The wait is over...
Fair Isle Bird Observatory is pleased to announce that 'The Birds of Fair Isle' is now available to pre-order. This richly illustrated two-volume avifauna celebrates 75 years of FIBO survey work.
The set is offered for a limited time at £70 plus postage. For details: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
The set is offered for a limited time at £70 plus postage. For details: www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
February 1, 2026 at 7:47 PM
The wait is over...
1 Feb. Gosford Estate and Bay. Views of the Woodlark in flight with 30 Skylarks (no photos); dark 2cy Glaucous Gull still in the bay #BirdingLothian
February 1, 2026 at 2:51 PM
1 Feb. Gosford Estate and Bay. Views of the Woodlark in flight with 30 Skylarks (no photos); dark 2cy Glaucous Gull still in the bay #BirdingLothian
28 Jan. Musselburgh. 22 Twite still, the 'ghostly white' Black-headed Gull again (first seen in Lothian in 2018) and an amazing 95 Great Crested Grebes - the largest count at this site since 2004 #BirdingLothian
January 28, 2026 at 4:26 PM
28 Jan. Musselburgh. 22 Twite still, the 'ghostly white' Black-headed Gull again (first seen in Lothian in 2018) and an amazing 95 Great Crested Grebes - the largest count at this site since 2004 #BirdingLothian
Reposted by Ian Andrews
Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously!
4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE MARK RUSKELL MSP ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!
4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE MARK RUSKELL MSP ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!
January 27, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously!
4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE MARK RUSKELL MSP ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!
4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE MARK RUSKELL MSP ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!
16 Jan. Duddingston. Today's Bittern slipping and sliding along the reed edge. #BirdingLothian
January 16, 2026 at 4:48 PM
16 Jan. Duddingston. Today's Bittern slipping and sliding along the reed edge. #BirdingLothian
4 Jan. Musselburgh. 24 Twite including the ringed bird AET 6743 (same as last winter); Great Black-backed Gull yellow 051:M and Mediterranean Gull yellow AL:ZZ #BirdingLothian
January 4, 2026 at 3:14 PM
4 Jan. Musselburgh. 24 Twite including the ringed bird AET 6743 (same as last winter); Great Black-backed Gull yellow 051:M and Mediterranean Gull yellow AL:ZZ #BirdingLothian
24 Dec. Musselburgh. A 1cy Caspian Gull at the Esk mouth at midday. Also 25 Whooper Swans way off NE on the sea #BirdingLothian
December 24, 2025 at 5:01 PM
24 Dec. Musselburgh. A 1cy Caspian Gull at the Esk mouth at midday. Also 25 Whooper Swans way off NE on the sea #BirdingLothian
It’s beginning to feel that the end is in sight. The proofs of the new 'Birds of Fair Isle' book are now being checked by the team of authors. That’s more than 400,000 words on 938 pages!
Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year.
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
#BirdingScotland
Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year.
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
#BirdingScotland
December 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
It’s beginning to feel that the end is in sight. The proofs of the new 'Birds of Fair Isle' book are now being checked by the team of authors. That’s more than 400,000 words on 938 pages!
Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year.
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
#BirdingScotland
Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year.
www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi
#BirdingScotland
On FB, John Scott managed to read the last 2 digits of the Twite ring (43), so it looks like it's the same bird as recorded last winter AET6743.
December 19, 2025 at 8:25 AM
On FB, John Scott managed to read the last 2 digits of the Twite ring (43), so it looks like it's the same bird as recorded last winter AET6743.
Reposted by Ian Andrews
Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free?
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
December 18, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free?
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.
13 Dec. Musselburgh. 21 Twite (one ringed - no number yet), single Great Northern and Black-throated Divers. From a few days ago - Long-tailed Ducks at Musselburgh and Little Egret at Aberlady #BirdingLothian
December 13, 2025 at 7:48 PM
13 Dec. Musselburgh. 21 Twite (one ringed - no number yet), single Great Northern and Black-throated Divers. From a few days ago - Long-tailed Ducks at Musselburgh and Little Egret at Aberlady #BirdingLothian
Reposted by Ian Andrews
#Thanksgiving 🦃 with our amazing volunteers in the bird collections of National Museums Scotland 🏴! 😉
Do you live nearby and would like to join? We're capturing data from all our #birds. Well, now's your chance! Don't wait...
careers.nms.ac.uk/job/800113
#museum #ornithology 🪶
Do you live nearby and would like to join? We're capturing data from all our #birds. Well, now's your chance! Don't wait...
careers.nms.ac.uk/job/800113
#museum #ornithology 🪶
November 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
#Thanksgiving 🦃 with our amazing volunteers in the bird collections of National Museums Scotland 🏴! 😉
Do you live nearby and would like to join? We're capturing data from all our #birds. Well, now's your chance! Don't wait...
careers.nms.ac.uk/job/800113
#museum #ornithology 🪶
Do you live nearby and would like to join? We're capturing data from all our #birds. Well, now's your chance! Don't wait...
careers.nms.ac.uk/job/800113
#museum #ornithology 🪶
Young country diary: Silence in the hide for a rare and beautiful bird | Sachin www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Young country diary: Silence in the hide for a rare and beautiful bird | Sachin
Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland: The hide was very busy but lucky for me someone let me look through their telescope – this bird isn’t really found in Scotland
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Young country diary: Silence in the hide for a rare and beautiful bird | Sachin www.theguardian.com/environment/...
17 Nov. Musselburgh. A late Sandwich Tern on the new lagoons plus 9 Twite by the huts at the river mouth; Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush on the scrapes #BirdingLothian
November 17, 2025 at 3:42 PM
17 Nov. Musselburgh. A late Sandwich Tern on the new lagoons plus 9 Twite by the huts at the river mouth; Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush on the scrapes #BirdingLothian
Here's a Razorbill photo I just saw on Facebook from yesterday (by Allan Pringle).
November 11, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Here's a Razorbill photo I just saw on Facebook from yesterday (by Allan Pringle).
31 Oct. Musselburgh. The highlight today was the sight and sound of 16 Whooper Swans (8 juvs) arriving at the new lagoons. Other photos - Long-tailed Duck and Curlew. Nuthatch with acorn from elsewhere in East Lothian #BirdingLothian
October 31, 2025 at 7:31 PM
31 Oct. Musselburgh. The highlight today was the sight and sound of 16 Whooper Swans (8 juvs) arriving at the new lagoons. Other photos - Long-tailed Duck and Curlew. Nuthatch with acorn from elsewhere in East Lothian #BirdingLothian
27 Oct. Musselburgh. 2+ Twite along the seawall, Med Gull "white 30VA", 1 Ruff, 3 Shoveler, imm Pomarine Skua flew W, an "odd" Canada Goose on the river with a strange call! #BirdingLothian
October 27, 2025 at 5:04 PM
27 Oct. Musselburgh. 2+ Twite along the seawall, Med Gull "white 30VA", 1 Ruff, 3 Shoveler, imm Pomarine Skua flew W, an "odd" Canada Goose on the river with a strange call! #BirdingLothian
22 Oct. Seafield Pond, West Barns. The Glossy Ibis was still present early this morning. Finding plenty to eat. #BirdingLothian
October 22, 2025 at 6:45 PM
22 Oct. Seafield Pond, West Barns. The Glossy Ibis was still present early this morning. Finding plenty to eat. #BirdingLothian
Reposted by Ian Andrews
Recently, Ranger Carla wrote a blog about the new Observatory building and what it means to the staff and the island. You can read that blog and see some of the stunning photos taken by the @promoteshetland.bsky.social team here: www.shetland.org/blog/fair-is...
Visitors flock back to Fair Isle Bird Observatory | Shetland.org
Fair Isle Bird Observatory was established in 1948, and since then there have been five iterations of the Observatory building. The latest was lost to a fire in March 2019, and after six years and a c...
www.shetland.org
October 20, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Recently, Ranger Carla wrote a blog about the new Observatory building and what it means to the staff and the island. You can read that blog and see some of the stunning photos taken by the @promoteshetland.bsky.social team here: www.shetland.org/blog/fair-is...
Now there's a thought. Let's wait for the first frost.
October 16, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Now there's a thought. Let's wait for the first frost.
16 Oct. Musselburgh. Marsh Sandpiper STILL present. Also, 1 Little Gull, 1 Whooper Swan, 1 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 10 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Slavonian Grebes and the Bottlenose Dolphins did another swim past! #BirdingLothian
October 16, 2025 at 2:19 PM
16 Oct. Musselburgh. Marsh Sandpiper STILL present. Also, 1 Little Gull, 1 Whooper Swan, 1 Ruff, 2 Greenshank, 10 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Slavonian Grebes and the Bottlenose Dolphins did another swim past! #BirdingLothian
15 Oct. Musselburgh. Marsh Sandpiper still, 4 pale adult Pomarine Skuas W, juv Arctic Skua chasing, 2 Little Gulls, 2 Arctic Terns, 3 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1st Rock Pipit of the autumn, 8+ Bottlenose Dolphins #BirdingLothian
October 15, 2025 at 1:28 PM
15 Oct. Musselburgh. Marsh Sandpiper still, 4 pale adult Pomarine Skuas W, juv Arctic Skua chasing, 2 Little Gulls, 2 Arctic Terns, 3 Slavonian Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1st Rock Pipit of the autumn, 8+ Bottlenose Dolphins #BirdingLothian
Also today - Water Rail again, Marsh Sandpiper still, 2 Ruff, 1 Golden Plover on new lagoons, 1 Fieldfare over, up to 1100 Barnacle Geese, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 10 Shoveler, 1 Scaup still, 5 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Goldeneye, 6 Velvet Scoter only.
October 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Also today - Water Rail again, Marsh Sandpiper still, 2 Ruff, 1 Golden Plover on new lagoons, 1 Fieldfare over, up to 1100 Barnacle Geese, 2 Slavonian Grebes, 10 Shoveler, 1 Scaup still, 5 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Goldeneye, 6 Velvet Scoter only.
14 Oct. Musselburgh. Took a while for the penny to drop after repeatedly hearing a high sharp "keek" call at the Esk mouth - only for it to fly over exactly as a guy came up to me to ask about Wigeon! Saw it well but briefly as it flew high SE - Long-billed Dowitcher #BirdingLothian
October 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
14 Oct. Musselburgh. Took a while for the penny to drop after repeatedly hearing a high sharp "keek" call at the Esk mouth - only for it to fly over exactly as a guy came up to me to ask about Wigeon! Saw it well but briefly as it flew high SE - Long-billed Dowitcher #BirdingLothian