Thanks Corinna. A good excuse to work on some more birder orientated species

Not much of a day to do anything outside so a good chance to finish these. Destined for @northronbirdobs.bsky.social #BirdArt #BirdingScotland

Bringing back memories of the male Pine Bunting, hopping around on the same bit of ground in late April 2023!

Having had a fly through bird last week it was nice to find this Yellowhammer (my fifth on Papay) around Holland this morning. A scarce Orkney bird, with the vast majority of records coming from the North Isles #BirdingOrkney #PWC2026 Fly through Buzzard yesterday, my first here since Oct 2022

Hanging out the washing when another (!!) Stock Dove flies past the house with two Woodpigeon #PWC2026 two White tailed Eagle south together yesterday plus single birds on Thursday and Saturday #OrkneyBirding

A snippet of my favourite bird sound anywhere...
This noisy nominate limosa was one of c25 seen in our two days around the Washes - this one on the Cambridgeshire side on Monday night, where godwit display calls filled the air 🙂
@linnetincley.bsky.social
@cambsbirdclub.bsky.social
#cambsbirding

Seven island year ticks today including a fly through Yellowhammer and a Stock Dove over the airfield @patchbirding.bsky.social Remarkably, this was followed ten minutes later by a second bird, flying south along the West Coast. The 3rd and 4th island records #OrkneyBirding

My latest artwork : Osprey

Hopefully won’t be long until I see the local ospreys that have arrived to breed.

#BirdingScotland #UKBirding #Birds #Artwork #Pencildrawing #Art #Spring

Certainly is. Nice footage!

Black throated Diver in the South Wick this morning #PWC2026 Only my third here, away from the southern end of Papa Sound #BirdingOrkney A couple of nice littoralis in the North Wick plus Shelduck and Goldfinch new for the year

An enjoyable walk around Conwy RSPB. At least 6 singing Cetti’s Warbler including the stunning leucistic bird. A pair of Long tailed Tits building a nest, adult Med Gull, Great White Egret, 8 singing Chiffchaff and a Black-tailed Godwit. #UKbirding #birdingwales

First real movement of Skylark this morning with 182 west past Mull Head, plus at least 95 on the deck #BirdingOrkney Adult Iceland Gull on Tredwell yesterday plus 6 Common Scoter in the sound #PWC2026

Mediterranean Gull again around Papay this morning. Now in its third year around the island, having first appeared in late Dec 2024 #BirdingOrkney Present on and off around here and Westray for most of the period in between, aside from a summer absence, mid May to late September 2025

Just like the Franklin's in November, today's Bonaparte's Gull on Barra seemed a bit too keen to spend time in the road, causing a few heart-stopping moments when cars passed. Here's a shot through our windscreen as it dropped in front of us briefly at Allasdale. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

The only non adult bird I have seen off Papay was a 1st summer bird in June 2017. Wintering birds otherwise all adults

For all the possibilities that the area has to offer, birding around Sapa has been very hard work. Collared Finchbill, Pygmy Blue Flycatcher and Black eared Shrike Babbler the standout highlights but nothing like the variety I was expecting/hoping for

Undoubted birding highlight was superb views of Collared Laughingthrush with Grey crowned Crocias seen twice. Bay Woodpecker, Clicking Shrike Babbler, Rufous and Snowy browed Flycatchers, Lesser Shortwing, White tailed Robin and Siberian Thrushes some of my other favourites.

Looking down on Dalat from the top of Mount Lang biang

Ta Nung valley. Not the amusement park but a derelict site just next to it that was far superior for birding!

A mixed bag in Dalat but still really enjoyed the town. Lang biang was great, Thuyen lam lake was OK (I never really did work out where people actually go birding here!) and Ta Nung tourist park was somewhere I couldn't get away from quickly though! 1/2

Also White browed Crake, Bluethroat, Eastern Yellow Wagtails, Cinnamon and Yellow Bitterns, Purple Herons etc. Bird of the day was (in a Vietnamese context) a drake Tufted Duck!

Scruffy edges, home to Black browed and Oriental Reed Warblers

Drier areas and crops, holding Paddyfield Pipits, Green Bee eaters, Black Drongos and Long tailed Shrikes

A slight change of plan, so diverted to Hoi An. A day out on the bike, with highlights inc Masked Laughingthrush, Red billed and White shouldered Starling plus a nice selection of waders inc 21 Long toed Stint and a flock of 25 Marsh Sandpiper.

Camera phone pic of male Blue rumped Pitta.

A rush of birds coming in to bathe late evening from remnants of standing water in a mostly dry river bed. Already made up with the Kingfishers, things got even better when an adult Slaty legged Crake appeared!

Blue eared Kingfisher this side and a Black backed (Oriental Dwarf) Kingfisher the other! At least six Sibe blue Robins, 5+ Hainan Blue Flycatchers, male Oriental Paradise Flycatcher, Abbots and Buff breasted Babblers amongst others

Made it to Dalat after four days in Cat Tien. Many highlights inc Green Peafowl, Siamese Fireback, Germains Peacock Pheasant, Bar bellied and Blue rumped Pittas, Watercock, Grey headed Fish Eagle, two Slaty legged Crake, Blue eared and Black backed Kingfishers. See captions in photos

An apparent Great Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull hybrid (stood behind a Herring Gull), Westray, Orkney Isles, 26 January 2026

More gull watching today and I came across this apparent Great Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull hybrid. A real brute! #WestrayBirding

Parakeets feeding on Welwyn barn wall display Amazonian behaviour Ornithologist Jack Baddams says the video is "really cool".

Imagine your house falls down one day and it's because a load of parakeets have been systematically eating your mortar

Adult Glaucous Gull at Backaskaill this morning, attracted to the Minke Whale that washed up freshly dead on 29th November #OrkneyBirding Little Gull and Velvet Scoter both still in the sound

Wouldn't surprise me if it's the same individual that I initially had here as a 1st winter in Dec 2024. Generally absent between about late May and September but otherwise present on and off, in between.

A nice double yesterday with this Little Gull and a drake Velvet Scoter in the Sound. Single drake on 31st Jan last year, the only record of what is often a difficult island bird #PWC2026 #OrkneyBirding Hen Harrier through the living room window this afternoon

14/1/26 - Drake Smew today at Broadwood Loch, Cumbernauld.
#birdingscotland #smew #clydebirding

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One of three Woodcock today, plus a 2nd winter Med Gull through the South Wick. Two Glaucous Gulls in the North Wick Sunday and a 1st winter Iceland Gull there on Monday #PWC2026

Standout record of the year. Confirmation of successful breeding by a pair of Ruff.

One of three Wryneck that I found on 8th Sept. Probably my favourite day of the year

Glossy ibis, Common Buzzard, Tree Pipit and Redstart (single record of a dead bird) only species missed. Mistle Thrush and Curlew Sand probably the most obvious overall omissions. A very poor spring and patchy autumn with late Sept/early Oct being especially quiet #PWC2025 #OrkneyBirding

Juv Dotterel 23rd October. Latest Orkney record by almost two weeks

Greenish Warbler Fowl Craig 26th Aug feeding down to a few metres in a geo. Superb!

2nd year Long tailed Skua, North Hill 1st July. Another joyful bird to watch

First scope views of the Brown Shrike. 5th for Orkney

170 for the Papay year list from an island total of 174. RNDuck, *Taiga Bean Geese, Buff breasted Sand, two Pecs, *White-rumped and *Baird's Sandpipers, Bonaparte's Gull, *Brown Shrike, 4 Wryneck, Bluethroat, Greenish Warbler, 3 Barred Warbler, RBFly *Firecrest and *Pallas's Warbler (* patch ticks)

Strong contender for most unexpected record of the year. Female Pochard (a scarce enough island bird at the best of times) amongst the Eider and Long tailed Duck in Papa Sound, around the Vestness Salmon cages!