Andy Catlin

A large river which has a green algae growing near its banks

Rocks in a river that are covered in a green algae

A dry river bed filled with exposed rocks and fallen leaves

Rocks in a river that are covered in a green algae

This might look idyllic but this is the River Usk at Graig y Pandy beginning to choke on algal blooms. Today Natural Resources Wales @natreswales.bsky.social declared a drought after the driest six months recorded in almost 50 years 😔

Online discussion - organising mass rides

🚲 Big ideas need big rides. From Critical Mass to Glow Rides, learn how to make them safe, joyful & unmissable.

📅 19 Aug 2025
⏰ 18:00 BST
💻 Free online

👉 Sign up at cyclinguk.org/mass-ride-webinar

I Started Carrying Something Small Around Every Day. It’s Changed Everything. From concerts to cafés, people are blocking out harmful noise—and protecting more than just their ears.

"Ear Protection Is the New Sunscreen" Timely article by @slate.com on why protecting your hearing is a good idea: slate.com/technology/2...

Two photographers discussing their work in a lecture theatre

A photographer discussing their work in a lecture theatre

A photographer discussing their work in a lecture theatre

Good to hear that 'waiting' and 'f/8 and be there' are still photography rules to live by at today's excellent talk at @nationalgalleries.bsky.social from Pam Isherwood & Maggie Murray, original members of pioneering photo agency Format 📷

"It’s the only place I’ve ever been to where I’ve seen a sign warning people that the price of beer is about to be reduced in the next month” Inspiring ‪‪@dmccarthys.bsky.social‬‬ article for @thequietus.com 👏

Forget your #Edinburgh festivals, the real drama/comedy/entertainment was down the Water of Leith @wolct.bsky.social tonight with a full house of deer, foxes, otter, bats, bugs & slugs ❤️

Two actors onstage with the arms raised singing at the audience

Two actors onstage who are emptying a large bag of broken pottery onto a table

Two actors onstage smiling and laughing in a performance

Two actors onstage wearing animal masks and pointing upwards

All the emotions at last night's @shittheatre.bsky.social pitch-perfect return of their remarkable show "Or What's Left of Us" at Shedinburgh (including a passionate 'death! death! death! singaround) ❤️❤️❤️ Photo album > andycatlin.myportfolio.com/sht-theatre-...

Nine military aircraft with multicoloured smoke trails fly in a arrow formation over Edinburgh city centre.

Nine military aircraft with multicoloured smoke trails fly in a arrow formation over Edinburgh city centre.

Nine military aircraft with multicoloured smoke trails fly in a arrow formation over Edinburgh city centre.

A fisheye image of Edinburgh city centre with multicoloured smoke trails in the sky

The RAF Red Arrows flew over the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo tonight. Discuss.

A protester at the Lift the Ban demonstration waving a combined Scotland and Palestine flag in front of a UK Government building

Three protesters holding signs that read "I Oppose Genocide: Support Palestine Action"

A smiling child holds a placard reading "Free Free Palestine"

A protester at the Lift the Ban demonstration waving a Palestine flag and holding a white rose in front of a UK Government building

Positive to see so many folk at today’s #Edinburgh Lift the Ban silent protest in solidarity against the proscription of Palestine Action 👏

A classical music singer performing in an art gallery

A classical music singer and guitarist performing in an art gallery

A classical guitarist performing in an art gallery

A classical music singer and guitarist performing in an art gallery

Gorgeous set tonight from Morris Begg Duo c/o @livemusicnowscot.bsky.social at @nationalgalleries.bsky.social creating a much needed refuge from the festivals chaos 👏😌👏

Two musicians onstage after a concert with their audience celebrating behind them

A guitarist and drummer onstage during a concert

A guitarist and singer onstage during a concert

A singer playing an electric guitar onstage during a concert

Cracking to see bands giving it 100% with full strength sets tonight from Mannequin Death Squad + Corrine at Sneaky Pete's 👏👏👏 Photo album > andycatlin.myportfolio.com/mannequin-de...

A dancer onstage during a performance with their arms outstretched holding a cloth with embedded lights

Good time taking photos of 'Africa Power: The Colour of Water' at the Assembly Rooms today (Music Hall, 4.55pm, until 24 Aug)

A guitarist and drummer onstage during a concert

A singer onstage during a concert

A guitarist onstage during a concert

A guitar amplifier with the words 'Vox Box' written on it

As the city gets lost under the festivals invasion, it's good to see Edinburgh businesses like @voxboxmusic.bsky.social + The Last Word supporting Scottish acts with today's Summer Session from Faith Eliott + Jane Frances + Ian Humberstone 👏 Photo album > andycatlin.myportfolio.com/vox-box-summ...

Flock storage: Audio boffin encodes data in a starling : Birdsong stores 176 KB, but can it run Doom?

Whilst knocked out by Jennifer Akkerman's reassessment of avian intelligence in 'The Genius of Birds', not quite ready to pass over my data backup to a starling* www.theregister.com/2025/07/30/e... via @theregister.com (* no offence to starlings but think owls look more reliable for this job)

You get your Pig Spotting Gold Badge 😀 The two wee ones had organised an escape bid from their pen but once they'd made it under the fence, gave up their quest for freedom and had a snooze in the sun instead.

A Highland Cow in a field stares at the camera with one leg raised off the ground

A piglet in a field sleeping in the sunshine

Brought my best coo, horse & pig whispering skills to today's photography at National Museum of Rural Life. Some participants were more engaged than others... 😀

Two smiling cyclists riding next to each other in a bike lane next to a road

Fab day taking photos with some of my favourite folk from @cyclingukscotland.bsky.social who were showcasing some of their great partnership work taking place in Glasgow (which obviously involved going on some bike rides for 'research' 😀)

A fiddle player onstage during a concert singing into a microphone

A singer onstage during a concert

A singer onstage during a concert

A singer onstage during a concert with the hands held together in front of to their face

Festival season off to a flying start at Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival with cracking show from @elizacarthy.bsky.social and band showcasing some stunning material from their next album 👏👏👏

An artist speaking at a lecture with their right hand raised up

An artist speaking at a lecture with their hands raised in front of them

Always loved Andy Goldsworthy's combination of the practical and the profound and it was a treat hearing him talk today @nationalgalleries.bsky.social about the five years of development behind his 'Fifty Years' exhibition which has just opened at Royal Scottish Academy.

Some of @edinburghzoo.bsky.social residents regretting their evolutionary wardrobe choices in the Scottish sunshine with dreams of Factor 50 for the Sloth Bear, Pallas's Cat, Crowned Lemur and Scottish Wildcat.

Hidden white and black feather layers enhance plumage coloration in tanagers and other songbirds Colorful songbirds use hidden white or black feather layers to enhance plumage color, an optical trick well known to artists.

"Songbirds play optical tricks to make their feather colors pop" And as part of this trickery, they're using 'deeply absorbent ultra- and superblack' which sounds like the most metal make-up brand EVER 🤘🦜🤘 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... via @science.org

A person lying on a surf board inside a gym is taking part in a fitness check with a researcher standing beside them who is monitoring their progress on a computer.

Great morning taking photos of Dr Brendon Ferrier at @edinburghnapier.bsky.social and learning about their work with the Lost Shore Surf Lab 🏄

Two metallic blue insects with long bodies fight over a female

Two metallic blue insects with long bodies fight over a female above a river

Metallic blue insects with long bodies mating

Metallic blue insect with a long body perched on a tree branch

Wild afternoon on River Usk watching frisky Beautiful Demoiselles making baby Beautiful Demoiselles with epic aerial battles and strong yoga postures 😯

A close-up photo of a red and black beetle facing a black fly with orange eyes on top of a flower head

Real estate showdown in Penperlleni with 7-spot ladybird vs flesh fly (with props to Ashleigh Whiffin for I.D. 👏)

Spotted today in Penperlleni - MAHOOOSIVE Emperor Dragonfly, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood & Gatekeeper 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🦋🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Tonight's rain doesn't stop Team Otter's dinner plans as they go large on the Water of Leith's @wolct.bsky.social all-you-can-eat buffet 😂

A singer onstage during a concert

A singer onstage during a concert

A singer onstage during a concert holding a guitar

A singer onstage during a concert holding a guitar

Quality night of top class songwriting from Hannah Juanita + Mose Wilson + Elsie MacDonald at Sneaky Pete's 👏 Photo album > andycatlin.myportfolio.com/hannah-juani...

An acoustic guitarist playing onstage during a concert

An electric bass guitarist playing onstage during a concert

An acoustic guitarist and an electric bass guitarist playing onstage during a concert

A musician playing a keyboard onstage during a concert

Sublime concert tonight from Morgan Szymanski + @surfacepressure.bsky.social with Other Lands at the Voodoo Rooms celebrating the release of their beautiful new album 'Songs for the Mist Forest’ on Blackford Hill Audio 👏👏👏

Usual Saturday night rowdy crowd down on @wolct.bsky.social in #Edinburgh with a peek-a-boo moorhen chick, juicy slugs, hyper bats, noisy otters and a seriously unimpressed pooping heron 😂

Kneecap's inclusion on Rock En Seine line-up causes substantial funding cut Kneecap’s inclusion on the line-up for Paris’ Rock En Seine has led to the festival having its funding substantially cut.

Apparently a funding cut of 0.24% of an overall festival budget is 'substantial' according to the NME 🤔 www.nme.com/news/music/k...