Event of the year was the mega roost of hirundines at Blindwells MTS reedbeds with 10k+ counts for both Sand Martin (Jul) and Swallow (Sep), video fails to really capture the spectacle! That's now 10x 10k flock species for Britain, following Common Scoter also on patch last year (Common Gull not quite, 8,530 on WiNGS 20/1/24, but previous sight of the 10s of thousands at Musselburgh, back around 20 yrs ago).
Challenging to document, with main arrivals well after sunset, all numbers are best estimates and likely undercounts; Sand Martins accompanied by smaller numbers of Swallows in July, with a complete reverse in September, when estimated 80%+ Swallows were juvs, and an all white bird seen, perhaps one seen at Hauxley, Northumbs, 13 days previously? Full data incl photos, videos and analysis on this link: https://app.box.com/folder/340920443880?s=k3xq53bsbgxzzmdttkcwuoeq20it1o43
Tried to disseminate news of this event via social media (BlueSky posts 13 September, 11 September) though limited uptake/reposts (BTO Scotland excepted), perhaps deemed not "rare" enough, anyway a few locals got to see it and it was great to have support and interest from Darren Woodhead who came along on several occasions and also produced a beautiful painting capturing the entry to the roost: https://x.com/DarrenNWoodhead/status/1952453971227930825?s=20. Incidental, but I also enjoyed discussing every evening with my late mother who was always very interested to hear about it - her own early interests in nature shown in her diaries with annotated sketches of birds and plants from the mid-1950s - though she later continued to a degree in Geography (Durham) and a career first in town planning and then as piano teacher and organist.
Back to patch records, gulls accounted for more than half the total counts, incl another juv YLG and a further two juv/1st-win Caspians (7 Sep, 22 Dec), plus several hybrids incl ad (https://bsky.app/profile/lothianrecorder.bsky.social/post/3lqbpgfvavk2r) and 3cy LBB x Herring (https://bsky.app/profile/lothianrecorder.bsky.social/post/3mbimxuile22i); Med Gulls down for 4th year running, colonies presumably affected by HPAI; 340+ rings read, incl apparently first Norwegian LBB for Lothian probably fifth for Scotland, black-J674U.
Off patch, Green-winged Teal was also new for me, I felt of interest: https://bsky.app/profile/lothianrecorder.bsky.social/post/3lqbmwlqkmc2r but also got no repost presumably as no longer considered a full-species?
Also no new additions for Longniddry garden bird list (remains on 121, Annotated species list) but some compensation by way of first cuckoo bumblebee species, a Southern; also some encouraging signs of recovery for the Tree Bumblebees, though still well down on 2020 peak.
Also non-avian but on a rather bigger scale, some compensation for lack of any new birds on patch in a new fish species, Basking Shark, in late April, though views at ground level rather limited compared to amazing footage from a drone, c/o Alan Nash: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/an-incredible-experience-drone-footage-shows-basking-shark-gliding-along-scottish-coastline/vi-AA1E3uSR
In other senses it was a difficult year with multiple trips to NE Scotland to clear parent's house (Obituary of my late father, David Welch, a botanist and ecologist). Conscious some may wonder how I have time for all this documentation of birds when I am always challenged to keep up with Lothian SOC bird recorder duties, I have commented on this previously (https://sedgewarbler.blogspot.com/2023/07/what-is-local-bird-recorder.html) and documentation does of course take time, but in terms of time in the field, apart from ~monthly WeBS, and the pair each of BBS visits and GSMP/IGC goose counts there is simply no time for any "days out birding" (last full day out was during atlas in 2013!), nor indeed holidays this year, and even cycling now curtailed after managing about ~15 excursions in spring - all birding is done in context of local trips, and almost entirely at dusk when I try to call past the Seton roost. I hope to catch up a bit better in 2026...
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