Yet again, I must thank local naturalist Abbie Marland for this week’s wonderful photograph of a short eared owl.

New work by wildlife artist Carol Barrett from her field trips to Africa, above, will be on show at the Donald Watson Gallery in Waterston House, the HQ of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, near Aberlady, from Saturday, February 25, to Wednesday, April 4.

Bookings are being taken for the next in a series of guided tours of Newhailes Estate, Musselburgh, on Friday, February 24.

Historic Tantallon Castle on the coast near North Berwick will come to life with a spectacular sound and light show in September in a bid to draw visitors to the county.

County MP Fiona O’Donnell last week accompanied East Coast FM team leader Ian Robertson to the Ofcom Headquarters in London to support the community station’s bid for an FM licence.

NB Movies will show Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ on Saturday, February 18, in the Freemasons’ hall, North Berwick, at 8pm.

A CHARITY is attempting to set a new world record for the most quizzes ever held at the same time.

A SHOW presented by the youth music group Shine, pictured, will take place in St Andrew Blackadder Church, North Berwick, on Saturday, February 25.

Pupils from East Linton Primary School celebrated John Muir’s Birthplace in Dunbar reaching its 100,000 visitor mark last Wednesday.

East Lothian Council is inviting applications from local artists for its annual Visual Artists and Craft Maker Awards scheme.

A HADDINGTON art gallery is to receive a cash boost of £20,000 to continue staging exhibitions and activities for groups in the community over the next two years.

A CAPACITY audience filled St Peter’s Church Hall, Musselburgh, to hear Andy Robertson, East Lothian Council Archaeology Officer, give the first of a trilogy of lectures being run in conjunction with the Roman exhibition currently on display at the Musselburgh Museum.

The Battle of Prestonpans Heritage Trust this week revealed an artist’s impression, above, of what the Prestongrange Heritage Museum could look like if their plans are supported by East Lothian Council.

Libraries in East Lothian are to to mark National Library Week:

The first round of the Rotary Young Musician of the Year contest saw 13 talented youngsters competing at Preston Lodge High School last Friday.

The next film to be shown by the Trinity Centre Film Club will be ‘Water for Elephants’ at 1.45pm on Thursday, February 2, in the Trinity Centre, Church Street, Haddington.

After his international success in Sherlock Holmes…The Last Act, Roger Llewelyn stars in Sherlock Holmes… the Death and Life, a wryly humorous tale featuring Conan Doyle’s famous detective, which will be at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, this February.

This week’s photo shows a herring gull in winter plumage.

A NORTH Berwick student has fulfilled his ambition to compete at the Chelsea Flower Show which takes place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in London in May.

Thrifty residents in the Honest Toun are discovering that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as austerity begins to bite.