Nice wee camper trip to Lothians and Borders,
Highlights, WW scoter, Tundra Bean Goose, Glaucous Gull, BN Grebe, Twite, Brambling, Goshawk and my earliest ever Wheatear

Wee trip over 8 species of geese and not a single pinkfoot 😳
Highlights - Ross’s, Cackling and Red breasted geese
3 ring necked duck
Min 5 little egret, 5 WT eagle
Golden eagle, hen harrier, Merlin, Chough and well over 100 GN divers

Sun shining on Islay today … good variety of birds too
Red breasted goose with supporting cast of Golden eagle, Chough, male hen harrier, Merlin and many more
Also bumped into Joe Graham not seen him in 30 years… good to catch up
Off home tomorrow

Hard going on Islay today, very windy and rainy… highlights
3 Ring necked duck (mff)
3 white tailed eagles
GN Divers, Woodcock, puffin, Twite and great to see loads of barnies & GWF geese

Nice wee start to my campervan trip to Argyll & Islay
DAY 1
Couple of very smart Mandarins at Balloch
Cackling Goose & WT eagle at Dunadd
Ross’s Goose, Merlin & Little egret Machrihanish/campbeltown

Slav @ Upper Rhynd - poor photo

Good wee day out to clear the hangover … carsebreck and Rhynd Lochs gave me 2 site ticks Little Egret and Slav Grebe (very poor record shot attached )
And closer to home a Shag at Riverside 5mins from house - Upper Forth tick

I don’t digiscope but gave it a go today … drake smew was showing close in at east side of Broadwood Loch this morning #clydebirds

Great day out … finally completing the full scoter set 🥳

Lovely morning at Skinflats … Cettis singing, calling and seen (video of song at viewing screen atrached) nice male marsh harrier also @upperforthbirds.bsky.social

It was John … we had male and female Eagle owl at that site calling to each other … female came up and knocked him off the pylon

Nice one John … I should really make the effort to pop down

Record of one of the eagle owl pair

Brilliant few days in Seville & Extremadura with @petecarroll.bsky.social many highlights -4 Lifers - House Bunting, Little Swift, Black headed weaver and magnificent Bubo Real (eagle owl) many other highlights, Spanish, Bonellis & S T Eagles, Captain tern, G Bustard, both s/grouse excellent

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Kinneil
9 Curlew Sand
1 Little stint
2ad Kittiwake, 1 Merlin, 4 eider, 2 guillemot

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Tullibody Inch
2 little stint
Min 9 Ruff
6 PF geese
1 imm Gannet & 6 Common tern west
Min 9 guillemot on river
Late whitethroat

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Kinneil
Arctic skua west
Osprey
2 eider & 7 Greenshank

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Good variety at Skinflats today
White rumped sand (great find Scott)
Ad moulting curlew sand
2 Turstone, 2 Sanderling, 1 Spot Red, 1 greeenshsnk, 2 water rail , 1 little Egret and 8 Kittiwake flew south

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Kinneil
Adult moulting spotted redshank
1 whimbrel
6 Greenshank
1 PF Goose and a scaup

Just had this beast in the garden
Dark Giant Horsefly…. I think??? It’s about 40mm long … don’t know if this is unusual for Urban Stirling ???

Just had a Pine Martin run across the road between Muthill and Braco… mammal ✔️… Didn’t realise how big they are

Happy Birthday John
All the best
Brian Allan

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Chiffchaff singing in Torbrex this morning

John it’s just an age thing 😳😂😂

Or possibly Brian Allan 😂

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Doune ponds
Drake Mandarin with Mallard flock still

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Thornhill between village and Alpaca centre
1 Greenland WF Goose
5 Barnacle goose
Large flock of pinkies

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Airthry loch
Drake RN duck still near island

Well done John… chance of a lifetime

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Skinflats
1 chiffchaff at viewing screen
7 pochard
1 ad LBB gull

Good to catch up today John, got less scaup and 2 GWE at Loch Leven later 👍

@upperforthbirds.bsky.social
Dunblane - at least one Hawfich at Holmehill
Higgins Neuk - 1 whimbrel, 1 Stonechat, 2 Barnacle geese with large PF flock, 3 Twite in with Goldfinch flock