Simon Niederberger

‘A real dark situation to be in’: thousands of starving seabirds stranded in biggest ‘wreck’ in a decade Puffins, guillemots, razorbills and terns are washing up on shores across Europe, after a string of storms affected their ability to find food

I find it hard to believe that the main trigger here is storms, and not overfishing. Maybe I'm too prejudiced.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Back at Flachsee during a visit to Switzerland, these grebes were waving the winter goodbye.

I'm 99% sure these were Greater White-fronted geese flying past Bragar this morning. I'll leave the Russian / Greenland distinction to the experts.
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#nature #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdsofscotland #ukbirds #isleoflewis #outerhebrides

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.
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#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.
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#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

Petition: Stop the Guga Hunt Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend Section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to remove the power to grant licences for taking Gannets on Sula Sgeir.

petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE...

World’s richest 1% have already used fair share of emissions for 2026, says Oxfam Richest 1% took 10 days while wealthiest 0.1% needed just three days to exhaust annual carbon budget, study shows

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?

Purple sandpipers

Bar-tailed godwit

Twite

Goldeneye

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

Hanlon's Razor

Redwing in our garden

Snow bunting on the Pentland road

Long-tailed tit in our garden

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

That's quite a different beak! Thanks @wiwildlife.bsky.social

If someone comments 'tundra' or 'taiga', I'd be interested to know what to look for to make that distinction.

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

I trust they get to take their slaves with them to Sula Sgeir. Traditional, you know. Maybe burn a witch, too

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

When trains are pricier than planes, there’s a heavy social, financial and environmental cost In this week’s newsletter: whether it’s a holiday or work trip, railway travellers find themselves burdened by astronomical prices

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

Rethinking Bar-tailed Godwits Perceived wisdom, based on counts, moult patterns and the movements of ringed birds, has been that the Bar-tailed Godwits that we see in western Europe in the winter are birds of the lapponica race…

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