Good to connect with the redhead Smew at Loch Insh today, my 110th bird of the year so far and the first time I’ve seen a smew in Highland. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #HighlandBirds #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

It’s a good day when you photograph a Mountain hare in its winter coat. They’re specially adapted to colder, uplands across the UK. Changes in climate can make this less effective, highlighting how sensitive wildlife can be to environmental change #Winterwatch #UKWildlife #Nature

SOC/BTO Scottish Bird Camp - applications open! Open to young people aged 12-16, Camp is a fully-funded, unforgettable weekend celebrating Scotland's magnificent birdlife! 📅 Friday 22 - Monday 25 May 2026 📍 Isle of Colonsay Find out more and apply: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...

Managed to get to Loch Loy to see the blue-winged teal which has been seen off and on since mid January. It’s a stunning looking bird, a rare visitor from North America. My 205th Scottish Bird species #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds @rarebirder.bsky.social

Great to see this pochard on the Highland side of Loch Flemington. My 175th Highland species #HighlandBirds #BirdsSeenIn2026 #UKBirding #Birds #BirdingScotland #Winterwatch #nature

It took me until October last year to see grey partridge so it was great to see a group of at least 12 in Moray over the weekend. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #BirdsSeenIn2026 #Birds

Lots of courtship displays from the goldeneyes at Loch Spynie. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Always lots to see around the feeders at Loch Spynie #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

My first tree sparrows of 2026. Nice to see good numbers at Loch Spynie yesterday. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #UKWildlife

Enjoyed watching the red squirrels at @rspbscotland.bsky.social Loch Spynie yesterday. @squirreloftheday.bsky.social #redsquirrel #squirrel #nature #wildlife #UKWildlife

Spotted an Iceland gull at Loch Oire today. A winter visitor that’s always great to see. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #Winterwatch #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

The first signs of spring are starting to appear. #Spring #SpringWatch #SignsofSpring #Snowdrops #SpringFlowers #Nature

Snowdrops lit by the low winter sun, like tiny lamp posts in the grass. Spring is on its way! #Spring #SpringWatch #Winterwatch #Scotland #Nature #wildflowerhour

Completed the #BigGardenBirdWatch 82 birds of 10 species. Not bad! Had a large flock of about 50 finches coming and going, they were hard to keep track of! @rspbscotland.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social #RSPB

The heady days of mid-winter when the Highland recording area soars above them all!, reckon we might just hold out against Fife till February… #highlandbirds

It was a very snowy scene at Dornoch at the start of the month. The beach was completely covered in snow. The only visible sand was where the sea met the snow! #Highlands #Scotland #Winter #Beach

#Aurora photos 19/01/26 from our #Inverness Garden. By 9pm pretty much the entire sky had turned green. These photos are facing north, south, east & west. #northernlights #auroresboreales

#Aurora photos 19/01/26 from our #Inverness Garden. At 8:30pm looking North we could see green in the lower sky and amazing bright red, even by the naked eye. #northernlights #auroresboreales

Jackdaw in the snow #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

Looking forward to this

Garden birds in the recent snow #BirdingScotland #GardenBirds #Birds

11/01/26 #BirdsSeenIn2026 Two Woodlarks at Lossiemouth, the first record for Moray, were an unexpected LIFER on Sunday. Also great views there of Barwit & Sanderling. Bonus of hawfinch at Cawdor & Whooper Swan at Loch Flemington. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

10/01/26 More views of the White-fronted goose on Saturday at Alturlie with a flock of Greylag Geese. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #HighlandBirds

10/01/26 Kingfisher #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #BirdsSeenIn2026 #HighlandBirds #Inverness

10/01/26 Merkinch Nature Reserve Great views of Tufted ducks, Greenshank & Kingfisher. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #HighlandBirds

10/01/26 The waxwings were still enjoying the berries in Inverness on Saturday. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #HighlandBirds

10/01/26 Spent the morning on the Black Isle as part of the SOC Bird Race. Nice to see lots of winter thrushes; Brent geese at Rosemarkie; eider, razorbill, black guillemot & Red-throated diver at Chanonry & jays at Allangrange #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

09/01/26 Great to have a group of waxwings locally this last few days. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #Waxwings

08/01/26 Great to get my first LIFER of the year on my patch at Alturlie last week. White-fronted goose (My 225th UK Bird) #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #BirdsSeenIn2026 #Birds

Latest SOC Highland Blog Evanton - 20 December 2025 - Highland Birds www.highlandbirds.scot/1/post/2026/...

Updated Garden Bird Visual (Year 5) with 2025 stats for my central Inverness urban garden. 4 new species added: magpie, pied wagtail, great-spotted woodpecker & blackcap. Other species have followed previous years visiting patterns. (NB July 4 yrs data) #BirdingScotland #Birds #CitizenScience

18 species on a very snowy Dornoch beach this afternoon including common, velvet & surf scoter, long-tailed duck, scaup, tufted duck, Slavonian grebe & snow bunting. #BirdsSeenIn2026 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Enjoyed a morning walk in the local park in the snow & added redwing, red kite, sparrowhawk & woodcock (flushed by the roe deer) to the #BirdsSeenIn2026 year list. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Weather warnings & snow has got in the way of new year birding, but managed 56 species so far. Highlights being kingfisher & Greenshank #BirdsSeenIn2026 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

From: Josh’s Wildlife (@joshswildlife.bsky.social) bsky.app/profile/josh... Weary, but also comfy.

Really lucky to have a large population of starlings in my area. Enjoy watching them going in to roost in the evenings. Have ringed over 130 in the garden over the last couple of months. #BirdingScotland #Birds #UKBirding #Starling #birdringing

Mandarin ducks nest in tree cavities, not on the ground. Ducklings leap from the nest shortly after hatching. #UKBirding #Birds #12DaysWild

Male Mandarin ducks develop their striking colors during breeding season. The bright plumage helps attract mates and fades after molting. Unlike most ducks, male Mandarin ducks have ornate “sail” feathers on their back, used for display rather than flight. #UKBirding #Birds

People always focus on the male mandarin duck because he’s so colorful, and the female gets overlooked. She has more muted colors for camouflage, which helps her stay safe while nesting & raising ducklings. She’s just as elegant , even if she’s not as flashy! #UKBirding #Birds #12DaysWild

Happy New Year from the Highlands! #HappyNewYear2026

20 Lifers in 2025 11. Ross’s Goose 12. King Eider 13. Caspian Gull 14. Glossy Ibis 15. Pectoral Sandpiper 16. Balearic Shearwater 17. Curlew Sandpiper 18. Spotted Redshank 19. Egyptian Goose 20. Tundra Bean Goose #BirdsSeenIn2025 #Birds #UKBirding #BirdingScotland

20 Lifers in 2025 1. Hobby 2. White-winged Scoter 3. Leach’s Petrel 4. Nightjar 5. Little Tern 6. Yellow-browed Warbler 7. Grasshopper Warbler 8. Quail 9. Lesser Scaup 10. Ptarmigan #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #My2025YearlyRecap

Started keeping a year list in 2021 with 135 species I’ve gradually increased my year list just falling short of 200 last year at 197 But this year I have reached that magic 200, with 208 species 🎉 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds Some of my best birding moments this year

Day 6 #12DaysWild Don’t get long tailed tits in the garden too often. Must be looking for food in this cold weather. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Day 5 #12DaysWild Didn’t expect to go on a wild goose chase for a Ross’s goose this morning. Happy to spot it with a few others from a very cold roadside in Muir of Ord. Year tick 208 ✅ @rarebirder.bsky.social #BirdsSeenin2025 @birdtrack.bsky.social #UKBirding #Birds #BirdingScotland

Day 4 #12DaysWild Added Willow Tit to my year list #BirdsSeenIn2025 at Sale Waterpark. Saw two individuals and both were colour ringed so there must be a project that has started up there. #UKBirding #Birds #BirdRinging @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social

Day 3 #12DaysWild @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social Always enjoy visiting Etherow Country Park at this time of year to photograph the mandarin ducks. #UKBirding #Birds

Day 2 #12DaysWild Watching the grey squirrels hanging out in my Nanna’s garden today. @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social #squirrel

Enjoyed a wander round the woods for the first day of #12DaysWild today. @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social #Birds

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all have a great day! #MerryChristmas2025 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds #Christmas