Match to go to tonight so time only for one of today's pics which I think is my best one of the Red-flanked Bluetail at Barns Ness. Second East Lothian record and nice find by @James_K_Boyle

Red-flanked Bluetail ✅️ and Pallas's Warbler ✅️ both still at Barns Ness! Birding Lothian BirdGuides RareBirdAlertUK

Siberian/Stejneger's Stonechat ✅️ still at Crail this evening, hopefully it sticks around so a positive ID can be made 🤞

Great views of this Eastern Stonechat "prob Stejneger's" at Crail this afternoon. Well done to @wilsonjaredm for finding it and covertly obtaining a DNA sample FifeBirdNews 🔭™️ BirdGuides RareBirdAlertUK

Breaking: With help from local hunters in Papua New Guinea, a scientific expedition has captured video of the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a bird lost to science since it was first described in 1882. View it here: audubon.org/news/lost-scie…

Like Georgie I've also been busy with other aspects of life recently, but I've had my best ever year for birding and am very grateful to have met so many amazing people through it over the last 12 months! Below is a few of this years wildlife highlights, feel free to share yours!

Tick ✅️✅️✅️

This is my Woodcock. He's flown from Russia to the same field by my house for the last three winters. He's amazing. Please help other Woodcocks live to tell the same tale by signing the petition. Nearly 99k people already have, surely it can be 100k by NYE petition.parliament.uk/petitions/6196…

Had a fun time looking for Choughs at RSPB South Stack yesterday, saw 4 birds in total, my first time seeing them in a year!

Today is the Inglorious 12th. Good luck to all the Sabs out there today working against the soulless killers on the grouse moors. Let's hope this is the last August 12th marked with blood. Shooting will fail.

Historic news from Cambridgeshire –  Glossy Ibis has bred in Britain for first time! Steve Hutchinson details the major discovery and confirmation of a new British breeder in Cambridgeshire in summer 2022: bit.ly/468KvLO

Now that 2023 is coming to an end I’d like to thank Cornelius Jones Georgie W-S Oscar Puls Sam Glennie @otleybirder Craig Barber Chris Edley David Walsh and many more for an amazing very memorable year. A trip to scilly was definitely the highlight. Life list now on 351!

First day of Migfest did not disappoint with 4 lifers in the form of RB Shrike, RB Flycatcher, Bee Eater and Wryneck as well as Pallid Harrier and dozens of migrants. Great to see Cornelius Jones Sam Glennie Georgie W-S James David Walsh and everyone else here!

Last 2 days of Migfest, an amazing way to end one of the best birding trips I've had in a while with Wood Warbler, Pallid Harrier, crippling veiws of Wryneck, RBF, RBS, Little Owl and many more, can't wait for next year Spurn Bird Observatory

Migfest ‘24 was incredible, made better with Oscar Puls Georgie W-S Cornelius Jones Sam Glennie. Only lifer was greenish warbler but picking up pallid harrier with Barry Byatt Friday morning was definitely a highlight along with the honey buzzard this afternoon.

With 2024 officially over I’d like to thank Cornelius Jones Georgie W-S Oscar Puls Sam Glennie and so many more for such an amazing year. Migfest was a highlight especially with a co-founder pallid harrier with Barry Byatt . 16 lifers takes me to 367 for the end of the year!

Great days birding with Matthew Broadbent today with 3 White-billed Divers off Portsoy. Amazing to see these birds at relatively close range in great conditions.