Adult White-billed Diver off east beach, Dunbar, drifting SE & further out; was preening & flapping at first - appeared almost full-winged. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

The party is over The glory days for Britain’s old parties are in the past. A new kind of politics is required

“The settled state of politics in the UK has dissolved. The bedrock of the old parties—its class its intellectual weight, its organisational prowess has crumbled.” What comes next?

Now straight out from the groyne #BirdingLothian

White-billed Diver still off Dunbar east beach, this morning , probably best viewed from Golf House Road -just passed a flock of 8 Red-throated Divers - like HMS Hood passing a Flotilla of destroyers - very majestic. #BirdingLothian

Still there, just now, but easy to miss - seems to be spending most of its time under water - took 7 scans to find it, this time - still off Golf House Road #BirdingLothian

Did indeed come closer, late morning, but now back where it was, first thing, probably best viewed off Golf House Road #BirdingLothian

White-billed Diver still off Dunbar east beach, this morning , slightly further SE than yesterday but perhaps it will move closer on the flood #BirdingLothian

White-billed Diver, east beach, Dunbar, 14th February 2026

White-billed Diver, east beach, Dunbar, 14th February 2026

#BirdingLothian

White-billed Diver off the groyne, east beach, Dunbar #BirdingLothian

Black-necked Grebe, Whitesands Quarry, this afternoon, best viewed from towards the cement works end of the new cycle path #BirdingLothian

Are the very tiny dark marks in the white near the tip of left p10 real, or photographic artefacts? It looks as though they might be symmetrical with right p10 but it's hard to be sure from just the one picture...

1cy Iceland Gull NW off Dunbar east beach at 15:55 #BirdingLothian

How the government captured the BBC A right-wing cabal, largely unaccountable, is waging war on the principles that made our public broadcaster great. It must not succeed

Nearly two years ago, I wrote about the extraordinary influence of former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC. It's still a helpful backgrounder for what's going on now. New readers start here: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...

A remarkably confiding Whimbrel snacking on crab, Dunbar east beach, this morning - no stalking, just stayed still and quiet - snapped with the old FZ82. Also Peregrine, again, and Little Egret feeding on the rock pools #BirdingLothian

Cormorant gular angles at Dunbar east beach, this afternoon, also: c150 Pink-footed Geese in-off; young Peregrine hunting Turnstone; 2 Little Egrets NW #BirdingLothian

Barns Ness: Red-breasted Flycatcher in the old caravan site plantation, half way along , opposite the gate #BirdingLothian

Barns Ness, this p.m.: 3 Great White Egrets SE (16:00); f. Great Spotted Woodpecker & Chiffchaff, old caravan site, #birdinglothian.

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015JSR....

Unfortunately not head-on, but some indication of how bright the marginal coverts appeared in flight, as was mentioned by @aberladybirder.bsky.social, this afternoon - not sure how significant this might be, in this plumage, though...

Looks to me like green on left for Tyninghame bird, so a different bird - makes one wonder how many adult Black Terns there are north of the Humber, at the moment, and how many of those carry green rings....

Any ring details from your photos?

The Long Nanny American Black Tern bears a green ring, doesn't it?

20th June 2025 - Flamborough Bird Observatory Sunny throughout, with a light onshore wind and a high of 20 degrees C. A record-breaking day for Mediterranean Gulls: six adults were off the Fog Station in the morning; a lone adult then flew south ...

On trend! flamboroughbirdobs.org.uk/sightings/20...