My Lochwinnoch patch year list for 2025 total was 126! Many highlights including snow goose, glossy ibis, Pec Sand, Lesser Scaup, avocet, red kite, red-breasted merganser, garganey and with a good selections of commoner species. See what 2026 brings…. #clydebirding

Great Northern Diver showed well in Scarborough harbour last week on a quick visit back home to Yorkshire. Sadly the harbour bar was closed so no lemon twist ice cream for me! Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter.

LT duck, GWE and at least 13 whooper swans were the highlight of morning birding my Lochwinnoch patch. Nice sunrise then the mist drifted in #birdingscotland #clydebirding #birds

Managed to get a couple of hours birding in today while visiting family in Hull. Eastern Black Redstart showed well at Filey. #digicoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter. #birds #rarebirdsuk

Death Valley, California is one of my favourite places, I’m overdue another visit. The colour at first is amazing but I prefer my black and white shots. #landscape #blackandwhitephotographt #deathvalley

American wigeon snoozing in the low afternoon light at Newshot Island, Renfrewshire #digicoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter. #birdingscotland #Rarebirdsuk #birds

Highlight of birding my Lochwinnoch patch today was finding Long-tailed duck on Aird Meadow and stunning views of Otter as it swam in the River Calder directly below me.

Afternoon off allowed a quick rainy visit to my Lochwinnoch patch. Highlight 8 whoopers swan. This one #digiscoped with kowa884 using iPhone16Pro and vario adapter. #birds #clydebirding

Birded my Lochwinnoch patch from first light. A very atmospheric morning and had great views of 3 water rails. #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro ana vario adapter. Managed to twitch LT duck at dusk a patch year tick #birds #clydebieding

Greenshank at Lunderstone Bay, Inverclyde today, such a lovely wader. #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #birds #clydebirding

Birded by patch at first light then headed along the Clyde coast. Highlight was this white colour ringed Mediterranean Gull. #Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

Treated myself to a book I’ve wanted for a while

Family party of 5 whooper swans one of the adults with a malformed head. Very wet and cold pre work visit.

Bitterly cold post work birding this morning and was rewarded with a patch tick when Glossy Ibis flew over my #Lochwinnoch patch at 7:24am, Had seen the bird 1 miles outside my patch previous, so was delighted to get it on patch list!

This morning patch birding highlight was a moulting drake Scaup on Barr Loch. #Digiscoped with Kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro #birdingscotland #birds

Bookended my day with otter sighting at Arid Meadow, Lochwinnoch RSPB reserve. This #digiscoped video was taken this evening at dusk and follow on for views in the mist at first light

Rather smart ‘northern’ Long-tailed Tit in Budapest. #digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro #birds

Rather than sit in the M8 traffic jam I scanned the gull roost at Strathclyde Loch and wait for the traffic to improve. Highlights 2 Mediterranean gulls (ad & 2nd winter) #birdingscotland #birds

Missed the Glossy Ibis when it circled my local patch but caught up south of Barr loch in fields nr Kerse bridge. #Digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro #birdingscotland

Winter plumage Black Guillemot, #digiscoped off Greenock. Digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro

Post work visit to Strathclyde Loch to check the Gulls and avoid getting a stuck in the M8 traffic jam. 2 little egret on the island, sadly noting noteworthy in the gull roost but a great sunset.

Returning for its third winter it was nice to see this American Wigeon today at Newshot Island, viewed from the Golden Jubilee #digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro #birdingscotland #rarebirdsuk

Found this stunning Dice Snake while out birding nr Dinnyes, Hungary. #digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro

Twitched Sociable Lapwing at Dinnyes Fejer today while in Budapest. Mostly distant and poor light but stunning bird.. Must be over 30 years since I’ve seen Sociable Lapwing.

Great days birding in the Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary. Images #digiscoped with kowa884 using vario smartoscope adapter and iphone16Pro Great Bustard, LE Owl, Cate Egret & Pygmy Cormorants

A very misty start to a quick hours birding at my Lochwinnoch patch before for heading to work. Great White Egret at Barr loch

A day on the Clyde looking for seabirds My favourite shot from today was this gannet flying over the boats flag.

Still one of the most spectacular birding events I’ve seen over 100,000 Sooty Shearwaters in Monterey Bay back in Sept 2011!

Atmospheric sunrise on the Lochwinnoch patch this morning and patch tick with Red kite heading north over the south end of Barr Loch at 9am

Ring-necked duck at Bingham’s Pond, Glasgow showing amazing well as always. #birdingscotland #Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

Lovely views of Little Owl in East Yorkshire this evening #digiscoped with Kowa884 using iphone16Pro with vario adapter

Couple of days visiting my folks in East Yorkshire and managed to get a bit of birding in today. Yesterday I caught up with juv Red-necked grebe at Hornsea and had my worst ever views of Night Heron at North Cave.

After ok flight views yesterday headed back to Warblewick this morning for the Zitting Cisticola and was rewarded with great views. #rarebirdsuk Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

Good days birding in Suffolk - Ticked the Zitting Cisticola at warbleswick with reasonable flight views and vocal. The juv black stork at Holleley showed much better and was a year tick, good nicely of commoner birds along the way.

Great days birding at Welney. Highlight includes 7 cranes, 50+ ruff, colour ringed wood sandpaper (from Norway) and nice selection of birds common birds. Willow emerald damselfly and tansy beetle were both new for me.

First twitch by kayak today. Was kayaking on Castle Semple when marsh harrier was reported over scrape at Lochwinnoch luckily for me the bird flew north and got it on my patch year list and my kayak list

Not everyday you see a Little Ringed Plover chick sat on a discarded car wheel-hub! I’ve been monitoring this pair and this one nearly fledged so fingers crossed

Patch year tick with a Common Tern over Barr Loch at 7:08. Single black-tailed godwit, common sand and 3 redshank (1 chick) and 2 mandarin on my Lochwinnoch patch this morning

Managed to catch up with the 2 Avocets (1st record for Renfrewshire and only 4th for Clyde) on my Lochwinnoch patch with a quick lunchtime twitch. Made it with 12 minutes to spare before they flew off hight to the north. @clydesoc-grapevine.bsky.social

Delighted to see 4 redshank chicks on the scrape at Lochwinnoch RSPB this morning. @rspbscotland.bsky.social Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter.

Birded my Lochwinnoch patch before work. Redshank with 4 chicks the highlight. Quick twitch for Avocet at Baron's Haugh a few minutes from were I work (only the 4th Clyde record)

Lifer today with Western Sandpiper at Maidens. #birdingscotland #rarebirdsuk Digiscoped in rainy and windy conditions with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

Lapwing chick sheltering after heavy rain on my local patch this morning. Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro with vario adapter

Patch year tick today with 2 Little Egrets on the Lochwinnoch scrape and then briefly on Barr loch before flying south. Still a scare bird on my patch. Digiscoped with kowa884 using iPhone16pro with vario adapter

Lapwing chicks at Lochwinnoch RSPB this evening. @rspbscotland.bsky.social Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

Pectoral Sandpiper showed well on scrape at Lochwinnoch first thing this morning @clydesoc-grapevine.bsky.social #birdingscotland Digiscoped with kowa884 /iphone16pro using vario adapter

Final day in Hungary - birded Dinnyesi Ferto nature reserve highlight was finding 2 fly over Gull-billed Terns walking with a great selection of wildlife

Birded around Dinnyes today about an hour by train from Budapest (train ticket cost 1120HUF less than £2.50). Savi’s warbler finally showed itself but Marsh and moustached warblers remind out of sight

Another great day birding in Hungary, River Warbler this morning eventually showed well. Brings back memories…. must be a nearly 30 year since I twitched River Warbler Wigan. Digiscoped with Kowa884 with iphone16Pro using vario adapter

Great day birding the kiskunsag national park