Migrant waders much in evidence on Barra today including our first Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits and Whimbrels of the year, a flock of 78 Redshanks that departed to the north-west and hundreds of Golden Plovers on the machair. #birdingscotland

Present since October, Barra's wintering flocks of Barnacle Geese are still present, but surely heading off over the north-west horizon any day now. Summer migrants continue to arrive with the season's first Common Tern yesterday and Great Skua today. #birdingscotland

Our first Short-necked Oil Beetles of the season freshly emerged on Barra today. Barely a centimetre in length at present, they'll grow quickly, the abdomen swelling out as they chomp through buttercup leaves. Last year was an excellent one for the species here; hoping for a repeat this time.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese were on the move over Barra today including this flock heading north at speed over our house in lousy weather. #birdingscotland

More migrants arriving on Barra and Vatersay today including our first Willow Warblers, Sand Martins and Little Tern of the year, plus a few familiar faces still in situ, namely the 2 wintering Surf Scoters and the Velvet Scoter. #birdingscotland

It's been another Redwing day on Barra with around 1500 on the island, ready to set off on the 800 mile flight to Iceland. This is the avian version of waiting in the departure lounge. #birdingscotland

Swallows have made it back to Barra. Our first 2 of the spring were a welcome sight at Brevig this afternoon. Also our first big pulse of Icelandic Redwings were scattered around the island, easily 1000 or more birds. #birdingscotland

15 summer plumaged Black-throated Divers still lingering off Vatersay today and very nice they looked too! Also the Surf Scoter still off Vatersay, Velvet Scoter in the Sound of Barra and a few more flocks of Whooper Swans passing over. #birdingscotland

Whooper Swans migrating north past Barra today once the rain cleared. 260 grounded Black-headed Gulls, a high count for the island, also departed northwards when the weather improved and 4 Fieldfares were new in. #birdingscotland

A female Belted Beauty moth on Barra today in a typical location: a foot above the ground on the sunny side of a fence post on the machair. #teammoth

Despite the battering north-westerly winds, a few summer migrants are still reaching Barra, including our first Sandwich Tern of the year feeding among the Black-headed Gulls off Eoligarry this morning. #birdingscotland

161 days into its stay, the Vatersay Surf Scoter showing better than ever today. #birdingscotland

The drake Green-winged Teal was still in the creek at Ardmhor this afternoon, fast asleep as usual, must still be on a different time zone! It's not moved more than 200 metres from here all winter. #birdingscotland

A wet and windy day on Barra produced a surprise Ring Ouzel, only my 3rd spring record here and my earliest by some margin. The only other migrant and rather more showy than the Ringo was this soggy Blackcap which spent most of its+ time feeding on the ground. #birdingscotland

Migrant Whooper Swans taking a break on Barra today. 91 birds in 3 flocks dropped in during a 10 minute period just ahead of a band of showers in the early afternoon. #birdingscotland

My first Belted Beauty moth of the spring on Vatersay today. #teammoth

A decent migrant arrival on a lovely spring day. Our first Wheatears of the year were back on their territories on Vatersay along with heaps of Skylarks, the first Blackcaps of the year were on Barra and migrant Goldcrests were in all sorts of odd places. #birdingscotland

First winter female Surf Scoter still hanging around with the buoys in Vatersay Bay today. #birdingscotland

A lovely summer plumaged Black-throated Diver off Vatersay today, one of 8 feeding close to the shore. Not long now until these birds head off to breed perhaps in the Highlands or further up the island chain. #birdingscotland

Another Coal Tit on Barra today, this time at Ardmhor. Not a hint of yellow on this one's cheeks, so most probably a different individual to the one in our garden a couple of days ago. There must be a few on the move at present. #birdingscotland

Hanging out the washing this morning when a migrant Coal Tit started singing in the neighbour's tree. Washing dropped, bins and camera grabbed and our house list increased by one! Coal Tits are less than annual on Barra. House list now stands at 154 species. #birdingscotland

The Bonaparte's Gull continues its tour of Barra, checking out the famous airport beach this afternoon. The day also produced our first Mistle Thrush and Redpoll of the year plus an obvious influx of Black-headed Gulls. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

Day 3 for the Bonaparte's Gull on Barra. It's very much a loner, shunning local foraging flocks of gulls but continuing to give incredible close views from time to time. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

A Merlin looking for its next meal from a chimney on rainy Vatersay this afternoon. #birdingscotland

The Bonaparte's Gull was still roaming around the west side of Barra today, again often foraging along or near to the road. Also the Surf Scoter was still in Vatersay Bay and the Velvet Scoter was still off Ardmhor. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

Just like the Franklin's in November, today's Bonaparte's Gull on Barra seemed a bit too keen to spend time in the road, causing a few heart-stopping moments when cars passed. Here's a shot through our windscreen as it dropped in front of us briefly at Allasdale. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

A dinky gull feeding near the road at Borve had us doing an emergency stop this morning: a fabulous adult Bonaparte's Gull giving incredible views. Only the second record for Barra and my third self-found. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

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