Another day of wintry showers, giving some impressive cloud formations out to the North. Been quiet for white winged gulls so far, so nice to find three adult Glaucous Gulls in the North Wick, before flying out towards Mull Head #BirdingOrkney #PWC2025

Just a snapshot of the mass of gulls, feeding in the North Wick this morning. Adult Iceland Gull amongst them, two White billed Diver past Mull Head and a fly over calling Waxwing. Technically speaking, all outdone by a Papay mega flock of ten Rook! #BirdingOrkney

Lesser Scaups at Helston, Cornwall 5th Nov ‘25. Montage showing key primary and secondary bar colouration. Both male and female shown. Underwing shot also shows the white axillaries. @bobbosisto.bsky.social #cornwallbirding #birding #ukbirding

And a wee bit of video as it fed along the dyke. Shame about the distinct lack of light! #OrkneyBirding

Since my time here, there have only been three species seen on Papay which I have missed. A difficult one to get back with a strong eastern bias to Orkney records, this was the last place I expected to claw back a Pallas's Warbler. The sweetest kind of patch tick #PWC2025 #OrkneyBirding

5 Nov fireworks 💥 on Westray today! Not one, but two isle firsts! 🙅‍♂️ First up was Orkney's 11th Radde's Warbler (second this autumn and the latest ever recorded in the county) which was followed minutes later by a Firecrest - in the same bush! Pure #PatchGold! #PWC2025 #WestrayBirding

Couple of hours before I needed to be back in the shop so left the Firecrest to check elsewhere. Walking back for more views and this Bonaparte's Gull has appeared above Cott (wasn't there on the walk up!) #BirdingOrkney #PWC2025 2nd for Papay and still only the 5th Orkney record

Had all but given up hope of a Papay Firecrest until @papayranger.bsky.social came to the rescue with this bird at Shorehouse. An Island tick and only the 2nd Papay record. Now 13 birds found within Orkney this autumn, there had only been 35 records prior to this year! #BirdingOrkney #PWC2025

A quick check of Holland this morning, when I suddenly realised that I was being watched... missed the male Bullfinch, but Black Redstart and three Greenfinch new in plus a very unseasonal Wood Sandpiper at Mull Head #OrkneyBirding #PWC2025

A pretty rare, entirely non bird related post but too good not to share. Last night in the Papay hostel, singing with Caroline Price and Stream of Sound. A fitting end to an inspiring week of singing workshops. Utterly joyous

I have a very bad feeling about this...

Single Little Auk past Mull Head this morning bringing up 170 for the island year list plus adult Iceland and 1st winter Glaucous Gulls #BirdingOrkney Can't see me adding much more (Waxwing or Mistle Thrush probably my best chance) but then again, autumn ain't over just yet...

Absolute beast of a female Northern Bullfinch this morning in Lerwick. #YellBirding #Shetland

Of all the things that I thought I might find today, it's fair to say that a late October Dotterel wasn't one of them! Only my third Papay record (5th bird) but the first in autumn and my first juvenile anywhere since two on the beach at Snettisham back in 2005! #OrkneyBirding

Right, before you judge my photos, it was a last ditch attempt in near dark! Taken at 16000 iso, to be fair they are better than I was expecting! Found by a local resident outside his house on the road verge! Northern Long tailed Tits are still a rare bird in UK. #shetlandbirding

The afternoon turned a little dreich here so I quickly sorted records (not number of birds) of all tit species by isle and here they are in map form. See Alt Text on attached image for some notes. #OrkneyBirding

I’ve heard plenty on the isle, seen one in flight, but this is the first Corncrake I’ve seen on the deck here in Westray. And mega surprised to find one running around an overgrown village garden in mid-October. Only one later county record than today’s, 23 Oct 1996. #WestrayBirding

Red-breasted Flycatcher at the Manse this afternoon #BirdingOrkney Can't remember the last vocal bird that I saw, so very satisfying to hear this one calling #PWC2025

Barred Warbler giving good views in Rosa above the South Wick, first seen yesterday #BirdingOrkney Ten Pomarine Skua past Mull Head this morning plus a year tick Slav Grebe in the South Wick. Both Taiga Beans still present #PWC2025

Ended up being at least four Bonaparte’s Gulls with another adult seen this afternoon!!!! Another Mediterranean Gull there too. Ring-necked Duck also still on Wester Loch #CaithnessBirds @birdguides.bsky.social

Fair to say that the last couple of weeks have been something of a slog. We do tend to lose leaves a bit earlier in the autumn on here but this year seems particularly stark #BirdingOrkney Really doesn't feel like there is much left to attract and hold migrants...

A slight drop in the wind produced a bonanza of Sooty Shearwater off Mull Head #BirdingOrkney 360 west, but lots of birds feeding, including one flock of up to 150. Also my 2nd Barred Warbler of the autumn along the North Wick #PWC2025

Unbirdable outside so it's a day of description writing and painting. That said, I will be keeping a regular eye out from the house, should @stevedudley.bsky.social Franklin's Gull decide to drop in for a visit onto the loch...

Stunning views of the Siberian Thrush in Shetland. Worth the three hours in Loch Asta. More on justwildimages.blogspot.com @birdguides.bsky.social @promoteshetland.bsky.social @hughharrop.bsky.social @shetlandwildlife.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social @britishbirdsbbrc.bsky.social

In on the recent Taiga action with this adult and juvenile, present at Backaskaill this morning. My first, anywhere away from the Yare Valley birds of winters past #BirdingOrkney Third find tick in under two weeks, having not added anything since May 2023! @patchbirding.bsky.social

Juv Long-tailed Skua past Mull Head this morning #BirdingOrkney Two Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Whinchat the best migrant offerings, but all lingering birds. No sign of Brown Shrike today

Brown Shrike still present this morning for its fourth day #BirdingOrkney Finally a rest bite tomorrow from the wind, so hopefully some action on the sea or a chance to unearth some new arrivals...

Here’s a wee clip of the utterly fabulous Brown Shrike found by @papaybirder.bsky.social on neighbouring Papa Westray today. I do so enjoy a little dirty Papay twitching 😜 All part of the joys of #WestrayBirding + 🙅🏻‍♂️

Orkney's 5th record of Brown Shrike, present in the garden of the Manse today #BirdingOrkney A species that I always thought should have one day been on the cards for here #PWC2025 #RareBirdsUK

Black Tern, Druridge Bay Country Park September 2025. #NEBirding

Baird's Sandpiper in the North Wick this evening #OrkneyBirding 7th Orkney record, 1st for Papay and a species I have always imagined finding here #PWC2025 Present for all of about five minutes but thankfully obliged for the camera #RareBirdsUK

Rosefinch around Whitehowe this afternoon #BirdingOrkney One that was missing from the island year list last year. Always surprises me how scarce these seem to be in Orkney, outside of the North isles. Just a lack of coverage from mainland?

Wryneck can be frustratingly skulking at times. Other times, less so... #BirdingOrkney Another new bird this morning #PWC2025

Buff-breasted Sandpiper hanging out on the Papay airfield today #PWC2025 #BirdingOrkney Two or three recorded most autumns within Orkney, but only my second island record.

Until today I had only seen four Wryneck on Papay, in what is now my 9th year on the island. This afternoon, I found THREE different birds within less than two hours! #OrkneyBirding #PWC2025 Five Garden Warbler and three Pied Fly also amongst a small number of common migrants

Pectoral Sandpiper above the North Wick this afternoon, plus a surprise reappearance by the Greenish Warbler in the willows outside Hundland #BirdingOrkney Refound here the day after being seen at Fowl Craig but not seen since. Couple of Pied Flycatchers, my first of the year here #PWC2025

My first Papay tick of 2025 in the form of a White-rumped Sandpiper, briefly in the North Wick this morning. No sign this afternoon, but made up for by finding this Greenish Warbler in the far geo at Fowl Craig! #OrkneyBirding #PWC2025 Also a Great Shearwater offshore whilst watching it

A trip out to the Eastern end of the Moray Firth with Guide Charters out of Macduff gave us a close encounter with a Sooty Shearwater which stayed with the boat for over 15 minutes. Another highlight was a Pomarine Skua that did a fly-by. #birdingscotland

A life-sized bronze statue has been unveiled on the island of Papa Westray, Orkney, in memory of the last known Great Auk Pinguinus impennis killed there in 1813. The statue is an exact replica of the preserved remains of the bird, which are held by the Natural History Museum.

Two Great Shearwater past Mull Head this morning plus 53 Manx and 57 Sooty #BirdingOrkney Also first major arrival of Wheatear with over 100 birds between Mull Head and Fowl Craig

A drake Garganey, vermiculations don’t get much better. #birds #ukbirds #phonescoping vimeo.com/813700534

Young Ruff in the North Wick this morning. A new breeding species for Papay #OrkneyBirding Despite seeing the male, several times over the late spring/Summer period, they were remarkably discrete and almost avoided detection completely #PWC2025

Full spooned Pomarine Skua past Mull Head at 08:05 followed 15 minutes later by an adult Long-tailed Skua #OrkneyBirding First time I have recorded all four Skua species on the same Papay seawatch. Also 31 Manx and 4 Sooty in 1.5hrs from 07:30

Before and after. That's what happens when you get 80mph winds in August...

This leucistic Sand Martin ghosted past me as I walked along the causeway at Farmoor Reservoir this morning. Smart looking bird! #UKbirding

A brilliant few days camping and exploring around Brora. An area where I worked on an RSPB contract back in 2013 and have been keen to return to ever since. One of three

As far as I know, there are no confirmed breeding records of Black Redstart in Lothian, but this one at Torness doesn't look long out the nest. Thanks to @mattjsilk.bsky.social for putting me on to one of the strangest colour/pattern abnormalities I've seen - it's a House Martin! #BirdingLothian

Anybody able to offer any reassurance that this can be easily fixed? Not been dropped or accidentally damaged in any way but something has shifted out of place and the focus no longer aligns. Really don't want to be without them for another three months, just as autumn is kicking off! #BirdingGear

Aberlady around high tide today. Huge numbers of Sand Martins around spit, resting on beach and in dunes. Min 800 but prob 1200+ as noted by @jpgnic.bsky.social recently. Also 3 Little Gulls & 8 Arctic Terns, 126 Sanderlings, 23 Dunlins, 6 Grey Plover etc. #BirdingLothian