David Kelly

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

Two Little Auks east past Ferny Ness between 1pm and 2pm this afternoon. The first landed on the sea just beyond the surf zone.The second was 10 minutes later and flew straight by. @birdinglothian

White-rumped Sandpiper on Whitesands Beach this afternoon.⁦@birdinglothian⁩

2 Jack Snipe flew from the Lennoxlove side of the Tyne and over my head towards Haddington this morning. Species 99 for the patch. Little Egret on the river too. @birdinglothian @EdinburghNats

Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit on the Scrapes at Musselburgh this afternoon. @birdinglothian

Southern Hawker, female, Clerkington, East Lothian, hawking along the River Tyne this morning. @EdinburghNats t

Red-backed Shrike still this afternoon at JMCP. ⁦@birdinglothian⁩

My first ever view of the Aurora Borealis from Haddington tonight. But where’s STEVE? #northernlights

@denmor77 @birdinglothian I knew there had been a record in the past, so while waiting for an appointment looked up Scottish Birds Online. A great resource!

@DavidKelly14 @birdinglothian Cheers Dave, good to know 👍

Yellow-browed Warbler near Penicuik this morning, nearby to Glencorse Kennels. I believe this is the 1st record for Midlothian unless anyone can tell me differently @birdinglothian

Drake Surf Scoter still off Ferny Ness with Velvets to the northeast, left of the tanker, still quite distant. @birdinglothian

One of two or three Curlew Sandpipers at the north end of Spike Island saltmarsh, John Muir CP, this afternoon. Also 18 Greenshanks and a Peregrine Falcon. @birdinglothian

Some images of the very cooperative Steppe Great Grey Shrike at Winterfield Park, Dunbar this afternoon. It got so close I couldn’t phonescope it at times! @birdinglothian

The Greenish Warbler was still commuting between a willow and a sycamore at the seaward end of the Dryburn at Skateraw this afternoon. It gave fleeting views and a few calls. @birdinglothian

Great White Egret and two Little Egrets in Peffer Burn from Aberlady Green. ⁦@birdinglothian⁩ ⁦@EdinburghNats⁩

Is this a Common Darter? Taken at John Muir Country Park near Dunbar, East Lothian. @EdinburghNats

Short watch from Yellowcraig beach this pm. I thought a big dark skua chasing Kittiwakes was a juv Pom until I saw the spoons, so dark adult Pom then. Also a pale ad Arctic too. @birdinglothian

Stejneger’s Scoter off the old scrapes at Musselburgh late afternoon. 2 Green Sandpipers on the Scrapes. Also this potter wasp nesting in the wall of one of the hides. @EdinburghNats @birdinglothian

@stuart007464 That’s what I thought, inaturalist says A. gazella is the likely identification.

@DavidKelly14 Type of potter/mason Wasp Ancistrocerus sp?

@stuart007464 Took these at the eastern hide at the old scrapes this afternoon. Any ideas of what it is?