Mistle Thrush beginning to move into the city. One of six seen at Morningside Cemetery last Wed. #CemeteryWildlifeWatch @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

@birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birdinglothian Yesterday Whoopers flying past Whitesands quarry, Numerous Yellowhammer and Greenfinch seen. 4 lovely Purple sandpipers at Seafield today.

The Scottish Botanists' Conference is here! 230 botanists are about to descend on @thebotanics.bsky.social to celebrate Scotland's incredible flora, and all I can think about is whether I've ordered enough biscuits... @sarahwatts.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

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

418 Orange Ladybirds (Halyzia sedecimguttata) beginning to gather on three gravestones under Horse Chestnut, in Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh yesterday. @coleopsoc.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #CemeteryWildlifeWatch #cemeteries #ladybirds

One of my favourites, Parrot Waxcap, Gliophorus psittacinus, seen at Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh yesterday. Sadly I rushed at the photography but I don't really care! #CemeteryWildlifeWatch @edinburghnats.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk

The wonderful @yukihaba.bsky.social and I went beneath London to help solve the riddle of the Underground Mosquito... Debunking rather than spelunking ;) @marakat.bsky.social @petrathepostdoc.bsky.social

One of my favourites, Striate Earthstar (Geastrum striatum). Seen better days but still one of nature's best. #fungi #nature @scotwildlife.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social @britmycolsoc.org.uk

Review of "Urban Plants" by Trevor Dines, the latest addition to Bloomsbury's British Wildlife Collection. What did I think of the book? Find out here: jeffollerton.co.uk/2025/10/16/b... #ecology #biodiversity #botany #wildlife #plants #NatureWriting

#Beetle artwork. Despite having been attacked by Ash Dieback, the reason for the tree being felled, it was clearly home to many critters. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Latest Botany In Scotland blog post by John Grace. botsocscot.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/p...

2 Water Rails showing well today in a rather dried-up Marl Loch, Aberlady. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

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

Burgundydrop Bonnet, Mycena haematopusa, bit past it's best, but still gorgeous. Bawsinch last week #fungi @scotwildlife.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

I wondered if this tiny feather might be from Long-tailed Tit, but don't see it on Featherbase under Aegithalos caudatus. Seen yesterday at Bawsinch NR Any ideas? @birdinglothian.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @scotwildlife.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Striated Earthstar, Geastrum striatum, past its best but nice to see. Also tiny Sessile Earthstar, Geastrum fimbriatum, I haven't seen its 'egg' before. #fungi @scotwildlife.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Caught the spoonbill again on bothe old and new scrapes yesterday morning in Musselburgh. Glad I did as I gather it's gone to Bo'ness now. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Red-breasted Flycatcher showing very well at Barns Ness. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #birdinglothian #birding

@birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birdinglothian Spoonbill on old scrapes then new,Musselburgh. Whooper also with Marsh sandpiper. A dozen or more Little gulls at mouth of esk,and pair of pintail new scrapes.

Book your #ScotBotanistsConf place now! Its going to be a fantastic day @thebotanics.bsky.social, with brilliant talks on restoring montane woodland, Tufted Saxifrage, urban flora and much much more! @sarahwatts.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @botsocscot.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social

Back in June, we hosted a team from #GardenersWorld to share how we’ve been improving the grounds of the National Museums Collection Centre for biodiversity. 🎬 🐞🪰🌿🌼 Catch it here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... #NMCCbiodiversity

Long staying Marsh Sandpiper and one if two Spotted Redshank at Musselburgh this afternoon. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Devil's Tooth, Hydnellum peckii, no blood red droplets (guttules) as too old; counted four of these. Dell Wood, Nethy Bridge 23/09/2025. #fungi @cairngormsnews.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

@birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birdinglothian 2 Redstart adjacent to cycleway south of quarry barnsness, hiding mostly. 1 Short eared owl high in off sea Skateraw then chased by corvids. Didn't see yellow browed warbler. Peregrine Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, and Buzzard all around cement works Dunbar.

Saw first ever sighting of an Ivy Mining Bee at the car park at Thorntonloch. This species was first described in 1993 and was first recorded in Britain in Dorset in 2001. Sorry no photo. @georgehogg.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Yellow-browed Warbler in the sunshine at Torness Visitor Centre this morning @birdinglothian.bsky.social

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

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

Trying out my new UV torch in the back garden. After a bit of rain, 100s of slugs were out, feasting on the leftover ground birdfood. Second photo lightened to show how many at one birdfood spot. Torch on them only a second so minimum disturbance. @twic.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

From St Baldred’s Cradle #EastLothian on a glorious day with @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Spider in da house. Unsure of ID so used GoogleLens and Obsidentify. GL: Mouse Spider, Scotophaeus blackwalli. Obsid: Phalangium opilio. How can Obsidentify be so way off mark, even I know it's not a Harvestman! @britishspiders.bsky.social @enhsplard.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Good numbers of waders between Barns Ness and Skateraw today: Ruff, Little Stint, 7 Curlew Sandpipers the most interesting; also family group of 5 tired Pale-breasted Brents at the tip of Barns Ness (2 ads and 3 juvs) and another 5 flew past @birdinglothian.bsky.social

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

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

As I'm preparing new lecture material, I'm reminded again of what a wonderful ressource the @biodivlibrary.bsky.social is! It's the world’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives and it is well worth a visit (the images and the thematic collections are amazing)💚

After the old scrapes I continued east to Morrison's Haven. Surprised to see at least 20 Razorbill close inshore. #BirdingScotland @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

@birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birdinglothian #birds Musselburgh lagoons Wood sandpiper, Curlew sandpiper, Marsh sandpiper, Spotted redshank ,Pectoral sandpiper all showing well or reasonably this morning.

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

My record shots of Musselburgh’s 2nd Marsh Sandpiper from this afternoon. Also Whooper Swan, Pintail, Wood Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper.

Western bryophyte interest in the Scottish central belt: I recently found this population of the oceanic liverwort Frullania teneriffae (in Britain seen mainly in native woods & rocky habitats in the W Highlands & Hebrides) on Norway Maple in a plantation in W Lothian, between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Not the Marsh Sandpiper down the road at Musselburgh, just more of the Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint still at Thorntonloch. @birdinglothian.bsky.social @hibby13.bsky.social

Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper on Thorntonloch beach this morning. Also Little Egret now a regular visitor. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

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

@birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birdinglothian At Musselburgh lagoons,Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, Grey partridge, 12 Greenshank what's the small wader to the left of the group.This gull on the sea at Esk mouth stood out small head thin neck Caspian?

A male Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa at a recent visit to Milkhall Pond, Midlothian. Tried to get a close-up of his eyes but grass perch got in the way! #Nikon @scotwildlife.bsky.social @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social

A few more waders in at Tyninghame this morning including a young Curlew Sandpiper. Another juv Marsh Harrier and long-staying adult Osprey also. #BirdingLothian

@birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birdinglothian Thorntonloch Barred warbler playing now you see me now you don't,mostly don't.3 brief glimpses in 2 hours,2 Spotted flycatchers were much more accommidating.

Diplolepis rosae wasp lays eggs in rose bud in spring and a bedeguar or Robin’s pincushion gall develops in response. Females lay fertile eggs without mating (males are rare). The gall has a woody core surrounded by branched red or green hairs. Multiple larval chambers in core

Chorisops nagatomii (Bright Four-spined Legionnaire), mating pair. 21/08/2025 at North Merchiston Cemetery, Edinburgh for #CemeteryWildlifeWatch. @edinburghnats.bsky.social

Dabchick family, 3 chicks visible, Milkhall Pond, Midlothian. One acting all nonchalant when it doesn't get fed & starts to preen as parent goes to younger one. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social