 3190 metres at Mandala before mist closed play. Pics of Beautiful Sibia, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, Blyth's Leaf Warbler & Chestnut-headed Tesia.

10th NE India: next was a travel day from Assam up to Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh. Some stops on the way allowed pics of Bhutan Laughingthrush, Russet Bush Warbler & Great Barbet. Also one from a delay for work on a recent landslide - rather the 9 men in the pic than me!

New for our garden in Longniddry this afternoon, and quite unexpected, was an old female Common Darter - 3 pics attached @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

9th NE India: last pics from this part of Assam. Slender-billed Vulture, Bengal Bush Lark, Black-necked Stork and Indian Rhinoceros.

Best I could do with the bridge camera of the Marsh Sandpiper at Musselburgh this morning - one for the SLR big lens guys. Pleased to see it as the only previous Lothian record in 1997 was when I was on a trip to China & Taiwan. Thanks to the finder Mervyn Griffin @birdinglothian.bsky.social

8th NE India: from Nagaland down to the plains of Assam for a short visit, mostly at Kaziranga NP. Pics of Swamp Francolin, Kalij Pheasant, Lineated Barbet and Asian Elephant.

Four butterflies from or East Lothian garden this afternoon - Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Small White @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian