Bruce Taylor

Yes, very smart birds!

A freshly stranded By-The-Wind Sailor, one of many pushed ashore by strong winds on the west coast of Barra today. Lots of obvious specimens of 6-8cm scattered over the beaches but also masses of tiny ones down to 5mm in length spread along the strandline. #Beachcombing

Our first pulse of Icelandic Redwings on Barra today, though other migrant passerines remain in very short supply. #BirdingScotland

Yes indeed. That was a wild few hours!

Congratulations! You guys are on a roll. Weather looks promising for a mega from the west in the coming days...

Freshly ashore today and covered in barnacles, this Coconut on the west side of Vatersay is the only transatlantic vagrant we've found so far this week. #Beachcombing

Pintail is a barely annual visitor on Barra. Pleased to see one flying over Garrygall this morning , but surprised when it came back and landed in the road just in front of us! We stared at each other for a moment before it flew again, settling in the bay. #BirdingScotland #Birds

Thanks Mark. It's a trick of the morning light giving the underside that sprawk orange glow! Here's another shot from the sequence showing it in more obvious Kestrel mode (though you'll need to zoom in!)

It was a fabulous few minutes watching them tumble about the sky!

Busy skies over Barra: Kestrel, Hen Harrier and Hooded Crow taking it in turns to mob a White-tailed Eagle over Eoligarry. #BirdingScotland

Nice find Colin! The video came out remarkably well considering how far away it was. The last Black Tern on Barra was in September 2011.

Scores of Common Dolphins from the Oban-Barra ferry this afternoon plus a Minke and c40 Storm Petrels. Yesterday morning's crossing produced a juv Sabine's Gull, 24 Stormies, a Minke and Bluefin Tuna. Surprisingly few shearwaters out there today or yesterday. #BirdingScotland

The Swainson's Thrush was still present at Cuithir today. Though it's not getting any easier to see, we had the briefest of views late afternoon on our third visit of the day. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

Barra's 4th Swainson's Thrush was still at Cuithir late afternoon, though elusive in the blustery conditions: two five-second views in the couple of hours I was there. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

Red-eyed Vireo with at least 8 records.

Thanks Paul!

Swainson's Thrush at Cuithir this morning, a well deserved find by Stuart Beeby, incredibly the 4th Barra record, making it our second most frequent North American vagrant passerine. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK

Black-throated Divers are starting to return to their wintering area off Vatersay. This one still in summer plumage was close in today. What an absolute stunner! #BirdingScotland

A day behind the Pink-feet, our first Whooper Swans of the autumn touched down on Barra. This family of 3 were resting in the bay when we got home this afternoon. #BirdingScotland

The fine adult American Golden Plover still hanging out with the Goldies north of Barra airport today. I finally got in on the Sabine's Gull fest when a 2 hour seawatch off Vatersay produced 4 Sabs heading south alongside a steady passage of Red-throated Divers. #BirdingScotland

Our first migrating Pink-footed Geese of the autumn over Barra this afternoon battling high winds and rain, looking tired and disorientated after a long hard day on the wing. #BirdingScotland

Pleased to find a handsome American Golden Plover this afternoon on my way up to Eoligarry to lead another walk for Barra and Vatersay Ranger Service. Hopefully a sign of more Nearctic birds to come. #BirdingScotland #Birds

After 2 very wet and windy days, better weather revealed a few new migrants on Barra. Pick of the bunch was our 1st Barred Warbler of the autumn at Nask, absolutely not posing for photos, though this Spotted Flycatcher in the same spot clearly was! #BirdingScotland #Birds

Highlights of a blustery day on Barra included a Turtle Dove at Eoligarry this evening, a Great Shearwater heading north past Brevig this afternoon and about 40 Sooty Shearwaters heading the other way! #BirdingScotland #Birds

Great Yellow Bumblebee lapping up the evening sunshine at Eoligarry. They're not had a good season on Barra, though they're finishing with a bit of a flourish.

Ruff is a regular visitor to Barra in small numbers at this time of year. This one was scampering about on the machair at Eoligarry this morning. Nearby a juvenile Little Gull was hanging out with the Common Terns on the airport beach. #BirdingScotland

Our first migrant geese of the autumn on Barra today. 32 Pale-bellied Brents sheltered at Traigh Mhor and 49 settled on the stormy sea off Craigston, all adults. Must've had a hard journey flying into this gale. Also c35 Sooty Shears and a Pom Skua off Brevig. #BirdingScotland #Birds

2 summering Pink-footed Geese hanging out at Allasdale today; not long now until the autumn's first migrant geese appear on Barra. Speaking of migrants, our first Pied Flycatcher of the year was at Northbay, hopefully a sign of things to come. #BirdingScotland

Too right. I may have to point my scope inland if it's not downgraded soon! 😉

4 more Cory's Shearwaters off the east side of Barra today bringing my total so far this week to 42. Numbers are clearly not in the same league as some Irish or Cornish headlands, but in a Scottish context it's pretty startling! #BirdingScotland