Dune Chafer at Blackdog - not sure I've seen one before but it seemed right at home in the, err, dunes. #beetle

Still fins galore on Portsoy patch this weekend (2+ Minkes and a gang of Bottlenose Dolphins). Quiet birdwise, but a Bonxie showed nicely as it snacked on a young gull. And I liked this Corn Bunting pic - makes a change from sitting on a wire. #PWC2026 #BirdingScotland #seamammal #cetacean

No summer is complete without checking the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary colony at Red Moss of Netherley - late in their flight period now, but still active a couple days ago. Dark Green Fritillaries at Blackdog, on the other hand, were super fresh. #butterfly @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Hummingbird Hawkmoth again whizzing in and out of the garden today. Red Valerian grows semi-wild in the gardens around here, and is a constant draw for them. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

Still lots of fins in quick look this evening at Portsoy - gang of Bottlenose Dolphins moved east and a Minke did a close pass as it circled the area. #seamammal #cetacean

Migrant moths are a rare treat in northern Scotland. There may be plagues of Small Mottled Willows down south, but this was New for Garden this morning and the third record for the VC. Portsoy (VC94, Banffshire) #teammoth @migrantmothuk.bsky.social

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The Red Kite (Blackdog ✔️ last week) again present today and in much better viewing conditions (i.e. no haar for it to vanish into). #birdingscotland

Wonder insect geekery day at @hutton.ac.uk. Organised for #InsectWeek by @srucnews.bsky.social's Charlotte Wood with talks by Charlotte and @laurasharp.bsky.social, while I went on about ladybirds. Nick Baker gave fascinating and inspiring account of ant-rearing exploits. @royentsoc.bsky.social

A bonus hummer on a work visit to Edinburgh today, where some Valerian was coming through between railings onto the side of a pavement. @migrantmothuk.bsky.social #teammoth

Visits to the old patch, Blackdog, are infrequent so #patchticks there are a rare treat. On tonight's visit, haar twarted scoter scanning but a Red Kite that appeared out of the fog and quickly vanished back into it became a (long overdue) addition. #Scottishbirding

Still 2 or 3 Minke Whales in a quick look off Portsoy this evening. (Video from the Minke soup on Sunday.) #seamammal #cetacean

Synchronised break-out from the garden pond - three fresh Southern Hawker exuviae, two with the dragonflies still hanging on for a few hours before departing later in the day. #dragonfly @britishdragonflies.bsky.social

Bloomin' Minke Whales everywhere at Portsoy today, trying their best to distract me (at least 3, maybe more, including some very close passes). But I stuck to the task at hand and prevailed with patch ✔️ Tufted Duck (2m, 1f) distantly on the sea. #PWC2026 #scottishbirding @patchbirding.bsky.social

Minke Whale surfaced a few times as it moved east this afternoon off Portsoy. First one I've seen here. #seamammal #cetacean

Half-time garden check (during Brazil-Morocco) produced 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘱𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 on the moth trap vanes. New species for the vice county, though present in most other nearby VCs, so not unexpected. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

Brown Rustic had inexplicably avoided the garden up to now, so this male in the trap overnight was NFG. First Large Yellow Underwings of the year too, so all set now for increasing trap chaos! Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

May Highflier was the latest New-for-Garden moth this morning. As with most species here, also new for hectad. Also Hummingbird Hawkmoth whizzing about again this morning. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

Some argy-bargy between a Goshawk and a Buzzard over an Aberdeenshire woodland this morning. Went one for several minutes. Later in the day, a #patchtick Quail, flushed at Portsoy - my first time actually seeing one in many years! #patchbirding #birdingscotland

This female Palmate Newt checking out the moth trap last night completes the amphibian set found in North East Scotland. The pond really is doing some heavy lifting this year #GardenBiodiversity

Distracted from looking at birds and moffs for a while this evening at Portsoy. #seamammal #orca

Nearly overlooked this tiddler in the garden trap this morning: 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘢. New for VC94, Banffshire, (unless there's been others in last year or two). #teammoth

Sandy Carpey was another new-for-garden moth in the trap this morning (also new for hectad). Perhaps attracted by, or emerging from, the same Red Capion that yesterday's Hummer was feeding on. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the garden this evening - a month earlier than the first of several last year. Whizzing around mostly on Red Campion and also settled on the wall for a few seconds - first time I've seen one perched up. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

A Freyer's/Edinburgh Pug this morning was another new-for-garden moth (and new for hectad). There's a couple of bushy cypress trees just over the wall in next garden, so more may appear. Big thanks to Roy Leverton for confirming ID from the pic. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

Two more New-for-Garden moffs to bring up the 250-species milestone for the garden: Knot Grass and 𝘉𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴. Portsoy (VC94 - Banffshire) #teammoth

No Small Mottled Willows here but Nut-tree Tussock and Pale Pinion were both New for Garden in this morning's catch. The pinion is a recent arrival in the region. Portsoy (VC94, Banffshire) #teammoth

Drake Gadwall on Loch Soy, Portsoy - just reward for carrying garden waste to the adjacent recycling centre. #PatchTick #PWC2026 #birdingscotland

Today's @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count at Portsoy was rather gatecrashed by a #BaskingShark. Arctic Skua and Swifts (at last) were new for #PWC2026.

While Magnus has left these shores (now in Norway) we've been digging out the newspaper report of the last Aberdeenshire #Walrus, from 1981. (Image source details in alt text ) #marinemammals #seamammals #marinelife

A Larch Ladybird on ...... a Larch! Unusually, found in situ (while looking for moth larvae) rather than than through beating. VC91 (Kincardineshire, Aberdeenshire). #Ladybird @ukladybirds.bsky.social

A White-billed Diver still hanging on at Portsoy. And looking pretty damned resplendent. #patchbirding #BirdingScotland

How many species of Pinniped (seals and allies) have there been in North East Scotland? It might be more than you think. Check out our latest blog: nesmamnet.org/2026/05/05/t... #seamammals #MarineMammals #MarineLife

A White-billed Diver still lingering at Portsoy over the weekend. It was relatively close in off East Head yesterday, where a Bonxie also charged past, terrorising Kittiwakes along the way. #BirdingScotland #patchbirding

An overcast night produced the largest garden catch of the year so far, with 16/8. Highlight was a New-for-Garden Streamer (also new for hectad). Portsoy (VC94, Banffshire) #Teammoth

He came even closer to home, so couldn't resist seconds a couple evenings ago. #Walrus @nesmammals.bsky.social

The Ythan Marsh Sandpiper was always distant but light was good and it was a gorgeous evening for watching. Thanks to Phil Crockett for the finding this first in the region in 36 years! A stonking summer Spott 'Shank was great too. #BirdingScotland

Whimbrel and Puffin were new for year at Portsoy today. One Purple Sandpiper lingers among the Turnstone and a White-billed Diver was off East Head - (it seems that birds have shifted west with 6-8 reported off Portknockie this evening). #BirdingScotland #PWC2026

Bad day to be without the car and with an online evening teaching session lined up. But we managed a late dash in gathering gloom with just enough light left to admire the mightily impressive Magnus, at Lossiemouth. With @trailerbythesea.bsky.social #Walrus @nesmammals.bsky.social

New paper from @bats-n-bugs.bsky.social's PhD. Sampling an impressive 26 farms in east Scotland, Rochelle found a complex picture with bats responding more to habitat and landscape features than to farming type per se. Open access: link.springer.com/article/10.1... @batconservation.bsky.social

Four White-billed Divers were the predictable highlight of this afternoon's @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count at Portsoy. #ScottishBirding #PWC2026

The first NFG moth of the year is ..... drumroll ..... Twin-spotted Quaker. Portsoy (VC94) #teammoth

Total of at least 12 White-billed Divers at Portsoy today, including 9 in a single scan off Redhythe Point. Viewing conditions good, but not perfect, so there's sure to be more out there. Great to see Sand Martins fresh back at the colony. #PWC2026 #BirdingScotland

A Little Gull yesterday feeding with Kittiwakes off East Head, Portsoy, was my first here in over two years. #PWC2026 #BirdingScotland

A real highlight of the @srucnews.bsky.social year. Great couple of days!

Just back from the amazing @mammalsociety.bsky.social conference in Inverness. Engaging speakers, posters and workshops. Most of all, genuine enthusiasm and curiosity for figuring out what our mammals are doing and why.

#Bioacoustics formed a big part of last week's Sutherland field trip. Students recorded birds on @openacousticdevices.info #Audiomoths (analysed with @chirpity-nocmig.bsky.social), used heterodyne bat detectors and set a PIPPYG by the digs - with Common Pipistrelles on both. @srucnews.bsky.social

Three White-billed Divers on today's Portsoy WeBS survey (a couple were tolerably close in). Also, first Sandwich Terns of the year. @webs-gsmp.bsky.social #BirdingScotland #PWC2026

Spring on the bog in Aberdeenshire - always great to see the Slave-maker Ants, which were very active in today's sun, around old stumps of trees removed as part of #peatland restoration. A few Peacocks on the wing too. #peatland

Last full day of @srucnews.bsky.social Sutherland field trip. Amazing weather for more vole sign surveying and time also for ice cream! Presentations on student research projects brought a fitting evening finale.