What a year this was for Lothian with no less than 4 County Firsts and a good scattering of some rares. My first lifer of the year in Lothian was a really smart Hoopoe at Torness/Thornonloch. It gave great views flying all over the site and hung around for a few days. I didn't have to wait too much longer for my next new bird and this time it was the bogey bird I had only ever heard but not seen, the elusive Quail.

The discovery of a Two-barred Crossbill at Tyninghame in June soon tuned into 4 then 7 altogether was quite incredible. The birds were probably only found due to a smart Greenish Warbler being found near by. The Bridled Tern that had been on the Farne Islands amazingly pitched up at Port Seton but vanished soon after. The bird was searched for through out the rest of the day but there was no further sign. Thankfully the following morning though, I had a bit of a hunch that the bird may have roosted at the ternary on Seacliffe beach near to North Berwick so at 5.45am I turned up and the first bird to fly straight past me was..........BRIDLED TERN! It was certainly my favourite bird of the year for many reasons and this time it stuck around for the day and most people that came down for it managed to see it.

We had to wait until October for the next one to arrive and this time it was a really smart Booted Warbler at Torness and was followed two days later by a Siberian Stonechat at the same location.

Into November and there was no sign of the good birds drying up as 2 Rough-legged Buzzards were discovered in the Lammermuirs. The birds showed really well and it was a welcomed Lothian & Scottish tick for me.