Don't think I've ever had a white-tailed eagle too close to fit in the frame. There's a first for everything, I guess. Taken this morning at Loch Stiapabhat. . . . #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbirds #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

We've only ever seen one or two glaucous gulls, and never an adult, so we were very happy to connect with this one at Loch Stiapabhat this morning. . . . . #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbirds #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Went to look for dippers in Stornoway today, instead we came across a pair of bullfinches. Absolutely delighted, as we haven't seen bullfinches for ages. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbirds #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Don't want to say anything illegal, so I'll just leave this here uncommented. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

It’s now 2026. Are Nature Scot still going to allow a bunch of men to club baby Gannets to death on a remote Scottish island in the name of tradition?

T'was a lovely solstice birding Sunday at Bragar today. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Goldeneye on Loch Geal (Breacleit) this late afternoon. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Some lovely birds around these past few days. Esp. the snow bunting along the Pentland road was rather unexpected. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Stornoway Castle grounds was in the hands of goldcrests today, they were everywhere! #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

First time we've come across a bean goose without someone pointing it out to us. The orange legs stood out among the small group of pink-footed geese at Sandwick this morning. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Some more images of the interesting redwing from this morning. Remarkable bird. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

This was an interesting redwing this morning, never seen leucism so localized. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Taking a picture of a firecrest is hard! Chuffed to have one in our garden today. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

We get a blackcap in our garden maybe once a year, seeing two today was exceptional. I'm not sure how much they enjoyed the rosehips. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Garden birds from today. I'm very happy the bramblings are sticking around. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

From that perspective, the question is less, “Why are flights so cheap?” and more, “Who actually pays for them?” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

First brambling of the season in our garden today. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Interesting article: wadertales.wordpress.com/2025/10/18/r...

Cattle egret are still hanging around in Lionel. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Had deer left and right on my way out this morning, watched an otter at Loch Stiapabhat (along with the usual suspects), came across this grey phalarope at Bragar, and then a fly-by white-tailed eagle on the way home. Sunday birding at its finest.

Distant, but close enough to be sure it's our first osprey seen on the Hebrides. Seen today over Bernera.

Young male hen harrier today at Loch Stiapabhat. I love how the female-type plumage still shows here and there. #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird

Roughly 60 common dolphins versus two sooty shearwater. No contest, the sooty shearwaters made our day today crossing back to Stornoway.

These two "articles" in my Google feed this morning. I can only assume AI generated slop.

"Herds of sheep grazed intensively on upland pastures, tearing up vegetation and compacting the soil. The result was reduced water retention, collapsing topsoil and declining biodiversity." But this was Troy, 2400BC, when people had no clue what they were doing. theconversation.com/troys-fall-w...

Cutting grass with a scythe is pretty exhausting (for a geek),but seeing the family of stonechat feast on the glut of insects made accessible in the shorter grass made it more than worth it.

Bit of an unusual bird, this Knot at Bragar today. (What, on the other hand, was absolutely the usual as always was the dogwalkers with their out-of-control dogs, making sure them foreign ground-nesting birds go back where they came from.)

"Over the past decade, more than £32m has been paid to Dartmoor commoners through higher-level stewardship schemes – schemes that exist specifically to improve nature on sites that should be protected by law. Not one common has improved, and many have got worse." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It's remarkable what the UK is willing to accept when it comes to sheep. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Cross-posting as NFU Scotland don't seem to be on BlueSky

Most unexpected bird of WeBS count at Bragar this morning: two common swift. #birds #ukbirds #outerhebrides #isleoflewis

An angel tern for your weekend timeline. #birds #ukbirds #commontern

Did a BBS transect this morning on the moorland near Brèascleit, and virtually the first bird was this short-eared owl. Rather uncommon bird on Lewis

Just makes me livid. Nature being natural, farmers don't like it, and the only "solution" is to kill the wildlife. Definitely not an intelligent species. news.stv.tv/highlands-is...

We have a large, messy pile of wood, branches, twigs, cuttings etc. It's where the local sparrows and starlings hang out. Robins, wren and song thrush visit occasionally. I'm very happy that it's also deemed a safe place for the young stonechat. #nature #wildlife #birds #ukbird #isleoflewis

Absolutely gorgeous American golden plover at Bragar this morning. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Back from a weekend on South Uist, just a wonderful place. We enjoyed seeing plenty of short-eared owls, a few hen harriers, and even one rather unexpected marsh harrier. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #southuist #outerhebrides #birdsofscotland #ukbird

The Ness area is just lovely for a birding day out. #nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbird #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

Meet the Bragar gang.

Living in the Hebrides has made me appreciate blue tits way more than I used to. (This one taken this morning at Flachsee, Switzerland)

Bittern .. the master of camouflage. (Taken yesterday at Flachsee, Switzerland)

The lapwing are back in action at Loch Stiapabhat, such a welcome sight and sound.

Not all that many bird species on our walk around Hushinish yesterday, but it's quite something if the most common birds are sea eagles (eight of them above us), and the Iceland gull was a nice surprise.

The strangest paper coverd by WaderTales? Migratory behaviour of Icelandic Oystercatcher chicks is determined by Dad's behaviour. Mom is irrelevant. wadertales.wordpress.com/2021/02/02/o... Blog from 2 Feb 2021 🎂4️⃣ Research Veronica Méndez et al www.nature.com/articles/s41... #ornithology

Ticked the robin, but I must admit we didn't see any great blue tits, nor the .. well .. whatever that on the left is :) Anyone else had this image crop up on some news feed? I took part in the RSPB’s #BigGardenBirdWatch and counted 36 birds. bit.ly/3tgxjGS

Some good news, for a change. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Post-truth era meets PFAS. Lobbying in ‘forever chemicals’ industry is rife across Europe – the inside story of our investigation theconversation.com/lobbying-in-...

Covid booster brought back memories of face masks, social distancing and whatnot. Covid: it takes all of us Climate change: it would've taken all of us

Aline Woodland is a great place to get away from all the wildlife on the Hebrides. 2h walk, recorded 3 bird species and no mammals. Lovely landscape, though.