Picked out this aythya hybrid on Peerie Sea, Kirkwall today, presumably Scaup x Tuftie. Luckily it was quite close, might have appeared a better Lesser Scaup contender if in a distant flock of Tufties! Unfortunately, a no cigar scenario.
#orkneybirding #birdingscotland

A striking drake Teal while surveying on Hascosay yesterday. Never seen a partial leucistic Teal before.

I say old chap, this is next level spotting this! Nice work, old bean. 💪💪

Enjoying these. Keep em comin! 👍

I’m not sure there’s been another since the adult I had at the beginning of August?

Gorgeous, Paul. Not been many this autumn. Trying to remember if there’s been any this autumn on Shetland?

Pleasant day birding with Rob Fray on Thursday North Mainland, couple of decent discoveries. Picking up a Hornemann’s that we only found due to watching a Merlin chase starlings- flushing it from a field (!) was jammy plus drake Ring-necked Duck were both most splendid #RarebirdsUK #shetlandbirding

Taken very little time for birding this autumn, just too much work on, so not surprising not to find much other than Blyth’s Reed and Citrine over past month. Been nice to put in some time this week though, with Great Egret (also a house ✔️) & Firecrest with Mr P. #birdingshetland #birdingscotland

This is bonkers, Rob! Absolute scenes. No more of it, you’ll be getting them ‘struck off!’ 😜

Stunner! The supreme autumn raptor find! 👌

Amazing, and some serious follow-focus skills by MM! 💪

Awesome image, Duncan. Shots of that standard of any PG are the dream, but of one you’ve found- the stuff of dreams! 🤜🤛

Brilliant. Tidy find, David. 👌

It does indeed sir, Oooh! Under the leafs, sir. Gleaning aphids, sir? OOOH. 😜

My first warbler of the autumn, and it’s a Greenish Warbler! Better still, from kitchen window (!) after coming in from Halligarth. The SE winds of late for us have just not come far enough this week to produce much, so this wee wing-barred wonder was a real treat.
#rarebirdsUK #birdingShetland

Amazing. That’s some bird to find under any circumstances, even more incredible on a seawatch! Nice one 💪

A bit stunned when this Bridled Tern appear in my ‘scope 150m infront of the hide at Fife Ness. It then hung around for 3 hours roosting on a buoy and feeding inshore (when pic taken) before heading off NE. A first for Fife. Glad we chose today for the all day seawatch! #birdingFife #rarebirdsUK

😅 Always. 😊😘

👍

Still no warbler… 😜

Ah, as you well know, such are the joys of contextual patch birding my old friend 😊. A Shetland garden list BCNH would almost equate to an Easington Hornemanni!! 😜😅😅

😅

The most adaptable of Heronkind, with a presence in nearly every continent around the world. The Black Crowned Night Heron at the very northern tip of the UK

Gorgeous!

Not what I expected today when entering Halligarth! 🫨 Black-crowned Night Heron. And there was me hoping for my first warbler of the autumn….
Now on the garden list too, #227. Still a rare bird here in the isles, and probably the first August record.
#RareBirdsUK #ShetlandBirding

😅

Tidy! Chuffed for you mate. You’ll now be able to count Wilson’s on your Faeroes list too buddy…. 😜😅

Hi folks! Just a reminder to tune in to BBC1 Ocean episode of the new Parenhood series, with David Attenborough. Massive honour to worked on the #otter shoot here on #shetland with my great mates Richard Shucksmith & Raymond Besant. 19:15 BBC1 tonight!

🤪😅

I’m glad someone asked! Erm, he’ll YEEAH! Nula’s a pro 😜