Matt Eade

Now back from Shetland and on the train between Inverness and Beauly I spotted a Snow Goose in with the pinkies. Due to viewing difficulties around Kirkhill, it took me a while to re-locate, but eventually did. 40 Barnacles also here too. #BirdingScotland

A phone-binned shot of the Sibe Thrush

Our final full day ended with watching the Siberian Thrush all to ourselves. Other bits today included 20+ Storm Petrels heading out of Muckle Roe, a Snow Bunting, a few Yellow-broweds and a Pec Sand. #BirdingShetland

Absolutely Dougie. Plenty to be found still.

Rustic Bunting at Urafirth

Twite at Heylor

Whinchat at Heylor

Esha Ness geo which today hosted a Red-breasted Flycatcher

No vehicle as Steve went off for the Sibe Thrush, so I hiked from Ronas Voe to Urafirth via a few sites and struck gold at the latter by flushing an elusive Rustic Bunting. My Corncrake was again in its quarry, and the day ended with a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the Esha Ness geo. #BirdingShetland

… and here is the Otter, first spotted up the beach being kicked out of the surf by a Grey Seal, it ran along the beach and perched just below us, where Steve Wilson was able to get these awesome pics before it smelt our presence! #otters #birdingshetland

Common Rosefinch

Glossy Ibis

Tree Pipit

Siberian Chiffchaff

Two days in the north of Shetland and steadily trickling along in far from ideal conditions with Rosefinch and Corncrake the best finds so far, plenty of Yellow-broweds still to be found and a superb Otter. A Tree Pipit skulking in long grass today was the biggest disappointment! #BirdingShetland

Nice one, Pete. Thought you guys were going to bad a White-faced, but I guess 90+ Band-rumps will suffice 😁

A walk up Tom A Choinnich (Glen Affric) with @emilyrichens.bsky.social & Tommy Saunders gave stunning panoramic views, 15 Ptarmigans, 3 Ring Ouzels and most surprisingly, 3 Twite. Superb! Lots of bird ringing in our garden today too 😄. #BirdingScotland

Here’s 30, from over 4,000 Pink-footed Geese which fought their way SSE during a six-hour stint today near Lairg. How a gale force westerly is conducive for migration I’ll never know. #BirdingScotland

Barred Warbler - an incredibly secretive individual

Hawfinch

Balnakeil Village

Stoat

Making the most of a day off, today I ventured NW to Balnakeil. A top morning with a Barred Warbler being the notable find, but other migrants/mustelids comprised two Hawfinches, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, both Otter and Stoat, and five were Ruff nearby. A top site!! #BirdingScotland

Whinchat

Common Swift

Painted Lady

Tarbat Ness: a later than normal visit with Nan was better than expected, with a Whinchat and Swift present, but a flock of 17 Coal Tits ‘high-flying’ out to sea was a cracking sight! Lots of Painted Ladies too. #BirdingScotland

Two weeks tomorrow until the Loch Ness Marathon. Having done it twice before, I’ll be running alongside the fiancee this time to support her in aid of her chosen charity (Mountain Rescue). Training has gone smoothly and now it’s time to tackle the beast!

Emily's fundraiser for Scottish Mountain Rescue Help Emily Richens raise money to support Scottish Mountain Rescue

2 weeks to go!! Very touched by the immense support given already by friends & family. Very much looking forward to it, no doubt my biggest challenge yet, and hopefully I do you all proud! 🥰
@matt-eade24.bsky.social

www.justgiving.com/page/emilyri...

And here is one of the close Cory’s. #BirdingScotland

Great Shearwater

A brilliant 5.5hr seawatch today from my now beloved Portgower site. The moderate ESE winds delivered with two Cory's Shearwaters, 4 Great Shearwaters, 97 Sooty Shearwaters and 11 Arctic Skuas. Some of the large shears were very close inshore. #BirdingScotland

A female 'Highland' Darter seen yesterday up near Lairg. Still a few Common Hawkers about, but the Highland Odonata season is slowly coming to a close now. @dragonflydamselfly.bsky.social

Ruddy Shelduck

Osprey

Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit

Udale Bay was alive with birds this morning. No hoped for Curlew Sands, but five Ruddy Shelduck, ca. 25 Scaup, three Slav Grebes, a Black-tailed Godwit amongst throngs of other species. #BirdingScotland

Black Grouse (two males here, the female just out of shot)

I think someone ‘hibernated’ for too long! Odd to hear him ‘bubbling’ and showing off to a nearby female in September. #BirdingScotland

You should’ve seen how far out the sooties were… grim

Conditions looked OK so I opted for a seawatch up near Helmsdale. Unfortunately only 4 Sooty S’waters, 27 Manx S’waters, a Puffin, a Great Northern Diver and 7 Whimbrel noted in six hours, but a ‘Goliath’ form of Basking Shark was the highlight… absolutely huge! #BirdingScotland

A 15 mile run up and over Ben Wyvis (1046m) this morning was highlighted by a superb juv Dotterel. Sadly I was too sweaty and breathless to find it on the deck, so two lovely and close flight views was all I could muster… I’ve missed that purring call! #BirdingScotland

Yesterday, walking a 2km stretch of stream which runs through a remote bog moorland up near Caithness, I counted no fewer than 99 Black Darters. Never witnessed such excellent numbers before! @dragonflydamselfly.bsky.social #ScottishDragonflies

Excellent, thank you for getting back!

Sooty Shearwater

Sooty Shearwaters

Manx Shearwaters

Summer Isles

A jaunt on the Ullapool to Stornoway Ferry with @emilyrichens.bsky.social & Matt Broadbent was a great day out, only if the standard fare was seen: ca. 30 Sooty S’waters, 1 Leach’s Petrel, ca. 35 Storm-Petrels, lots of Bonxies & 10 Arctic Skuas, & many Minke Whales. #BirdingScotland

Violet Helleborine still present there? My first ones in this lovely reserve many years ago now.

Mega, Barry. The first Cuckmere record I know of. There’s been a spout of rare Odonata (in county terms) in the valley this year especially.

It’s hard to believe Icky Ridge was named 19 years ago… 30th August if you needed to know 😂

2010 Birling Pines; 2006 Icky Ridge

Ptarmigan

A top day hiking 14 miles in the Glen Affric range, with Ptarmigan being the commonest bird (22 seen)! Other than that, amazing views once the cloud had lifted. #BirdingScotland

Hopefully not a description species then with those numbers…? Great stuff as always 👍