It's been a wet and breezy day on Barra but signs of spring are getting stronger. Our first migrant Whooper Swans and Lesser Black-backed Gulls arriving from the south, Oystercatchers everywhere and Ringed Plovers busy displaying on the beach. #birdingscotland

Slightly milder conditions over the weekend encouraged the Firecrest we last saw in November to resurface again in the same spot at Nask. Of the 7 Barra records this is the first one to over-winter here. Maybe the shape of things to come... #birdingscotland

Greenshank on a raft of seaweed, one of around 8 wintering on Barra this year. Not long now until they leave here for the breeding season. #birdingscotland

***SBRC BIRDERS CONFERENCE*** you’ve got until Thursday to register for the free online birders conference which starts next week. For full details of talks check out the SOC website: the-soc.org.uk/pages/sbrc-onl…

Finding more dead seabirds than usual on east facing Barra/Vatersay beaches in the past week, perhaps due to prolonged poor weather. Puffins in particular seem to be taking a big hit with 15 corpses on the small sections of coast we've checked. All reported to Birdtrack and Defra. #birdingscotland

Glorious sunny, calm conditions at Eoligarry this morning. 6 Snow Buntings were foraging on the beach, the Surf Scoter and Velvet Scoter were offshore along with 3 Slavonian Grebes. Oystercatcher numbers are increasing around the island; the first sign of spring migration here. #birdingscotland

Birding around Ardmhor this afternoon. On one side of the road the wintering drake Green-winged Teal was still down in the creek, on the other side the young drake Surf Scoter was visible distantly in the Sound of Barra alongside a young Velvet Scoter. #birdingscotland

A couple of White-tails perched near the road, gazing out to sea yesterday. Good to be back home on Barra after a couple of weeks away. #birdingscotland

A couple of hours in the field today produced the two wintering Surf Scoters (1 Vatersay Bay, 1 distantly off Ardmhor) plus an adult Glaucous Gull at Borve and a Grey Wagtail still surviving the winter at Brevig. #birdingscotland

A grubby Glaucous Gull at Traigh Mhor this afternoon. I dread to think what it's been feeding on to get in that state, though extra mature seal carcasses are a firm favourite for this species on Barra. #birdingscotland

A dusky juvenile Iceland Gull on Vatersay today was our first in almost a year. An hour later we picked up a second juv in more advanced plumage nearby. Coming just 2 days after the Glaucous Gull, it's starting to look like a better winter here for white-wingers. #birdingscotland

A lone Tree Sparrow in a sparrow flock foraging for seeds among the hay at Eoligarry today. Only the second time I've recorded Tree Sparrow wintering on Barra in the past ten years. #birdingscotland

Brief flight views of a Little Auk in Vatersay Bay today, our 1st live one in a while after picking up 4 dead on the shore in the past month. While trying to relocate it, a juv Surf Scoter appeared in the bay, perhaps the same bird we had off West Beach from 17-22 Oct. #birdingscotland

White-wingers have been few and far between here for the past 3 winters, in fact I only saw 1 Glaucous Gull in 2025. Pleasing therefore to find a big adult Glauc on West Beach, Vatersay this afternoon. #birdingscotland

Some excellent Barra scarcities in recent days to get the year list going: wintering Coal Tit that arrived in October still hanging out with 2 Treecreepers at Northbay, a dozen Long-tailed Tits around the island, a Tree Sparrow around Eoligarry and a Rook at Ardveenish. #birdingscotland

The east side of Barra looking beautiful in the snow today. Our highlight was a pod of at least 3 Orca heading south offshore this afternoon, our second sighting in just over a week.

Not sure what's going on with Common Dolphins, but in the past few days there have been far more than usual around Barra and Vatersay and some far much closer to shore than we normally see them, including a small pod in the harbour at Ardveenish today. #cetaceans

I recorded 180 species of birds on Barra/Vatersay in '25. Personal highlights: Eastern Bonelli's Wblr, Collared Fly, Blackpoll, Bufflehead, Franklin's Gull, 3 Surf Scoters, AGP, 2 RB Fly, 42 Cory's, 14 Great Shears all self found on patch. HNY and good birding to all in '26. #birdingscotland

Merlin soaking up the winter sun on Barra today. #birdingscotland #birds

Some folk get squirrels at the end of their garden, some get foxes. Here on Barra this afternoon we had 4, possibly 5 Orcas from ours, heading slowly south in the winter haze a couple of miles offshore. An awesome sight despite the range.

A Boxing Day romp of Otters on Vatersay. After a couple of lean years, their numbers seem to have recovered in 2025.

Woodcock pottering about in the road at Scurrival today: numbers on Barra have been lower than usual so far this season, but maybe they'll pick up if we get a cold spell. #birdingscotland #birds

A mega beachcombing find on Vatersay yesterday: a PRICKLY PALM seed from the West Indies, only the 13th record for NW Europe. Coincidentally, the 1st and 2nd records were both from Barra in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. #beachcombing

Pleased to get news that the colour-ringed Bar-tailed Godwit I saw on Barra last Friday was ringed on the Dutch island of Griend in Nov '24 and seen there again in August. This is the first Barwit from this scheme to be seen in the Outer Hebrides. #birdingscotland

More cool beachcombing finds on Vatersay today including several Phronima, famously said to be the inspiration for the creature in the Ridley Scott movie "Alien". #beachcombing

Rare beachcombing find on Vatersay today, a Starnut Palm seed, a truly tropical long-distance drifter. Said to be rare this side of the Atlantic, this is rather jammily the 4th we've found here. #Beachcombing

Snow Bunting at Eoligarry today, one of six inching their way along the strandline at their regular Barra wintering site. #birdingscotland

Merlin sitting tight with prey at Borve today. These fabulous little falcons are a daily feature on Barra at this time of year. #birdingscotland #birds

This Grey Wagtail has been loitering in front of our house lately, one of two birds that appear to be wintering on Barra this year. We've only had one previous wintering record on the island. #birdingscotland

We found our first Grey Nickar Nut on Barra in Feb '22 and thought it was a mega rare beachcombing find, but now we've got our eye in it's become one of our most frequently found sea beans. Today is the first time we've found 3 though! #Beachcombing

The Surf Scoter was still in the Sound of Barra today, back at Eoligarry where we first found it on 10th November, after a week off Ardmhor. Hopefully it'll stick around over the winter. #birdingscotland

A rather wet and bedraggled Merlin on Vatersay today. Despite the dire weather, this bird was still up for the chase, as a Redwing found out a moment after I took this photo! #BirdingScotland #Birds

Mediterranean Gull at Traigh Mhor today. Still a scarce visitor to the Outer Hebrides, this was the 5th to be seen on Barra this year: the most there has been in one year. #BirdingScotland

At least 6 Long-tailed Tits at Ardmhor today, already 5 weeks into their stay on Barra and looking likely to stick around over winter. These autumn influxes seem to be increasing and it's perhaps just a matter of time until they become resident here. #BirdingScotland

It's nearly 18 yrs since I found a Franklin's Gull at Torr Res, Somerset. Back then I spent 100s/hrs yearly scanning gulls at the res, landfill and fields. Today's Vatersay bird was easier, landing on the road in front of us as we headed for the beach...to go check the gulls. #BirdingScotland

Just when we thought autumn was done, birding would be quieter and that was that, this vision of larid loveliness landed in the road in front of us! A cracking adult Franklin's Gull, the first record for Vatersay. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

A handsome drake Goldeneye on Loch an Duin today; we only get 2-3 on Barra most years, November being the peak month. Also, after a few days' absence from Eoligarry, I relocated the Surf Scoter round the corner at Ardmhor today. Maybe it'll winter here! #BirdingScotland

Wintering flocks of Long-tailed Ducks off Barra seem a little later in building up this year; there were c80 off Allasdale today. Our unexpected highlight of the day was 2 Grey Phalaropes struggling into a northerly gale past Brevig late afternoon. #BirdingScotland

Lovely view of this Hen Harrier perched beside the road this morning. Late autumn is a great time to see these fabulous birds on Barra: we've had 5-6 sightings most days lately. #BirdingScotland

The Firecrest popped up at Nask again today, our first sighting for a few days. With plenty of cover, fair chance it may overwinter on Barra. Also today Surf Scoter still off Eoligarry, Siberian Chiffchaff at Castlebay and Scaup on L.Tangasdale. #BirdingScotland #Birds

More birds on the move over Barra today including these Greenland White-fronted Geese coming in off the sea and pressing on to the south at Cleat plus 15 Snow Buntings heading north past Brevig, my first house tick (153) in over a year. #BirdingScotland

Picked up as a speck in the scope heading north over the sea 2 miles west of Barra this afternoon, this family of Whooper Swans struggled to make progress into the strong headwind, deciding after 20 minutes to come in and ride out the weather in the bay below Grean Head. #BirdingScotland

Bumped into our 3rd Surf Scoter of the year at Eoligarry today: for context, we've only had 2 others in the preceding decade. Also today the adult Little Gull was still at Eoligarry and the Firecrest remained at Nask. #BirdingScotland

First dry day in a while, unseasonably mild and an increase in migrants on Barra. As well as the Firecrest, 1 possibly 2 Siberian Chiffchaffs, double figures of Blackcaps, 4+ Woodcock, 2 Grey Wagtail and hundreds of Redwings around the island. Autumn's not over yet! #BirdingScotland

Kathy found this lovely showy Firecrest at Nask this morning, only the 7th Barra record with most occurring in late autumn. One of my favourite birds. #BirdingScotland #Birds

A 3 second flight view of a small duck flying over Morghan this morning set alarm bells ringing. 90 minutes of frantic searching ended when I found Barra's 1st BUFFLEHEAD on a tiny loch in the Dark Glen. Unringed and flighty, it flew off west at 12.12pm. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

The returning drake Green-winged Teal was taking a seaweed bath at Ardmhor this morning, its 6th winter on Barra. It probably won't go far between now and March. #BirdingScotland

Siberian Chiffchaff giving point-blank views at Castlebay again today, one of my favourite late autumn migrants on Barra. #BirdingScotland

Wild overnight weather grounded 5 Greenland White-fronted Geese at Eoligarry and at least 70 Whooper Swans around Barra. A Puffin standing in the road by the airport was a surprise, but the lingering Siberian Chiffchaff at Castlebay was less unexpected. #BirdingScotland

A nice little arrival of migrants on Barra today including another Red-breasted Flycatcher at Creachan plus our first Siberian Chiffchaff of the autumn at Castlebay along with a Waxwing and a Rook! #BirdingScotland