More on the Ferny Ness "Hoodie" (resident since at least 18/10/25) - today feeding in buckthorn at south end Bents c/p 3 (w3w.co/roofed.moth....) and in Fernyness Wood in trees around water bldg and to east, overall plumage looks good, undertail mainly pale, but hints of dark might suggest impurity?
Med yellow-AS.AT at Seton Fri/Sat, plus another ad with full hood...
Post-mating, washing and wing-flapping; no adjacent sea duck inshore, but 4 ad m, 1 f/imm Velvet nearby; all but one image from 40s period from 17:34:25hrs, further mating at 17:36:05hrs; sunset 17:43hrs; poor quality images with range and light but pleased to have documented it, unexpected! [4/4]
Short clip of the actual mating where imm White-winged is sunk low in water while the ad m Velvet holds onto back of neck, some flapping [3/4]
This was not an aggressive mating, it was preceded by a mutual "chin-lifting" display (likely accompanied by calls, not audible at range 800-900m from top of Burn), then ad m Velvet drawing alongside before mounting [2/4]
imm drake White-winged Scoter just off Long Craigs rocks at dusk, engaged in display with ad m Velvet, then mating seen twice, ad m Velvet on top biting back of head (1st image), 3x video in replies; 90s later mated again. Mating does happen btwn male ducks in courtship period [1/4] #birdinglothian
Thanks, suspect the latter, AL.ZZ also at Muss 4 & 14 Jan; AS.AT was also here 14-15 Feb, per Billy. Both are ringed left and both males, though AS.AT is a bigger bird with often distinctive posture, pics here from 1 Dec 2025 and 12 Dec 2024 for reference...
Was the Med AS.AT (Seton Nov/Dec, 12, 15, 16 Jan), or AL.ZZ (Seton 2 Jan)? Both regular here late winter 2024, 2025...
This bird (matched on breast pattern) again among 100+ Carrions in pre-roost on Longniddry shore by footbridge at dusk 17:20-55hrs when started flying to roost, good view of undertail through scope and couldn't discern any dark, perhaps shadow in image by James? Hope to still see in better light...
Norwegian Lesser Black-backed Gull black-J674U (metal 4286774) now at Nouâdhibou, Mauritania, 4584km to the south - obs there in dense flock LBB, with terns incl Caspian, per A Goedecke 10/2/26...
Study 👇 showing ubiquity of microplastics in Scottish Dippers from three rivers; Dighty Water (Dundee), South Esk (Midlothian) and Kelvin (Glasgow) #birdingscotland 🪶
Some more imm argentatus Herrings, incl last week's dark bird on Seton Sands, not all are heavily streaked on head but all have nape streaking and all are larger end birds; 2 in 200 Herrings today incl last pic which flew hence only record shot...
In motion here going to drink, structurally light and quite slender, indeed much closer to a typical LBB than Herring...
For those who like hybrid gulls, presumed LBB x Herring on Seton Burn (possibly "returning"*), small end, yellow legs, smooth intermediate shade mantle, clean head, orange orbital, long call 45 degrees; contrast larger/heavily streaked lingering argentatus Herrings...
* cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_ful...
Now adding graphics c/o BTO #BirdTrack - didn't make it out of Scotland again and best bird (YLG) does not make the headline! But best part of email: "Did you know that all county bird clubs are now using data from BirdTrack for their reports?" (only 75% last year, which I found quite dispiriting!)
Three-year General Licence restriction imposed on Raeshaw Estate (again), this time relating to the shooting of Golden Eagle Merrick.
Statement from NatureScot & commentary from me ⬇️
#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime 🌍
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/10/t...
Press release from Police Scotland 🔽
#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/12/18/m...
Golden Eagle found shot in the Scottish Borders - Police Scotland appeals for information.
'Hamlet' is the sixth victim of eagle persecution in south Scotland in recent years.
Details in blog ⬇️
#RaptorResearch #WildlifeCrime #BirdingScotland 🌍
raptorpersecutionuk.org/2026/02/09/g...
One of those ad Common Gulls with nape streaking and the wavy pattern on breast that's fairly rare (<1 in 130 on gull-research*) and reminiscent of the other races, faint bill marking quite typical of ad canus, Seton Burn (+old friend now 4cy GBB black-J97AY)...
* gull-research.org/canus/270120...
Seems to be orange; yes, regular reports at sites around Glasgow in recent years but I think not since last winter, pics of the one then at Newshot Island:
bsky.app/profile/andy...
Maybe a little subjective and depending also on angle to camera, but I'm not sure I agree the bill "looks heavy", certainly deeper on average on both m & f michahellis, pr here:
gull-research.org/ylg/ylg5cy/5...
Bill looks quite typical for LBB, IMHO, also many are white-headed from late winter...
Does give a paler impression on mantle than some graellsii LBB, but considering known issues interpreting colours on screens this probably v unreliable; structurally bill would be at extreme end of YLG with weak gonydeal angle; shades best judged in comparison, e.g.: www.facebook.com/groups/cr.bi...
You're absolutely right, and of course ad hoc counts might be affected by habitat change/food provision, but in general our peak counts are down, e.g. I had flocks of 200-240 at my WeBS sites Aug-12, Aug-15, but not into double figures since, no obvious change of habitat/food, arable...
But Tree Sparrow declining in Scotland overall per BBS - locally peak ad hoc counts at some of our best sites in Lothian are well down, e.g. Scoughall 160 Sep-18, 100 Sep-21, 80 Sep-23, 65 Aug-24, 15 Sep-25...
Vid 2 of the big argentatus - commences preening at end, size of P10 mirror clearly visible on underwing [3/3]
[Post-script: bird 2 above might also be a hybrid LBB x Herg, need a better view of it, it unfortunately departed immediately...]
Vid 1 of the big argentatus - also dark eye, big dark gonys mark, small P9 mirrror, P10 fully grown - so my feeling is modest tertial and scapular crescents, and lack of any black on P5 (or P4), rule out any more interesting options, but I'm not so familiar with these northern argentatus types [2/3]
Large gulls typically scarce on Seton Sands pre-roost, more variety than usual: 1. the juv Glauc, 2. ad, slight build, blue-ish back, yellow legs, but streaked (presumed Baltic Herg?), 3. large v dark-mantled sub-ad, bright pink legs, boa, large P10 mirror, black to P6 ("northern" argentatus?) [1/2]
Looks v. good, but we have doubts above a similar one there on 18/10/25 c/o James Boyle, on closer examination had some signs of impurity, suggesting a very Hoodie-like hybrid, pics here suggests some dark in undertail? Also there with large gathering of Carrions feeding by upper c/p on 16/12/25...
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
More candidates for ad Casp, this one at Seton with darker back, small dark eye, weakly coloured bill and long white tip on P10 and big mirror on P9 when flew out to roost at sunset, but usual problem of getting photos of open wing when birds moving in low light [5/5]
