Last Odonata pics from Thursday's outing in the Gifford area - a male and a pair of mating Large Red Damselfly plus some mating Azure Damselflies @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Following on from the males, now a set of Broad-bodied Chaser females from yesterday in the Gifford area @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Yesterday in the Gifford area was also much better for Broad-bodied Chaser than 4 days earlier with about twice as many - 21+ from 4 sites. First up a set of males @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Four days on and back to the Gifford area for an even more productive day. This time Four-spotted Chasers were on show later than usual - first of the year for me. Four pics from the 11 seen at 3 sites

Nice to see the first Painted Lady for the year in our Longniddry garden this afternoon @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian

Further to the Broad-bodied Chasers from the Gifford area posted yesterday, I also had 2 new for year damselflies there. Pics of male & pair of Large Red Damselfly and male & female Azure Damselfly @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Inland to Gifford area in East Lothian today for Broad-bodied Chaser, a fairly recent coloniser. 11 seen (8 females) from 2 of my sites. Pics of male, imm male & 2 of females @britishdragonflies.bsky.social@edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Second damselfly today in the Aberlady area was Common Blue - 2 pics of adult male and 2 of imm male. Perhaps my first dragon of the year if I get out tomorrow @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #dragonflies #Lothian

First dragonfly outing in East Lothian this year-90 mins late morning in the Aberlady area. 2 species of damselfly seen. First to show was Blue-tailed Damselfly - 2 pics of imm males plus a female and an imm female @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian

Also from Gait Barrows on Friday, 2 pics of Marsh Tit (a species I had not seen for a while and which were collecting food while I was waiting for Duke of Burgundy to show) plus one of a Brimstone #Birds #Butterflies

Trip down to Gait Barrows in Lancs on Friday for Duke of Burgundy after dipping there last year. Borderline temperature and intermittent sunny periods made it not a gimme but perseverance paid off eventually with good looks of three. Some pics attached #Butterflies

12th Colorado: last pics of Galliformes for the trip. Two of Wild Turkey and 1 of Gambel's Quail. Also seen was White-tailed Ptarmigan but I failed to get a snap. Fortunately I got good ones in Alaska 2 years ago.

Best I could do with the Woodchat Shrike at Whitesands this morning. Two when it was closer and 2 when it was distant, the last simply to show it back on @birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian

11th Colorado: the Sage Grouse were indeed lekking the next morning until they were flushed (including many more that were hidden in the sagebrush) by a Golden Eagle just as the sun was coming up. So these 4 pics all handheld at only 1/40th of a second.

10th Colorado: last lek nr Craig cost us a day as a snowstorm hit & the Sage Grouse did not lek. Pic of spot the bird covered in snow. Went back in the evening. Snow had cleared and 2nd pic suggested it was game on for lekking the next morning.

9th Colorado: third set of Sharp-tailed Grouse. two pics of a male which looked as if it wanted to come up and shake hands.

8th Colorado: second set - 4 of males from the Sharp-tailed Grouse lek.

7th Colorado: next lek was near Craig in NW. My favourite so no apologies for 3 sets of Sharp-tailed Grouse. Three of sparring males (action hard to get with bridge camera) & a possible female. Females can be difficult to separate from males if purple sacs on latter not visible.

First outing this pm since my return from the USA. Postman's Walk (Aberlady) & Gullane produced 6 butterfly species. Best was 3+ male Holly Blue but only one perched, too briefly for a snap. Pics of Peacock, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and male Orange-tip.

6th Colorado: next lek was Gunnison Grouse in the west of Colorado. No pics as lek distant (scope needed to confirm id). That evening gave up a male Dusky Grouse just before dusk in Black Canyon NP further north. Two pics of him taken in just about passable light one when it was semi-dark.

5th Colorado: before moving on from the Kansas lek, here are 3 pics I believe are of hybrid Greater X Lesser Prairie Chicken. As I had no prior experience of either species prior to this trip, if someone with greater experience disagrees with me please say so with reasons.

4th Colorado: next lek was in fact over the border in west Kansas nr Scott City. Four pics of Lesser Prairie Chicken males. For some reason I didn't manage to get a passable one of a female.

3rd Colorado: final set from the Greater Prairie Chicken lek. Four of displaying males.

2nd Colorado: more from the Greater Prairie Chicken lek. Pics of 2 males squaring up, a male cosying up to a female and a non-displaying male.

Ist Colorado: as stated main focus was grouse leks so will start with the first - Greater Prairie Chicken in the NE nr Wray, not far from the borders with Nebraska & Kansas. First set of 4 pics- part of the lek and 3 of females.

Not long back from a short trip to Colorado for the superb grouse leks. Pics to follow soon so Feb-March Vietnam trip remains on the backburner.

Misery compounded by Iran situation. Flew out with Qatar Airways. Alternative flights to get home as scarce as hens teeth & had to pay an eye-watering £2145 extra for a one-way ticket with another airline. Vietnam has not been kind to me. Pics to follow but will not be soon 2/2.

Not long back from Vietnam on unfinished business. Fled from there in 2020 due to the covid epidemic after less than a week in the south. Bird trappers active between the trips. Never been on a trip with so few birds seen in general birding and not a sniff of some key targets 1/2

Small Tortoiseshell in our East Lothian garden a couple of days ago @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian

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.