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

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

Near to the sea wall.

Went back for fourths of the Musselburgh Marsh Sandpiper. The Pectoral Sandpiper was a bit more cooperative, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank on the old scrapes, Black Guillemot and Red-necked Grebe offshore. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Excellent afternoon birding at Musselburgh, got a site tick, a Jay. Good views of Marsh Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank and Black Guillemot, the Pectoral Sandpiper was a bit camera shy and a few Curlew Sandpiper present too. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

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

Finally caught up with the American Black Tern at the outer Tyninghame Bay. Couldn’t see the clinching ID feature, the green ring on its left leg. A few Roseate Terns around too.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

White-winged Scoter off the Scrapes at Musselburgh this afternoon.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

In left hide at Musselburgh old scrapes with @joppabirder.bsky.social and surprised to see 2 Temminck’s Stints, also Little Ringed Plover and 6 Black-tailed Godwits on Scrapes; m Surf Scoter off the seawall and ad Little Gull on the Esk Mouth with Sandwich Terns.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

White-winged Scot off seawall at Musselburgh between the 1st and 2d benches with Eider flock, showing well but distant.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

Three Spoonbills at Tyninghame this afternoon, found by @kgbirder.bsky.social Quite a few Little Egrets too and a Greenshank.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

My first large Skipper of the year from Clerkington, East Lothian, plus a Small Copper.
@scottishbutterfly.bsky.social

Mandarin drakes, Pressmennan, East Lothian. Phonebinned and cropped. Also had a Reed Warbler this afternoon at a known site. Singing despite the hooley.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

Avocets still at old scrapes at Musselburgh. One has a yellow leg flag with the code IS on its left leg and a yellow colour ring on its right.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

An afternoon in the Lammermuirs, rather quiet. Couldn’t find any Whinchats, Ring Ouzel were showing well. The only raptor of the day was a female Marsh Harrier. Cuckoo still calling at Whiteadder.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

The Kentish Plover found by
@kgbirder.bsky.social
gave great views this afternoon. I had it to myself for almost a couple of hours.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

The Kentish Plover at Tyninghame this afternoon gave some great views, the strong southeasterly breeze was causing some movement when I tried to digiscope it.

An afternoon in the Lammermuirs with a Wood Sandpiper (blurry phonescoped shot below, left the adapter in the car) still at Whiteadder Reservoir. Crossbills, Cuckoos and Red-legged Partridge there too.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

A rather interesting afternoon of wildlife watching, started with my first ever Basking Shark from Ferny Ness and ended with 3 Wood Sandpipers at Whiteadder Res., with a couple of Cuckoos in the background. Pair of Peregrines in between.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

Pair Avoces now relocated to the Old Scrapes, Lesser Whitethroat singing to right hand side of the Middle Hide at the Old Scrapes too.
@birdinglothian.bsky.social

A big surprise on the dog walk this morning. The gulls were making a racket, that can mean a raptor. It was a flying barn door! A White-tailed Eagle with a white tail, it climbed and headed east toward Haddington. Gulls pass still on it. #BirdingLothian #birding

Went off to Haddington Golf Club to try and hear Grasshopper Warbler. I did, just! Merlin was picking them up but my ears, not so much! #birdingscotland #birding

Went to Gullane this afternoon and eventually got good views of a drake White-winged Scoter. It was the browner flanked individual. I had to walk from the car park at Gullane to the slope above Hummel Rocks. #BirdingLothian

Female type Black Redstart still near the ground at Dunbar’s East Beach this pm. Spending a lot of time hidden in the garden behind a high wall.#birdinglothian

A Phonescoped shot of the Shore Lark at Barns Ness in East Lothian this afternoon.

From rarity when I first started out #birding to someone’s garden bird. Phone camera shot of a Little Egret in a Haddington housing estate.

Adult Mediterranean Gull at the mouth of the Esk at Musselburgh this afternoon. A year tick and my first since May! #birding

Reached 100 species for the Clerkington patch, but I didn’t notice! Species 100 was Great Black-backed Gull on the 8th of January.

Hello bluesky here is a picture of the #Auroraborealis from East Lothian last night (1 Jan)