Only 3 moths in the trap for @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social this week but some of my favourite autumn species: Angle Shades, Silver Y & Green-Brindled Crescent. #TeamMoth #MothsMatter #Moths

Still really windy at Alturlie yesterday. Most of the waders were hunkering down like these Dunlin. Great views of a single bar-tailed godwit. 5 sand martin flew past, 2 Long-tailed ducks (first of the winter) & patch tick gannet #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #patchbirding #birds

It was still pretty wild at Alturlie after Storm Amy. A Leach’s Petrel flew right next to car & then got blown inland in with a flock of lapwings. There was also a single swallow, wheatear, canada geese and some very exhausted looking chiffchaffs! #patchbirding #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Spotted this little zebra jumping spider in the garden showing off its stripes! They don’t bother with webs, they just leap around hunting, sometimes jumping 10× their body length. Always amazing what you can find when you look closely. #WildlifePhotography #JumpingSpider

A great morning at Tarbat Ness over the weekend. This wren found a nice snack in the plantation; great to see knot on the rocks & lots of curlew flying over. As we were leaving there was a large flock of golden plover on the farmland. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Visited Tarbat Ness at the weekend. I did a sound recording at the plantation which picked up what it said was a yellow-browed warbler. Stayed a while but didn’t see or hear it again. Playing it back it does sound like the call and the sonogram shape seems to match? Any thoughts?

Bar-headed goose in with the greylags at Alturlie on Friday. #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

Excited that 3 of my photos were shortlisted in the Martin Mere photography competition (Junior category) for the second year in a row! This year’s theme was insects. #WildlifePhotography #Insects

19/09/25 VC96. Only 7 species, definitely starting to feel more autumnal. Highlights were pink-barred sallow & Epinotia tenerana NFG #TeamMoth @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social

A nice 10km walk along the Caledonian Canal yesterday afternoon. A very worn speckled wood was enjoying the brambles. Lots of Common Darters were basking in the autumn sunshine. An orange-legged furrow bee & hoverflies were foraging on the late-blooming flowers. #Nature #Autumn

A red admiral enjoying the rose hips today. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #butterfly #nature

We also spotted this bank vole scurrying through the undergrowth. A beautiful siskin stopped by the feeders. What I thought might be a moth caterpillar but I think is a common pine sawfly. And another crested tit peeking round the fence. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Spent a great afternoon at Loch Garten catching up with friends from @btoscotland.bsky.social Bird Camp. Made even better as the crested tits put on a show at the feeders! #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds @scottishbirding.bsky.social

One of the real highlights was some tiny Storm Petrel flying low over the waves. I managed to capture a video, it shows perfectly why they’re so difficult to see, being so small & quick. We also managed to get a Leach's petrel. A life tick for me. 5/5 #BirdsSeenIn2025 #Birds #UKBirding

We were lucky enough to see a few pods of common dolphins. 4/5 #Wildlife #Nature #UKWildlife #cetacean #Dolphins

A red-throated diver flew right over us with a fish in its bill as we arrived at Stornoway harbour! Out of interest, any ideas as regards to the fish species would be much appreciated! 3/5 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

We were joined for much of the journey by Gannets and Kittiwakes, both adults and juveniles, giving close-up views right alongside the boat. It's always a treat to see them so close! 2/5 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #HighlandBirds #Highlands

What a fantastic day trip on the Ullapool to Stornoway ferry with the SOC Highland group on 7th September! Before we even left the harbour, we had a brilliant view of a Viking gull. 1/5 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #BirdsSeenIn2025 #Birds

Then came the real highlight: TWO Balearic shearwaters! Only the second record in the Minch this year! What a moment to realise I’d seen something very special! 4/4 @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social #BirdsSeenIn2025 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #HighlandBirds #Birds

7 Manx shearwater & 4 sooty shearwater were a great start on the outward journey, but the real show came on the return journey with 250+ sooty shearwaters streaming past the ferry in big flocks. 3/4 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #HighlandBirds #Seawatch

Also on the Stornoway ferry had both great & arctic skuas, including a pale morph arctic skua giving a kittiwake a hard time. Other highlights of the crossing: storm petrels & a Leach’s petrel. The Minch at its very best! 2/4 #BirdsSeenIn2025 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Yesterday’s ferry trip across the Minch & back was an unforgettable seabird day. You never know what you might get, but this time the birds were spectacular. There was some stunning gannet action with them gliding right alongside the ferry 1/4 #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

Went up into the mountains yesterday. Finally spotted my first ptarmigan and it was great to also hear it calling. Also came across a couple of snow buntings, a wheatear, and a few meadow pipits. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #BirdsSeenIn2025

Moth trap from 06/09/25 VC96 16 different species including Barred chestnut, Mouse moth, Turnip moth, the Chevron, Pine carpet and I think a Dark marbled carpet. @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social #TeamMoth

Patch update from Alturlie! Spotted 2 curlew sandpipers (lifer ✅), plus a little stint. Watched an Arctic skua mobbing the kittiwakes too. That’s 3 new species for Alturlie, bringing my patch list up to 110! #BirdsSeenIn2025 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #PatchBirding

Amazing encounter yesterday. Driving along when a white-tailed eagle lifted off the ground with a rabbit in its talons (can just make it out in first photo). I stopped to watch & saw it feeding on the ground, then it soared through the valley. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding

Nothing new in the trap last night, but this weekend marks a year since I first started trapping. I have discovered 168 different species in the garden & 281 species in total. Who knew there were so many amazing moths to discover! #[email protected] @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social

A great visit to Udale Bay today. Saw the 5 Ruddy Shelduck that have been reported recently, and just as I was leaving, a Little Gull flew in. Perfect timing! #Birding #UdaleBay #HighlandBirds #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #BirdsSeenIn2025

Marsh Harrier seen last month at Martin Mere. What a bird! #UKBirding #Birds

Dunnock chilling out in the garden. #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #Birds

The Red ball on this Aspen leaf is a gall made by a gall midge (Harmandiola tremulae) The midge injects its saliva, containing growth-regulating chemicals into the leaf which stimulates the gall growth. The gall provides food & shelter for the growing larvae of the midge until they emerge.

There’s always plenty to see at Fletcher Moss in Manchester. Last month I loved seeing how puffed up this moorhen was on its nest and the fluffy moorhen chicks are so cute! And in total contrast a fantastic spider egg sac, also beautiful in its own way! #UKBirding #Birds

Moth trap 23.8.25 VC96 69/22 Unfortunately it rained, which wasn’t forecast! But still got some interesting moths. I believe there’s a slender & a currant pug, a Chevron, celypha lacunana & epinotia ramella. @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social #teammoth #moths

The stunning Bow Fiddle Rock earlier this year.

Not just bees on the flowers in the garden, loads of hoverflies buzzing around doing their bit as hard-working pollinators as well. #UKWildlife #Nature #Bees #Insects #Pollinators #Garden #Wildlife #Hoverfly

The Buddleia’s proving very popular this year. It’s alive with butterflies whenever the sun breaks through. Nature’s best nectar café! This Painted Lady visited a couple of weeks ago, the first time I’ve seen them in the garden. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bchighland.bsky.social #Butterfly

Woke up to a great skua outside my tent! Camping tip: if a bonxie parks itself outside your tent, just accept you’re the guest!! 🤣 #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

The northern fulmar is a seabird related to petrels, not gulls. They nest on cliffs, feed at sea, and can live for over 40 years. Fulmars glide effortlessly on stiff wings, using ocean winds to travel huge distances. #Seabirds #Fulmar #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Amazing views of white-tailed eagles at the weekend. Saw four different individuals. What a bird!! #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Enjoyed a quick visit to Udale Bay last week. When I arrived there was an osprey perched on a post & a wigeon just in front of the hide. An eider with its chick was at Newhall Point. Researched the caterpillar when I got home and think it’s a Grey Dagger #TeamMoth #UKBirding #ScottishBirding #Birds

Had a great catch up last week with some @btoscotland.bsky.social bird campers at Merkinch Nature Reserve. Great to see Turnstones back. They breed in the Arctic & migrate to coastal areas inc the UK, for the winter. In Scotland, they’re commonly seen from late summer. #BirdingScotland #Birds

Already starting to see the change of seasons with my latest moth trap, more species I’d associate with autumn and just over 100 moths caught. Nice to get a few new for garden though. Highlights were Grey Chi, Rosy Rustic & Plain Clay #TeamMoth @gardenmothscheme.bsky.social

Common Darter #Nature #Wildlife #UKWildlife #insect

2/2 Perseverance paid off as later in the afternoon a couple of kestrel were hunting & there was a distant peregrine. Then a golden eagle emerged on the hilltop followed by another & then a further pair, 4 birds in total. Not bad for a wet & windy day! #UKBirding #BirdingScotland #BirdsSeenin2025

1/2 It was really windy on Saturday with heavy rain at times, so didn’t hold out much hope for raptors in the valley. Four Red Kites were laying low in a field & there were a few buzzard & ravens taking flight. #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds

Hoping for little gull or Mediterranean gull at Seton Sands. No luck with them in the gull roost, but lots of terns and bar-tailed godwit. Always nice to spot a grasshopper! #BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds @birdinglothian.bsky.social #grasshopper #Lothian

Visited Musselburgh 3 times this week. Saw a flock of scoter each day just off the seawall in the stormy waters. Mainly velvet scoter, but also saw a common scoter, 2 surf scoter (year tick) & the white-winged scoter which has been recently reported (life tick) #BirdsSeenIn2025 #UKBirding #Birds

This photo of a Peacock butterfly shows really well that when it closes its wings, it becomes nearly invisible against a background of dead leaves or tree bark, providing effective camouflage. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #Butterflies #Nature

Spent a great couple of hours at Chanonry Point on Friday morning. Saw my first Manx Shearwater of 2025, a nice summer plumage Great Northern Diver flew past & the dolphins arrived on cue about an hour after low tide. #BirdsSeenIn2025 #BirdingScotland #Dolphin #Birds #UKBirding

Yellowhammer panting in the warm weather. #UKBirding #Birds #BirdingScotland