Took the Bairns to Stara Myjava yesterday for a Ski Lesson, they done really we’ll & learnt the basics 👍🇸🇰⛷️

Spent hours today in the forests around Zriedlova Dolina in freezing conditions but the effort paid off with my best ever views of Black Woodpecker, one landed not far from me & entered an old nest allowing for a photo of its exit 👍🇸🇰

Very cold in Zriedlova Dolina today but a walk through the forest this morning produced this Marsh Tit , not the closest view but after hearing its call to distinguish it from Willow Tit 👍🇸🇰

Braw wee local walk through the woods in Zriedlova Dolina Slovakia today.. Wild Boar tracks😳 and the best birds seen were a Middle spotted Woodpecker & a distant Hawfinch 👍🇸🇰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A wee visit to the In-laws Slovakia 🇸🇰and a wee bit of Snow in Zriedlova Dolin & the 1st Fieldfare I’ve had in the Glen 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Braw walk up East Lomond in Fife yesterday 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 a New Sub 2000 summit for us all

This week's convictions show yet again how property is protected better than the lives of animals!

The 13 Snow Bunting Still near the mouth of the Eel Burn yesterday on our family walk From North Berwick to Gullane also a good few Purple sandpipers & this Crow at Fernyness today possibly a Genuine Hoody 🤷‍♂️? @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously! 4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE ⁦‪ MARK RUSKELL MSP‬⁩ ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿by emailing [email protected] now!WOOP!

Braw to see 3 Tree Sparrows at my Garden Feeders again today in Haddington.. 1st time I’ve had 3 together on a feeder 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

River Tyne Haddington in Spate after recent rain & snow melt , Otter below the Cascades seems to be enjoying its swim 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Braw walk up The Graham/Donald, Culter Fell 748m in the Borders last weekend , 1st hill of the year & a new summit for us all , only birds seen were a couple of Raven 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Nice to see Blackcap & Tree Sparrow at my Garden feeders this week also Peregrine Falcon above the Cliffs near Eyemouth on a walk last Weekend👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Red Kite & Mountain Hare from our Munro walk last year in the Glenshee Hills 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Hen Harrier Susie, whose chicks were stamped to death on a Yorkshire Dales grouse moor in 2022, has been found dead on a N Pennines grouse moor with gunshot injuries. 18+ months of silence about this crime from the police & Natural England. #RaptorResearch raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/11/14/h...

Friend in Achiltibuie has had a pair of Red Legged Partridge visit her garden in recent days .. 1 has just succumbed to a bird of prey! Don’t know how common they are in the North West 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Braw 15k walk up 3 Munro’s from Glenshee today .. New summits for Anna& the Bairns , Carn and Tuirc 1019m , Cairn of Claise 1064m & Glas Maol 1068m , low cloud meant no summit views but a Red Kite brightened up the day also at least 200 Fieldfare feeding on the plateau 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

📣You really couldn't make this up! On the day Scottish Govt announces it is delaying, for a second time, the implementation of muirburn licensing, this happens... raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/10/09/b...

Only managed 3 days panning this week because the weather wasn’t on our side .. rivers in spate but still managed my best bit of gold in many years so celebrated with a Braw dram 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Took the Bairns fishing for their 1st time at Helmsdale harbour the other day .. 1 wee pollock caught & thrown back safely… 👍

Braw wee strole up the Sub 2000 Creag Thoraraidh 404m this am from Helmsdale.. typicaly the weather cleared on our descent 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

We're incredibly concerned about the welfare of two satellite-tagged golden eagles, Tarras and Wren, that have recently disappeared in Dumfries and Galloway. Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland. Read more 👉 bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce80l4jgd1qo 📷 Chris Gomersall, RSPB Images

There’s gold in them thar hills also found this dragon fly nymph on the Helmsdale river 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Braw Bike & Hike yesterday taking the Bairns up our most Easterly Munro Mount Keen via Glen Mark , nearly 30 years since my 1st visit up this route & about 15 years since I visited from Glen Tanar with The Wife 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Wryneck , Lesser Spotted Woodpecker & wasn’t sure with the last pic but looks good for Middle spotted rather than Syrian Woodpecker but happy to be corrected 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰 #Zriedlovadolina #birdingslovakia

Although you can’t mistake the call Golden orioles are not always the easiest birds to spot #Zriedlovadolina #slovakia 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Honey Buzzard Zriedlova Dolina Slovakia 🇸🇰 #Slovensko #birdingslovakia

Green Woodpeckers Zriedlova Dolina Slovakia #birdingslovakia #woodpeckers 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Wheatear , Spotted Nutcracker & Fieldfare Vysoké Tatra Slovensko 👍🇸🇰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #birdingslovakia #Tatra

Finally got time to put up more from visiting the in-laws in Slovakia last month Only my 3rd Slovak KingFisher at Kunov also Common Sand , Kestrel & Black Redstart in the High Tatra Mountains 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰 #slovensko #birdingslovakia #slovakia #birds

Good to see the Marsh Sandpiper at Morrisons Haven Scrape yesterday & and also some familiar faces👍 bird was only viewable distantly from the East during my time there , Kudos to Mervyn for the Find @birdinglothian.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Only my 3rd Slovak Black Stork in 23 years of coming to Slovakia with White Stork the more common bird in my opinion seen yearly , so was pleased with this Zriedlova Dolina fly over 👍🇸🇰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #birdingslovakia

Need a bit of help with this wader id from Kunov Slovakia last week..I was thinking Green sandpiper but supercilium doesn’t look right & eye ring very prominent? Also doesn’t look right for Common which I think is bird behind? #birdingslovakia

Some waders from Kunov Slovakia last week , what looks good for Wood Sandpipers & also a Little Ringed Plover, also Common Sandpiper which I’ve had here before. Water very low which made for rarer birds coming in #birdingslovakia wood sandpiper a Slovak✅

New Zriedlova Dolina ✅ for me today … Black Stork flyover.. previously only seen a few of these near the Austrian border 👍🇸🇰 #birdingslovakia

Braw 18k walk in the High Tatras yesterday from Strbske Pleso 1346m to Velke Hincovo Pleso 1948m , , Spotted Nutcracker & a Water Pipit also Marmot . The latter a new Slovak Species for me 👍🇸🇰

Out for a wee strole in Zriedlova Dolina & a Honey Buzzard soars overhead calling … 👍🇸🇰#birdingslovakia

Wee strole through the woods near in-laws house zriedlova Dolina today last photo looks good for Syrian woodpecker 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Alpine Longhorn taken on Camera phone so not the clearest photo but apparently quite scarce & protected & a 1st for me👍🇸🇰 #slovakia

Beautiful Demoiselle & hopefully not mistaken 🤔👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Back in Slovakia visiting the in-laws & a wee strole down Zriedlova Dolina from the house , with good numbers of Red Backed Shrike & a couple of pairs of Reed Warblers being a bit more elusive 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Camp for the wknd near Lairg & a walk up the Corbett Ben Hee 873m today.. Clegs were brutal & very quiet bird wise with only Meadow pipit, 2 Ravens near Summit & a Dipper in burn on descent seen 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Western Sandpiper from Maidens Ayrshire 7/6/25 . I don’t think I’ll win any Photo of the year competitions but still a Braw wee bird to see 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @scottishbirding.bsky.social

Walk from East Linton to Haddington this am along the Tyne Path with the Bairns & the Dug .. Swans seem to be doing well Grey Heron & a Sedge Warbler photos 👍 @scottishbirding.bsky.social @birdinglothian.bsky.social

An old photo of Barns Ness Campsite, not my photo but looks like it was taken in the 70s 👍

Nice couple of Munro’s Today in A Chailleach & Carn Sgulain in the Monadhliath hills today , new Summits for Anna & the Bairns as I had been up them about 25 years ago 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Boc of the Western Sandpiper at Maidens today , typical Scottish summer Weather with sideways rain & bird hunkered down made for distant views but well worth the drive through to Ayrshire for a lifer 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #scottishbirding

Buying a present for Fathers' Day on 15th June? See my books on wildlife and the investigation of wildlife crime at wildlifedetective.wordpress.com/books/ and email me to post out a signed and personalised copy.

With taking the Bairns up Ben Macdui a few weeks ago I thought I’d share some photos of a previous walk up Ben Macdui in 2014 looking for a Snowy Owl that wasn’t seen.. ach well still a Braw walk 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A wee swallie 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🍺🥃