4 species of Auk seen while in the John O’Groats area last week #birdingscotland #caithnessbirds #ukbirds #ukbirding #birds @caithnessbirds.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

Interesting Tystie at John O’Groats this morning. Odd plumage we don’t usually see at this time of year #CaithnessBirds

White-billed Diver - John O’Groats (Caithness) 25/5/26 #birdingscotland #caithnessbirds #ukbirds #ukbirding #birds @caithnessbirds.bsky.social @scottishbirding.bsky.social @btoscotland.bsky.social

American Wigeon still at St John’s Pool, few more Quail returned, ringtail Harrier sp at Freswick, and a ‘Black-billed’ Common Tern at Wester Loch today. Orcas around the coast again too #CaithnessBirds

Cracking American Wigeon at St John’s Pool this morning found by J. Smith #CaithnessBirds

Late Fieldfare at Freswick this morning, plus an arrival of Spotted Flycatchers, Grasshopper Warblers and Chiffchaffs #CaithnessBirds

Garganey at Loch of Mey this morning. Terrible photo but being just about annual, it was worth trying a photo #CaithnessBirds

Unbelievably stoked when these two beauties passed right overhead! @caithnessbirds.bsky.social A couple of futile trips to the coast here this week turned up little, so to have two inland long-tailed skua migrate N over me at Broubster was literally a fantasy come true! 👌 #birdingscotland

A sunny morning for my early @bbs-birds.bsky.social visit - lots of Skylark and Meadow Pipits as usual. Nice to have the Arctic Skuas back. #CaithnessBirds

Smart, dark mantled 'intermedius' looking Lesser Black-backed Gull at John O'Groats this morning with the 'graellsii's' #CaithnessBirds #PatchBirding

170 breeding plumage Dunlin in Dunnet Bay this afternoon (including a colour ringed bird), though just one non-breeding plumaged bird with a longer bill and chunkier body. Wonder where that one is off to! #CaithnessBirds

Male Marsh Harrier south through Nybster shortly followed by a couple of Hawfinches this afternoon #CaithnessBirds

Also a White-billed Diver at Loch Calder today #CaithnessBirds

Three Avocets at St John’s Pool briefly this morning #CaithnessBirds

Pallid Harrier chasing Meadow Pipits at Nybster this afternoon #CaithnessBirds

Purple Heron flew north past Nybster yesterday evening with a Grey Heron. First Swift and Bonxie of the year too. A Common Tern is back at St John’s Pool this morning #CaithnessBirds

Distant canditate for Black Kite picked up whilst on a long boring phone call in a Caithness layby last night... Pleased to have successfully tracked it down after hanging up 1hr later to confirm. Lovely views of it feeding in fields this morning @caithnessbirds.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social

Black Kite roosting at Brawlbin this evening #CaithnessBirds

First Wheatear was reported back in the county today at John O’Groats #CaithnessBirds

It’s the time of year to be out finding, recording and enjoying rare breeding birds, but it’s vital to put their welfare first. Here’s some advice from @markaeaton.bsky.social, and there’s a blog here tinyurl.com/RBBPsafe [1/2] youtu.be/5xXc9Dl7vwk?...

First Sand Martins of the year were at Nybster and Sinclair’s Bay today. Also Woodpigeons on the move north #CaithnessBirds

Great article featuring Caithness - East coast patches #CaithnessBirds

Still a few White-fronted Geese scattered through the county today. Lots of Pink-footed Geese new in and the first Lesser Black-backed Gulls are back #CaithnessBirds

Smart dark faced, white collared, and heavily streaked Merlin (presumably a 2cy) landed briefly at Nybster this morning #CaithnessBirds

Green-winged Teal at Loch of Wester, 2 Snow Buntings in Sinclair’s Bay and 2 Great White Egrets at Scarmclate today #CaithnessBirds

Looks like a Juv Kumlien’s Gull in Dunnet Bay this morning with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social #CaithnessBirds

White-billed Diver showing very well at Gill’s Bay this afternoon with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social Nice find by A. Branch #CaithnessBirds

Three Euro White-fronted Geese at Huna this afternoon. Nice #PWC2026 birds #CaithnessBirds

We are receiving increased reports of dead auks, including Puffins, particularly in North East Scotland. It's quick and easy to report any dead or sick birds you find through the 'Deceased bird' function on the home page of the BirdTrack app Photo: Puffin by Richard Selman / BTO #ukbirding

Third juvenile Iceland Gull from our house in two days. Today’s was a particularly dark individual #PWC2026 #CaithnessBirds

Green-winged Teal at St John’s Pool this morning, and two juvenile Iceland Gulls at Nybster #CaithnessBirds

GPS tracked Icelandic Greylag Goose movements tracker link below. Greylags ‘Alastair’ and ‘Willem’ are currently in Caithness arcgis.stofa.is/portal/apps/... #CaithnessBirds

6 Tundra Bean Geese at Huna, Water Pipit and Glaucous Gull in Dunnet Bay, Iceland Gull in Scrabster/Thurso today. Also a few Barnacle Geese are new in #CaithnessBirds

Juv Glaucous Gull still in Dunnet Bay and Juv Iceland Gull at Harrow Harbour today #CaithnessBirds

Water Pipit in Dunnet Dunes/outflow this weekend #CaithnessBirds

64 species on our 25 km cycle around NE Cairthness yesterday, with Great-spotted Woodpecker and Tree Sparrow good additions to the 10 km #PWC2026 list. The only photo I took was @rob-hughes-birder.bsky.social admiring his cake! #CaithnessBirds

A very enjoyable @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count at Dunnet Bay this morning with my first Glaucous Gulls of the year - plus a smart Water Pipit was a great bonus! #CaithnessBirds

Water Pipit (2nd Caithness record), 2 Glaucous Gulls and 3 Velvet Scoters in Dunnet Bay; 3 Taiga Bean Geese Loch Heilen/Greenland; 2 GW Egrets and 90+ Greenland WF Geese on Loch of Mey today #CaithnessBirds

Juv Iceland Gulls in Wick harbour and south past Nybster today. Also a Great White Egret still on St John’s Loch #CaithnessBirds

Juv Iceland Gull and three Little Gulls in Freswick Bay at lunchtime today #PWC2026 #CaithnessBirds

9 Snow Buntings and 2 Black-throated Divers at Nybster today #CaithnessBirds

After an absence last year, White-tailed Eagle flying past our house was a welcome #PWC2026 tick #CaithnessBirds with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social

Happy New Year and good luck to everyone who is out #birding, making a start to their #PWC2026 totals this morning! If you have not yet signed up then use this link to do so! - docs.google.com/spreadsheets... Remember to keep us updated on your finds by using the #Patchbirding and #PWC2026 tags!

Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free? The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.

Lone Waxwing in a private garden in Reay today #CaithnessBirds

The Taiga Bean Goose at Loch Heilen was ringed in E. Finland in July 2020. Usually wintering in S. Sweden, it was sighted in Norway (26th Sept) before Caithness. Full details can be found here submit.cr-birding.org/animals/1417... #CaithnessBirds

Particularly pale mantled Hooded Crow with our typically darker grey mantled local Hooded Crows (and Carrions) in Dunnet Bay over the weekend #CaithnessBirds

16 Taiga Bean Geese at Loch Heilen on my @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count today. One of which looks to have been neck collared in Finland! Will share its history when it comes through #CaithnessBirds

Adult Bonaparte’s Gull still in Dunnet Bay this afternoon plus Smew on Scarmclate and four Ring-necked Ducks on Watten yesterday #CaithnessBirds