Misery compounded by Iran situation. Flew out with Qatar Airways. Alternative flights to get home as scarce as hens teeth & had to pay an eye-watering £2145 extra for a one-way ticket with another airline. Vietnam has not been kind to me. Pics to follow but will not be soon 2/2.
Not long back from Vietnam on unfinished business. Fled from there in 2020 due to the covid epidemic after less than a week in the south. Bird trappers active between the trips. Never been on a trip with so few birds seen in general birding and not a sniff of some key targets 1/2
Small Tortoiseshell in our East Lothian garden a couple of days ago @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian
My first butterfly of the year this afternoon - a Small Tortoiseshell on a windowsill in our East Lothian Garden @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Butterflies #Lothian
Went back this morning for another look at the Woodlark in Gosford Estate, near Longniddry. This time managed a couple of better pics than the spot the Woodlark one I posted last Monday @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
One for spot the Woodlark club - creeping about like a mouse in a stubble field at Gosford Estate, nr Longniddry @birdinglothian.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
Second set of Lesser Whitethroat from Haddington this morning @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
First of 2 sets of the Lesser Whitethroat in Haddington, East Lothian taken in the early part of this morning. Unable to get any flight shots with my bridge camera @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
3 adult 'Eurasian' Greater White-fronted Geese with Greylags this morning in field opposite entrance to Castle Park golf course, near Gifford @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
One more and last biking post. Three pics from a memorable day at Knockhill in July 2004 - presenting trophies to Scott Smart, James Haydon & Yukio Kagayama; Marion & me with James Reynolds, 2004 British Superbikes champion; with Colin McCrae, former world car rally champion.
Little Egret foot-paddling for prey at Aberlady on 29 December. Late 2025 also saw the end of my 60 years long motorcycling life when, with a heavy heart, I sold my beloved Honda VFR 750 which served me well for the last 23 of those years - pic from 2004 @birdinglothian.bsky.social
Also from this morning in East Lothian some pics of Whooper Swans near Prora on the way home - part of the flock, a posing adult and a posing juvenile @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
From this morning in East Lothian with friends from Hong Kong, this record effort of the Glossy Ibis taken at Scoughall in poor early light at a ridiculously high ISO @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
Quiet on the bird front during a visit to Aberlady 4 days ago but got a couple of pics of a Roe Deer @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Lothian
Couple of record shots of a solo Waxwing in Longniddry this morning - spotted from my bedroom window @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Birds #Lothian
Four more of the Glossy Ibis at Seafield Pond - I did say it was obliging. Not my first for Lothian but delighted to see it as my first for East Lothian @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Lothian #Birds
Felt guilty leaving my wife at home on an oxygen machine for quick dash to Seafield Pond for the very obliging Glossy Ibis. Less so after 10 quality mins with the bird. 4 pics, the first when it was in the shade @birdinglothian.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Lothian #Birds
Despite having flu, felt the need for some fresh air yesterday. A 2 hr walk was tiring but fruitful with my East Lothian dragonfly season ending with more pics of male Migrant Hawker @britishdragonflies.bsky.social @edinburghnats.bsky.social #Dragonflies #Lothian
Aye.
Final NE India: only one species and not the best of pics but they are of my most wanted bird on the trip - Blyth's Tragopan. Seen earlier at Eaglenest but no pics until Mishmi. Also a scenic view in the Mishmi Hills.
Penultimate NE India & Mishmi Hills: pics of Rosy Pipit, Beautiful Nuthatch and Lesser Cuckoo.
27th NE India: still from the Mishmi Hills. Two pics of Purple Cochoa plus a Streak-throated Barwing and a Large Hawk Cuckoo.
26th NE India: pics of Mishmi Wren Babbler, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Pale Blue Flycatcher and Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, all from the Mishmi Hills.
25th NE India: more from Mishmi Hills. Two pics of Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler plus one of Black-faced Warbler and a record shot of the highly desirable Rusty-bellied Shortwing.
24th NE India: back to Arunachal Pradesh. This time to the Mishmi Hills, another site out of bounds to me in 2004. Start with 2 pics of Gould's Shortwing, a key target, plus a Black-faced Laughingthrush & a Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher.
23rd NE India. Last bird pics from Tinsukia area. Grey Peacock-Pheasant is easily heard but usually very hard to see. Pleased to get a very co-operative one. Three pics plus a record shot of Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher.
22nd NE India: back to Assam, this time the Tinsukia area. Pics of Austen's Brown Hornbill, Greater Adjutants and Eastern Barn Owl.
21st NE India: last pics from Eaglenest. Hodgson's Frogmouth, Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher, Beautiful Sibia and Nepal Fulvetta.
20th NE India: Eaglenest again with pics of Himalayan Cutia, White-hooded Babbler, Long-billed Wren Babbler and Yellow-throated Fulvetta.
Final from England trip. Last morning was in Dorset. No dragonflies seen at all at Silverlakes in not forecast overcast and windy weather so dipped Scarlet Darter. Best was Red-eyed Damselfly (2 pics) & Small Red-eyed Damselfly (2 pics) #Dragonflies