Non-native Gunnera, Isle of Barra. From 1 plant in the late 90s to 700+ today, this wannabe Triffid is thriving in the damp peaty soil but shading out native flora including rare Irish Lady's Tresses. There's talk of an eradication scheme; it can't come soon enough. #InvasivePlants #wildflowerhour

Painted Lady taking a rest at Eoligarry jetty this afternoon, one of dozens of these freshly arrived migrant butterflies around Barra and Vatersay today.

A lovely brood of Red-breasted Mergansers out and about on Barra today: the first chicks we've seen this season, with hopefully more to come. #birdingscotland

Whinchats don't often nest on Barra, in fact the most recent territorial bird that I'm aware of was in 2022. Pleasing therefore to have 2 pairs breeding this year in close proximity to each other. #birdingscotland

It's been a very poor spring for Spotted Flycatchers on Barra with far fewer birds than usual, but despite this a pair have established a territory and look set to breed, something that only occurs once every 4-5 years here. #birdingscotland

Juvenile Wheatear from the class of '26: one of many out and about on the hillsides of Vatersay this afternoon. #birdingscotland

The Cuckoos are still in fine voice on Barra this evening but the season's passing all too quickly and there's only a fortnight until the adult depart. #birdingscotland

Always a good bird to find on Barra, this female Red-backed Shrike livened up our visit to Nask this morning. #birdingscotland

Mistle Thrush has never been more than a scarce migrant on Barra, most records occurring in March and Oct/Nov. We were surprised therefore to find a breeding pair in a pocket of conifers high up a hillside today. A new breeding species for Barra. #birdingscotland

This Common Sandpiper has been hanging around in front of our house an awful lot just lately, calling frequently. We're fully expecting to hear the patter of tiny sandpiper feet before long! #birdingscotland

Better late than never, our first Spotted Flycatcher of the year on Barra. Truth be told though, as lovely as flycatchers are, this was poor consolation for missing Barra's first ever Red-rumped Swallow at Traigh Mhor this morning, an outstandingly good find by James Heal!

After a quiet spell, some new migrants on Barra today, best of which was a Golden Oriole at Nask. Just about annual here, mostly in late spring, today's bird was typically elusive and only seen briefly in flight. This Grasshopper Warbler nearby showed a whole lot better. #birdingscotland

This spell of strong north-westerly winds has so far failed to bring any Long-tailed Skuas our way, but it did bring this Grey Nickar in to Vatersay, the first sea bean we've found in months and one that's drifted 4000 miles or more since falling from its parent plant in the Caribbean. #beachcombing

It seems to be another excellent year for Sedge Warblers on Barra with birds belting out song wherever we go. Our highlight today though was a Hobby flying south past Brevig, a barely annual species here. #birdingscotland

Last summer a rogue Oystercatcher on Barra developed a strange infatuation with cars, especially those in Oystercatcher colours. Got back to our car today to find it's up to its old tricks again... #birdingscotland

After 2 days of hide-and-seek around the bushes, the Castlebay Hawfinch discovered the dandelion seed heads on the football pitch and was showing well as it chomped its way through them this morning. #birdingscotland

A typically elusive and flighty Hawfinch was at Castlebay for its 2nd day. This is the 50th Hawfinch I've had on Barra/Vatersay since 2015 and I fully expect a few more before May is out! #birdingscotland

Painted Ladies have been appearing on Barra in the past 3 days, only very low numbers still, the forerunners of a likely invasion that's coming our way this summer. A Hawfinch at Castlebay today was our first this year. #birdingscotland

Great Northern Diver close to full summer plumage, one of several hundred on the sea around Barra and Vatersay at present. #birdingscotland

Birding at Ardmhor this morning when a short almost Siskin-like call got my attention. A moment later the bird started singing and my heart rate went through the roof! My second Iberian Chiffchaff on Barra. #birdingscotland

An obvious increase in Whimbrel on Barra today including a noisy flock of 40 with a Bar-tailed Godwit in tow around Allasdale first thing. #birdingscotland

Lesser Twayblade: my first orchid of the year, in full bloom on Barra today, typically tucked away under the heather on a bed of moss. @ukorchids.bsky.social

Pink-footed Geese on the move over Barra today, picked up in the scope as a tiny black line wriggling on the horizon, miles out to sea. They kept coming, 5 minutes later passing over our house locked on a north-westerly bearing. Corncrake and Sedge Warbler were both new in today. #birdingscotland

The Corncrakes are back! It was the first bird I heard when I stepped out the door this morning and we heard several more around Barra during the day. Here's one from our back garden in 2020. #birdingscotland

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