What an amazing year 2025 was! So many great trips and birds. My personal highlights being finding 3 BBRC birds, a fantastic trip to Peru and the stunning Rubythroat at the end of an amazing autumn on North Ronaldsay.

The Black-necked Grebes showed brilliantly at Burntisland this afternoon. Sometimes getting as close as 10m from the shore. #BirdingScotland

I really enjoyed the Bearded Tits at Tay Reedbeds today. My first ones in Scotland and also my first since I last saw them at Lakenheath Fen 8 years ago! Other nice birds were Marsh Harrier, Greenshank, Red Kite, Brambling and lots of Redpolls. #BirdingScotland

A 1st winter male SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT caught on North Ronaldsay!!! #RareBirdsUK #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

It all kicked off yesterday afternoon on North Ron with a Radde’s Warbler trapped at the obs! And then a Northern Bullfinch caught at HH I didn’t think it could get any better until Alison and I found this Black-throated Thrush in a net during the roost catch! #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Shame the Rufous-tailed Robin didn’t show after it was found but I still had a very enjoyable day. Highlights being Little Bunting, Woodlark, Glaucous Gull, Red Kite and Siberian Chiffchaffs. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Pallas’s Warbler on North Ronaldsay today! Amazing to see it only a few metres from me. It was constantly feeding and barely stayed in the same place. Thanks to Maddy for yet another good find. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Brilliant day again on North Ronaldsay. Obvious highlight being my first Scottish Firecrest. Hopping metres away from me. Other highlights being Siberian Chiffchaff and a few more common migrants. Looking good for the next few days. 🤞 #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Really pleased to find a Red-throated Pipit on North Ronaldsay today. Other highlights today being Turtle Dove, Lapland Bunting and Yellow-browed Warbler. Nice to see that the Easterlies are producing birds. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

A nice couple days on North Ronaldsay. Highlights being Grey Phalarope, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Black-throated Diver and a couple island scarcities like Greenfinch and Carrion Crow. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

The Black-headed Bunting on North Ronaldsay yesterday was hanging around the seaweed and walls to shelter from the strong Westerlies. An unexpected bird in these weather conditions. Another great find by @maddyhine.bsky.social. Photos taken by Charles. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

White-rumped Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay this afternoon. A great find by Craig. Really nice to have a good bird after a couple quiet weeks. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

The paper, led by #EdNapier's Dr Sue Lewis, in a collaboration with conservation scientists and staff from the @rspb.bsky.social, the @seabirdcentre.bsky.social and the @ukceh.bsky.social has been published by the international avian science journal Ibis. 📸 James Glossop

🪹 | Seabirds that survived recent bird flu outbreaks have continued to reproduce, although overall breeding performance remains notably low, according to a new study. The study has looked at breeding success in Northern Gannets at two locations during 2023. 🔗 orlo.uk/44CaS 📸 Dave Pressland

Great day on @northronbirdobs.bsky.social Highlights being 4 Taiga Bean Geese found by Maddy, Arctic Warbler still, Black Redstart, Lapland Bunting, Barred Warbler, Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler and my first Fieldfare of the autumn. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Wryneck ringed on @northronbirdobs.bsky.social yesterday evening! It has got to be the best bird I have seen in the hand. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Arctic Warbler trapped and ringed on North Ron today! Also Bluethroat, Hawfinch, Pied Flys, Redstarts, Tree Pipits and lots of common migrants. What a day! #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

A nice surprise this morning when Rob and I caught this Greenish Warbler in one of the Heligoland traps @northronbirdobs.bsky.social! #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Nice to see the lovely Pectoral Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay today (found by Maddy). The Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Dotterel were also still present this morning at the links. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

A slow day on North Ron but still nice to find this fresh Wood Sandpiper. #OrkneyBirding #BirdingScotland

Nice to see this white morph Gyr Falcon on North Ronaldsay today. But it seemed to be bearing a ring on its leg. Still nice to see and hopefully a wild one will turn up one day… #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Some really nice waders on North Ronaldsay today! I was really pleased that the juv Buff-breasted Sandpiper stuck around overnight meaning everyone saw it. Also nice to have better views of the juv Dotterel and AGP. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

No sign of the Buff-breasted Sand today as some sheep decided to run at it after George found it! But great compensation in the form of the lovely juv Dotterel. Other highlights from today being Wryneck, Green Sand and Rosefinch. #OrkneyBirding #BirdingScotland

I didn’t think today could get any better! Red-backed Shrike and Barred Warbler ringed on North Ronaldsay. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Another great day on @northronbirdobs.bsky.social. Wryneck, Rosefinch, Barred Warbler, Pied Flys, Whinchats, Curlew Sands, Spotshank, Little Stint and Reed Warbler being the main highlights. Fingers crossed for a great next few days. #BirdingScotland #OrkneyBirding

Rosefinch ringed on @northronbirdobs.bsky.social this evening! #OrkneyBirding #BirdingScotland

Another great week or so on @northronbirdobs.bsky.social! Lifers being Rosefinch, Icterine Warbler, Leach’s Storm Petrel and Franklin’s Gull! Other highlights being Spotted Redshank, Pied Flycatcher, Little Gull and ringing Sedge Warbler and Tree Sparrow. #BirdingScotland

Franklin’s Gull on North Ronaldsay! A brilliant find by @cgunnnat.bsky.social! The bird came within 10m of us at some points. #BirdingScotland

A mad first few days on North Ronaldsay! Highlights being a FEA’s type Petrel this evening (brilliantly picked out by @cgunnnat.bsky.social) and finding the returning Long-billed Dowitcher. Other lifers being Great Shearwater, LT Skua, RN Phalarope and AGP. All photos taken by Charles.

Nice visit to Musselburgh this morning. Highlights being a Marsh Harrier, the WWS, Surf and Velvet Scoters, 4 Ruff, Greenshank, Little Egret and 2 Little Gull. My last visit for a few months as I head north to North Ronaldsay for the autumn. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #birdingscotland

The last three weeks I have been on a family holiday to Peru. The birds were amazing. We saw over 500 species! My favourite being the Bearded Mountaineer. We visited many habitats ranging from desert to rainforest from sea level to 5000m A trip of a lifetime! 🪶 ebird.org/tripreport/3...

Some slightly better pictures of yesterday’s White-winged Scoter. #BirdingScotland

Really pleased to find this White-winged Scoter at Musselburgh this morning. It appears to be a different individual to last week as it has no white around the eye, browner flanks and is hanging out with Velvets rather than Eiders. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

A really nice visit to Musselburgh today. 80 species seen in total. Highlights being an adult Roseate Tern off the scrapes, really nice views of Little Ringed Plover and finally seeing Musselburgh’s Large Skippers. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #birdingscotland

It was lovely to spend some time with the Spoonbill at Musselburgh today. A great addition to my non-motorised list! Also really nice to finally meet @itssjoenichols.bsky.social. #BirdingScotland @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Trip to Fife this afternoon was well rewarded! The Iberian Chiffchaff at Tentsmuir showed well and sang its heart out! Also a Little Gull and Reed Warbler at the Eden Estuary. #BirdingScotland

A fantastic day birding bike with 100km covered. 132 species seen throughout the day. A total I did not expect to reach! Highlights being a Curlew Sandpiper at Aberlady, a Quail at East Fortune and a Reed Warbler at Blindwells. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

A great day by bus to Ayrshire. The Western Sandpiper was still at Maidens just after noon. It was really nice to see its size compared to the Dunlin. The Caspian Gull then flew over the harbour and inland. #BirdingScotland

A really nice trip to Musselburgh yesterday evening. Highlights being the pair of Avocets found by @ijandrews.bsky.social earlier in the day on the old scrapes and finding a pair of Temminck’s Stints (new birds?) on the new lagoons (shown in video in my reply). @birdinglothian.bsky.social

I had a brief stop at Musselburgh yesterday evening on the way back from a cycle ride. The Green-winged Teal showed in really nice light on the new lagoons. #BirdingScotland @birdinglothian.bsky.social

A quick stop to Musselburgh yesterday evening. Both the Temminck’s Stints and the Garganey were still present from the left hand hide. Thanks to @ijandrews.bsky.social for letting dad and I borrow his scope to give us lovely views. @birdinglothian.bsky.social #BirdingScotland

Fantastic day hiking in the Highlands. So many birds including Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Red Kites, Ring Ouzel, White-tailed Eagle, breeding waders and an Osprey on the way home. Really nice to see a high diversity of breeding birds in a Scottish glen. #BirdingScotland

No sign of the King Eider from Seafield, Portobello or Joppa. Viewing conditions were difficult with sea fog being a problem for most of the morning. Nice to see my first Pintails and Black Guillemot of the year off Joppa.

Great trip to Duddingston Loch and surrounding areas this afternoon. My first Mediterranean Gull ever on the loch was a surprise. 2 RN Parakeets was my first multiple birds sighting. 12 Whooper Swans going north was great as well as another singing Chiffchaff and calling Water Rails.

Lovely afternoon trip to Duddingston. Highlights being my first singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap. As well as an acrobatic Ring-necked Parakeet. 55 species seen in total with other nice species being Water Rail, Gadwall and Goldeneye. A great way to start this year’s spring.

A fantastic trip to Pembrokeshire. 106 species seen with highlights being the stunning Pallid Harrier at Dowrog, finding a Caspian Gull at the Gann, Cattle Egret, Hen Harrier, SEO, Chough, Jack Snipe and so much more! The coastline was beautiful as always.

A great 1st Dec birding by bike day with 88 species seen in 4 hours. Highlights being Scaup and Twite at Musselburgh, the Ring-necked Parakeet at Duddingston playing fields and so many more lovely winter species. @birdinglothian.bsky.social

Lovely morning at Musselburgh. Highlights being a Jack Snipe on the new lagoons early morning, Red-necked Grebe, Mediterranean Gull, Little Auks and this lovely Long-tailed Duck! Phone scoping not at its best today! @birdinglothian.bsky.social