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Posts by Mark Holling

Slavonian Grebe?

1 month ago 1 0 1 0
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One of the 4 probably 5 White-billed Divers off the East Lothian coast today. This one off the Leithies (east of north Berwick) late afternoon. #BirdingLothian #BirdingScotland

2 months ago 23 2 0 1

Excellent news. An important job for an important birding area.

4 months ago 1 0 0 0
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The new update to the BirdTrack app introduces several features aimed at helping us collect accurate bird data and alert you to those slip of the finger data entry errors #ukbirding

4 months ago 40 24 2 1

Thanks for the likes and the sharing. I have a lucky collector lined up. #birdinglothian #birdinggear

5 months ago 2 0 0 0
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Delta Velbron tripod. Free to first interested person who can collect (North Berwick) or who can meet at mutually convenient place in area. Needs a quick release plate but these are still available. DM me if interested #BirdingLothian

5 months ago 4 6 2 0
The cover of the November 2025 issue of British Birds, with a Little Ringed Plover sheltering its chicks

The cover of the November 2025 issue of British Birds, with a Little Ringed Plover sheltering its chicks

The latest report from the RBBP, Rare Breeding Birds in the UK in 2023, is out now in British Birds. It reports on the 104 species and races of rare breeding birds recording breeding, or showing signs of breeding, in 2023. Read the summary at rbbp.org.uk/2023-report-... #ornithology #ukbirds 🧵[1/15]

5 months ago 139 45 7 2
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Well done guys - especially in that sea, it looked wild in the bay from the north side. Those photos look convincing, similar to my views of the Northumberland bird.

5 months ago 0 0 0 0
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Thanks to @jarrodhadfield.bsky.social: adult Lesser White-fronted Goose at Tyninghame with Pinks and Barnacles. Relief after just dipping the Howgate one 8 days ago by 2 mins. Is it the same bird? What is its provenance? Behaving as if wild - if so only 2nd for Lothian I think #BirdingLothian

6 months ago 17 1 0 0

bsky.app/profile/chri... - important record for @ukrbbp.bsky.social

7 months ago 0 0 0 0

The WRS in your photo looks similar to the one I posted on Friday.

8 months ago 0 0 1 0
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White-rumped Sandpiper still at north end of Thorntonloch beach early this afternoon. Good call by @kingleby1.bsky.social #birdinglothian

8 months ago 8 0 0 0
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The recently published Lothian Bird Report 2022 and Isle of May Bird Observatory Bird Observatory Annual Report 2023 are now in stock at Waterston House.

#BirdingLothian

8 months ago 14 3 1 0
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8 Aug. Big sit coming up to high tide at Tyninghame. 6 Blackwits headed inland up the river. Good to see 11 juvenile Shelducks with 3 adults still. 17 Greenshanks, 14 Little Egrets. 840 Greylags is fewer than recent August counts (1020, c1700, c1250 in last 3 years).

8 months ago 8 0 0 0
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26 July. Tyninghame. Up to 9 Roseate Terns with morning with 15 Common, 60+ Arctic and 100+ Sandwich Terns. Quite a variation in age/moult of the juv Roseates. Breeding species suffering from disturbance by walkers and dogs and no signs at all put up by East Lothian Council #BirdingLothian

8 months ago 33 1 3 0
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Annual local House Martin nest count in SW North Berwick. Huge decline to 14 cf 31 last year and 53 in 2023. Most nests show sign of young already fledged - earlier than in previous years. Several half complete but apparently abandoned nests, new sites mainly on N and E facing walls. #BirdingLothian

8 months ago 8 0 0 1
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Aberlady around high tide today. Huge numbers of Sand Martins around spit, resting on beach and in dunes. Min 800 but prob 1200+ as noted by @jpgnic.bsky.social recently. Also 3 Little Gulls & 8 Arctic Terns, 126 Sanderlings, 23 Dunlins, 6 Grey Plover etc. #BirdingLothian

8 months ago 50 1 0 0
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Brilliant to see the singing Blyth’s Reed Warbler by the Tweed at Upsettlington this morning. Also 3 generations of the Bramhall family. Their youngest called 4 flying Whooper Swans, unusual for July. If you go, please keep to path - BRW is a potential rare breeder after all. #BirdingScotland #RBBP

9 months ago 12 0 0 0

Excellent work Dylan especially on a bike. Great fun.

10 months ago 1 0 0 0
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Bonus on my @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count today. At the last site, near Redside (E Lothian) there was a Quail calling from this bean field. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

10 months ago 32 1 0 0
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In almost 60 years of birding and after many failed attempts, I’ve finally seen a Purple Heron in Britain. At Burham, Kent. Conveniently I was heading to Kent (normally well out of my birding zone) for a couple of extra birding days after a week in Lesvos. Celebrations have been had 🍻 #UKBirding

11 months ago 29 1 2 1
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Did my early @bbs-birds.bsky.social survey this morning; very pleased to see this male Marsh Harrier heading north over Seafield Pond as it was my first Lothian Marsh Harrier since 1989! Having enjoyed watching it, I was a bit late with camera hence blurry distant shot! @BirdingLothian

1 year ago 21 1 0 0
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North Berwick Law this morning. No Ring Ouzels found but one Wheatear. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

1 year ago 6 0 0 0

I always look at the east side near the rowans rather than up the hill itself. Had 4 together in April 3 years ago. They are less disturbed there but equally have places to hide!

1 year ago 0 0 0 0
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Out doing @webs-gsmp.bsky.social & checking local ponds on bike. First broods of Coot at Balgone (b6,b2). 38 Tufted on 5 ponds (25mm:13ff). Also (at 1345) frustrating views of an egret flying W south of Seacliff, looked big and toes seemed all dark (in good light), so suspect Great. @BirdingLothian

1 year ago 7 0 0 0

I’ve checked several days recently Calum but had no joy so far however last 2 days (and today) looked more promising but I was away or out elsewhere.

1 year ago 0 0 1 0

There is now a #BirdingLothian feed. Click on # symbol top right and search for 'Lothian' - then pin it to your feeds. All messages with "birdinglothian" will be picked up (#BirdingLothian, @birdinglothian.bsky.social in message or image tag). They'll be picked up by #BirdingScotland automatically.

1 year ago 21 5 2 0
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Chilly day along the E Lothian coast with @philloscopus.bsky.social (thanks 4 photos). Namesake Shore Lark Barns Ness, Greenshank & Whimbrel Dunglass, Scandi Rock Pipit Dunbar where also 1st 2 Kittiwakes at colony. 3 Snow Buntings Gullane c/o @normmill.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #BirdingLothian

1 year ago 23 1 0 0
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#btobirds WeBS counts today. At Balgone the Coot numbers are even higher, now 56, first time over 50 this winter. Also 3 Grey Herons already loafing at probable future nest sites in reedmace at North Berwick Law Marsh. #BirdingScotland #BirdingLothian #Ornithology

1 year ago 10 0 0 0
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White-winged Scoter among Velvets this morning n Gullane Bay. Appears in the middle of the flock about half way through. #BirdingLothian #BirdingScotland

1 year ago 18 1 0 0