This mandarin looked out of place sitting on the sea at Scoughall this morning. More subdued were 3 of my favourite finch, the Twite, surprisingly scarce here. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

And in a packed (with wasps) moth trap last night at last a migrant! Scarce bordered straw! Lifer!

Three hour seawatch with good friend Justin Carr yesterday morning at @flamboroughbird.bsky.social not lots of birds but good close views of a Cory’s Shearwater and the below adult Pomarine Skua with spoons Digiscoped through a Swarovski STX85 @donnybirding.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Really chuffed with my latest tee from @aluladesigns.bsky.social A species (literally) close to my heart, here with some pics from this breeding season in the lammermuirs (Faseny-ting stuff!!; if you know you know)

I usually only see Emperors zipping about the moor. Today i got close to 2! The first had lost its left forewing, perhaps a partial victim of the local stonechats, but the second was beautiful and pristine! Also green hairstreak

Still small parties of (?)migrant ring ouzels hangin aboot the lammermuirs. This fieldfare perhaps heading for the same area

First pic was taken 19/5/23 and the second yesterday. Presumed back for at least 3rd season as a breeding ring ouzel. Also an early (for me) cuckoo and lots of common sandpipers

Though puffins have been recorded at scoughall through the winter, today was the first with numbers, all breeding adults, 52 in 2 hours. Also a nice pair of pintail and an exodus of long tailed ducks as proven by the worst photos ever taken (also Manx shearwater and Merlin)

Early fog in the lammermuirs probably led to a few grounded birds including this black redstart and ring ousels, these ones moving on

My nesting season opens with 3 stonechats and a dipper

Well, that was a nice day out

Yay, they’re back!

Returning from Nepal had a layover in Istanbul. Didn’t expect a walk for coffee to bring the spectacle of buzzards eagles and stork all migrating north into Europe

A few from scoughall yesterday. Best bird was the distant Merlin

a cold but sunny day for the second full circuit of the Scoughall patch. year list up to 88 with highlights of brambling chiffchaffs raven and best of all a twite. nice light for pics.

A sad story. A family of whooper swans arrived in the Scoughall/Lochhouses area in December. One adult must have hit wires, and a week later the second adult was dead in the same field

A light ground covering of slushy snow brought a few birds to the garden in Old Craighall including this fieldfare

Most unusual bird at scoughall on 2nd Jan was this Manx shearwater

Always nice to see and hear a sibe chiff. This one at Scoughall all month, but yesterday with supporting cast of Merlin, 2+ Great Northerns and a standard chiffchaff

Roosting pied wagtails under bright floodlights at Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh. They probably use the bushes when it is less windy

The blurred pixels here are the closest 2 Little Auks, out of 28 seen in 2 hours at Scoughall with @kgbirder.bsky.social Other highlight was a party of 3 drake Pintail N-so elegant!

A starter post of some highlights from the local patch at Scoughall, East Lothian this year