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

Surprised to see 2 Sandwich Terns at Eoligarry today, the latest I've seen this species on Barra by some margin. #BirdingScotland

Bang on cue Barra's first Waxwing of the autumn dropped in at Nask this morning. Hopefully more of these to come. #BirdingScotland

Good to see the regular wintering Little Gull at Traigh Mhor for the past few days, back for its 4th successive winter around the Sound of Barra. #BirdingScotland

A Triggerfish washed up on the west coast of Barra today, a new species for me. They're occurring more frequently off the west coast of Scotland as their range expands northwards with warming oceans. #Beachcombing

The Surf Scoter was still hanging out with 5 Common Scoters off Vatersay today and looking settled. Another pulse of Whooper Swans pushed south over Barra this morning and at least 10 Long-tailed Tits spread over 3 sites were our highlights of the day. #BirdingScotland

A thoroughly wet morning on Barra brightened considerably on seeing this Curlew Sandpiper at Cleat. Despite exceptionally good numbers of them on neighbouring islands this is only the second we've had this autumn on Barra, where it remains a very scarce visitor. #BirdingScotland

We've seen more Common Scoters around than usual this autumn including a flock of 5 lingering off West Beach, Vatersay. A cursory scan today revealed a 6th bird with a chunkier head and bill: a young Surf Scoter, the second we've found on Vatersay this year. #BirdingScotland

Another shot of today's Blackpoll on Barra. We were watching a Lesser Whitethroat when a big pair of wing-bars appeared in the same bush! 10 minutes of shock and awe followed as it bounced about the garden. Then it was gone with no further sign by late pm. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

The Bird Gods smiled on us today. Delighted to find Barra's first Blackpoll Warbler at Bruernish late morning. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

A great day's birding on Barra today. A couple of Red-breasted Flycatchers, a Red-backed Shrike, Tree Pipit, Lesser Whitethroat, first Bramblings of the autumn and influxes of Fieldfares, Crossbills and Chaffinches. #BirdingScotland

We were starting to doubt they actually existed, but after years of looking for them, today we finally found our first Columbus Crab hiding among Goose Barnacles on a marker buoy washed ashore on Vatersay. #Beachcombing

After a quiet couple of weeks migrant-wise, this morning's Red-breasted Flycatcher beside the pitch at Castlebay was a very welcome sight. The 4th species of flycatcher we've found on Barra so far this year... #BirdingScotland #Birds

Hot on the heals of last week's Coconut, another transatlantic vagrant drift seed on Barra today, a Grey Nickarnut, the seed of a Caribbean leguminous shrub. #Beachcombing

Coal Tit at Northbay today, our first on Barra for nearly 2 years and the rarest bird on the island so far this week! #BirdingScotland

Congratulations to all involved in finding the White-throated Needletail in Yorkshire today. It brings back memories of 2 adrenaline-filled hours on Barra in June 2017. Still the best bird on the British List in my opinion. #BirdingScotland