Before today, I had incredibly only seen two Little Auks in the UK (this despite hundreds of seawatching hours under my belt), therefore, the five I saw this morning at Tarbat Ness were most welcome. Two flew very close but I was too slow with the camera. #highlandbirding #birdingscotland

A superb 48-hr Highland bird race for @naturetrek.bsky.social resulted in 94 species seen, incl most of the Highland specialties, and some bonus birds too, with Snow Goose, Surf Scoter and Smew. Passerines were hard to find, thanks to this month’s freezing conditions! Pics by client, Steve Wilson.

It was great to finally catch up with the adult Bonaparte's Gull at Gairloch today. The third-winter Iceland Gull was also present, as were 47 Goldeneye and 12 Black-throated Divers. #highlandbirds #birdingscotland

Photos below, bar the night heron, taken by @emilyrichens.bsky.social. The trip kindly put together by Ashley Howe, using the services of Pugmark Tours & Travels, the go-to agent for seeking out the Masked Finfoot.

Back home this morning from a seven-day birding trip to Bangladesh, where the undoubted highlights came from the Sundarbans. Only nine lifers for me this trip, but these do include the doomed Masked Finfoot and range-restricted White-eared Night Heron! #BirdsSeenin2026 #birdingabroad

Bangladesh Day 3: Mission accomplished on our first attempt in the Sundarbans, with two Masked Finfoot, one showing particularly well! Such a privilege to observe this doomed species. #BirdsSeenin2026

Bangladesh: our first full day in country at Satchari NP was highlighted by two stunning primates, the Hoolock Gibbon and Capped Langur! Close to 60 sp of bird with Cachar Bulbul being the rarest of the four lifers achieved.

Six Waxwings in Inverness this afternoon. Feeling slightly lucky to have a group nearby, considering how few are wintering this season. #birdingscotland

Snow is getting a tad tedious now, but at least the Mountain Hares maintain their ‘can’t be seen’ stance, by posing at point blank range.

Good to see the Russian White-fronted Goose invasion has reached Highland, with a whopping total of one! A cracking adult though and a scarce bird tup this way. #birdingscotland

Work sadly abandoned due to much snow on site, therefore, it was back to Dornoch where @emilyrichens.bsky.social and I amazingly re-found the drk Black Scoter (last seen 19 December)! Ten other species of duck also present. #birdingscotland

One of the perks of hiking for work through three feet of Snow!

World birding has been limited this year, but the h'light for me were the Sooty Albatross in the southern oceans. Closer to home, re-finding the White-throated Needletail, almost daily Golden Eagle action, finding new Azure Hawker sites, Shetland rares and running Munros were other treats! HNY!

It’s all go in Highland currently. This delightfully dinky Ross’s Goose was only 15 minutes from home this morning. Great to have seen both Snow (self-found) & Ross’s in quick succession. #BirdingScotland

Today, after ascending Stac Pollaidh in perfect conditions, it was back for more of the Humpback Whale in Loch Broom. Really nice views from the Rhue Lighthouse road. @emilyrichens.bsky.social

Whilst running up towards Beinn Dearg yesterday, I spotted these Golden Eagles circling in front of the aforementioned Munro. They slowly came towards me, clearly noticing a man in trouble, before heading off to a nearby ridge. #birdingscotland

Lovely to see the Ullapool Humpback Whale this afternoon after a failed Munro run up Beinn Dearg due to unexpected weather.

A trip out to Gairloch failed to produce any white-wingers, but eight Black-throated Divers were offshore with a few Great Northerns, while a Peacock butterfly proved to be the biggest surprise on the beach. #birdingscotland

Dornoch Beach was superb yesterday alongside @emilyrichens.bsky.social Despite a no show of the Black Scoter, offshore held plentiful birds with the King Eider, two Surf & four Velvet Scoters, 10 Scaup, stacks of Long-tailed Ducks, plus some Twite and Snow Buntings over too. #birdingscotland

Last week, Emily and I spent five days close to Guarda, Portugal. From our base, we were able to visit a few National Parks. Most notable was the Parque Natural da Sella da Estrela where this Alpine Accentor obliged, amongst some quite peculiar geological features. #birdingabroad

Sat at work earlier in deepest, darkest Highland roughly 15 miles inland, out of nowhere a passerine flew past, landed in some heather next to me, and soon gave itself away as a pristine Siberian Chiffchaff! Shortly after four Snow Buntings flew over. #BirdingScotland

With ears finely tuned while shopping in Inverness today with @emilyrichens.bsky.social, it was a joy to hear and then see a Waxwing fly over. Hopefully not the last of the winter! #birdingscotland

I recently reacquainted myself with a 'lost' memory card, and hidden in amongst were these Short-toed Eagle photos taken on Ashdown Forest (East Sussex). Of the 330 species I saw in the county before moving to the Highlands, this was the stand-out bird by far!

My take on today’s White-throated Needletail off Helmsdale with @emilyrichens.bsky.social : seafordbirding.blogspot.com/2025/10/whit... #BirdingScotland

Operation Needletail turned into Needletail success after only 15 minutes in the field! Plucked on Helmsdale as a likely location and at 0740 the White-throated Needletail was spotted by @emilyrichens.bsky.social and spent 9-mins with us before heading south! BOOM #BirdingScotland

Now back from Shetland and on the train between Inverness and Beauly I spotted a Snow Goose in with the pinkies. Due to viewing difficulties around Kirkhill, it took me a while to re-locate, but eventually did. 40 Barnacles also here too. #BirdingScotland

Our final full day ended with watching the Siberian Thrush all to ourselves. Other bits today included 20+ Storm Petrels heading out of Muckle Roe, a Snow Bunting, a few Yellow-broweds and a Pec Sand. #BirdingShetland

No vehicle as Steve went off for the Sibe Thrush, so I hiked from Ronas Voe to Urafirth via a few sites and struck gold at the latter by flushing an elusive Rustic Bunting. My Corncrake was again in its quarry, and the day ended with a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Esha Ness geo. #BirdingShetland

Two days in the north of Shetland and steadily trickling along in far from ideal conditions with Rosefinch and Corncrake the best finds so far, plenty of Yellow-broweds still to be found and a superb Otter. A Tree Pipit skulking in long grass today was the biggest disappointment! #BirdingShetland

A walk up Tom A Choinnich (Glen Affric) with @emilyrichens.bsky.social & Tommy Saunders gave stunning panoramic views, 15 Ptarmigans, 3 Ring Ouzels and most surprisingly, 3 Twite. Superb! Lots of bird ringing in our garden today too 😄. #BirdingScotland

Here’s 30, from over 4,000 Pink-footed Geese which fought their way SSE during a six-hour stint today near Lairg. How a gale force westerly is conducive for migration I’ll never know. #BirdingScotland

Making the most of a day off, today I ventured NW to Balnakeil. A top morning with a Barred Warbler being the notable find, but other migrants/mustelids comprised two Hawfinches, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, both Otter and Stoat, and five were Ruff nearby. A top site!! #BirdingScotland

Tarbat Ness: a later than normal visit with Nan was better than expected, with a Whinchat and Swift present, but a flock of 17 Coal Tits ‘high-flying’ out to sea was a cracking sight! Lots of Painted Ladies too. #BirdingScotland

Two weeks tomorrow until the Loch Ness Marathon. Having done it twice before, I’ll be running alongside the fiancee this time to support her in aid of her chosen charity (Mountain Rescue). Training has gone smoothly and now it’s time to tackle the beast!

2 weeks to go!! Very touched by the immense support given already by friends & family. Very much looking forward to it, no doubt my biggest challenge yet, and hopefully I do you all proud! 🥰 @matt-eade24.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/emilyri...

A brilliant 5.5hr seawatch today from my now beloved Portgower site. The moderate ESE winds delivered with two Cory's Shearwaters, 4 Great Shearwaters, 97 Sooty Shearwaters and 11 Arctic Skuas. Some of the large shears were very close inshore. #BirdingScotland

A female 'Highland' Darter seen yesterday up near Lairg. Still a few Common Hawkers about, but the Highland Odonata season is slowly coming to a close now. @dragonflydamselfly.bsky.social

Udale Bay was alive with birds this morning. No hoped for Curlew Sands, but five Ruddy Shelduck, ca. 25 Scaup, three Slav Grebes, a Black-tailed Godwit amongst throngs of other species. #BirdingScotland

I think someone ‘hibernated’ for too long! Odd to hear him ‘bubbling’ and showing off to a nearby female in September. #BirdingScotland

Conditions looked OK so I opted for a seawatch up near Helmsdale. Unfortunately only 4 Sooty S’waters, 27 Manx S’waters, a Puffin, a Great Northern Diver and 7 Whimbrel noted in six hours, but a ‘Goliath’ form of Basking Shark was the highlight… absolutely huge! #BirdingScotland

A 15 mile run up and over Ben Wyvis (1046m) this morning was highlighted by a superb juv Dotterel. Sadly I was too sweaty and breathless to find it on the deck, so two lovely and close flight views was all I could muster… I’ve missed that purring call! #BirdingScotland

Yesterday, walking a 2km stretch of stream which runs through a remote bog moorland up near Caithness, I counted no fewer than 99 Black Darters. Never witnessed such excellent numbers before! @dragonflydamselfly.bsky.social #ScottishDragonflies

A jaunt on the Ullapool to Stornoway Ferry with @emilyrichens.bsky.social & Matt Broadbent was a great day out, only if the standard fare was seen: ca. 30 Sooty S’waters, 1 Leach’s Petrel, ca. 35 Storm-Petrels, lots of Bonxies & 10 Arctic Skuas, & many Minke Whales. #BirdingScotland

A top day hiking 14 miles in the Glen Affric range, with Ptarmigan being the commonest bird (22 seen)! Other than that, amazing views once the cloud had lifted. #BirdingScotland

This Water Shrew was found dead this morning, apparently succumbing to carrying a blade of grass across a trail as it was firmly gripping such when I moved it… poor lad! #UKMammals

Azure Hawkers are still roaming the remote boggy moorlands, this male today, not too far away from Glen Affric! @dragonflydamselfly.bsky.social #UKDragonflies

A Plain Clay was the highlight from last night’s trap, this being classed as Nationally Scarce B. Lots of the attractive Antler Moths too. Beauly, Scotland! #UKMoths

Scotch Argus are now out in good numbers, this individual near Garve this morning. #UKButterflies

Had a bit of time yesterday afternoon to visit Tarbat Ness for a seawatch. Not much happening, but a close Bonxie, Puffins & Arctic Terns were nice and around the walls were some robust Frog Orchids. #BirdingScotland

Two Lempke’s Gold Spot were this morning’s highlight from Beauly, amongst a huge catch in our MV! #UKMoths #TeamMoth @emilyrichens.bsky.social