Real-life ticked @scottmayson.bsky.social sheltering from the rain at the girdle ness cafe today. Best of luck further north Scott!

Lovely visit to the Ness with @ryan79.bsky.social. Good vismig with plenty of tree sparrows, pale b-brents, tystie, an ‘interesting’ lesser whitethroat, 2 velvet scoter and best of all, a wood sand which visited the harbour briefly before departing southward, calling its head off as it went. Bliss

Lovely to see the correct use of #patchgold. In my opinion. I don’t own it, obvs.

Duncan Watson@tynemouthbirds.bsky.social · 5d ago

Grey partridge at the base of Tynemouth Pier this morning - the first here for ~40 years! Genuine #patchgold and early contender for bird of the autumn😜 It's the first bird I've run for in a long time and just as well I did, as it was flushed by a van seconds after I got there! #nebirding #pwc2026

Remember when we all had blogs? Im going to give it another go…. lewissparky.wixsite.com/website/post...

Vismig in South West France

I'm a lucky guy. My other half is French which means that over the years I have got to know a particular corner of South West France very well indeed. Or it's birdlife, at least. And it's food and win...

lewissparky.wixsite.com

Walked up at Crathes this afternoon. Expected, and eventually heard a nuthatch. This species has made a remarkable expansion into NE Scotland - they are all over the place now, and were basically unheard of ten years ago.

Here’s another ORNI-CONNECT! What connects the following four species?

First big push of pinks today?

A few weekends ago we had an amazing trip to Ouessant, birding and cycling in the sun - and so easy to get to by train and ferry! A little early in the autumn but still some great birds ➜ ebird.org/tripreport/5... @rob-hughes-birder.bsky.social

Back in May I was lucky enough to visit Foula for a week. What an incredible place! On the last day a bluethroat visited the Ristie garden and as well as being extremely handsome, he did a wee bit of singing. Check out his green sandpiper mimicry! macaulaylibrary.org/asset/658542...

ML658542493 - Bluethroat (Red-spotted) - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML658542493; © Mark Lewis; Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom

macaulaylibrary.org

Here’s another ORNI-CONNECT! What links these 4 birds?

While doing some Ouessant ‘getting in the mood’ browsing I came across this picture that is logged on eBird as a common kestrel. To me it shows features of lesser kestrel - any thoughts? macaulaylibrary.org/asset/626122...

Here’s another ORNI-CONNECT! What links these four birds?

Time for an ORNI-CONNECT as there is nothing else exciting happening this afternoon. So, what’s the connection?

ORNI-CONNECT What links these four species? Answers on a postcard (or failing that, reply to this message….).

Anyone fancy a wee game of connections? What connects these four species? Give yourself a pat on the back if you get it, and a heartier pat on the back if you get it after just a couple of clues…

Due to COVID, and increasingly decrepit parents we’ve only done Ouessant once in the last 5 years. That’s probably why I’m so excited to be heading back for two weeks in mid October. Can’t wait to see the magic island again.

Another butterfly from France - this time a mallow skipper. Fortunately I don’t have hoards of skippers to try to identify. Even so, I found these quite variable and got excited about marbled skipper on occasion

A modern phenomenon. Tree sparrow passage at Girdle Ness phase 1; early autumn. Phase 2 will happen in about a months time. All birds I’ve seen well have been juvs, just like these ones - part of a flock of 22 at the headland today. Also a pied flycatcher and 21 black-tailed godwit north.

What I think is a knapweed fritillary, from SW France a couple of weeks ago. I found these really variable with some less obviously ‘multicoloured’ compared to this one. Either that or I misidentified loads of fritillaries…

A lovely but odd seawatch at Girdle Ness today. Very little movement but between 11:15 to 14:45 1 great shearwater 1 Balearic shearwater 1 juv long-tailed skua 4 sooty shearwater Juv Mediterranean gull 1 grey plover! That’s pretty epic by Girdle Ness standards!

I don’t go west very often so perhaps I’ve missed out, but I’ve never heard a crested tit sing as clear and structured a song as this before - from the Coylumbridge area in early spring. macaulaylibrary.org/asset/654092...

Another butterfly from SW France - a Glanville fritillary. These were all over the roadside verges, full of flowering mint, along with other (more confusing, for me!) fritillary species.

I spent a lot of time photographing insects (mostly butterflies) on a recent trip to SW France. Luckily we managed to time our visit between two heatwaves. Never seen as many butterflies in my life. 24 spp along a short stretch of rural road. Here’s a long-tailed blue to start off

@jamesdrage.bsky.social hi James, can you drop me a message please?

And more great stuff to come tonight…

Birdingprof@birdingprof.bsky.social · 7mo ago

2nd night @scottishbirding.bsky.social Records Committee on-line Conference. Terrific talks from @pauldufour80.bsky.social on ‘What the study of vagrancy can reveal about bird migration.’ And Niall Keogh on ‘Birds on a Boat.’ Made up for dipping local Bittern, Stone Curlew & Goshawk this afternoon.

Still time to sign up for this today! But don’t wait, the sign-up form will go down before the end of the week #BirdingScotland

Mark Lewis@fatpaulscholes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free? The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.

We're delighted to be celebrating 90 years of the SOC with a talk, Q+A & book signing from wildlife cameraman, author & TV presenter, Hamza Yassin. Don’t miss this inspiring celebration! Book your place to be part of this milestone event in our history. Tickets: £10 - £20. See tinyurl.com/3ab3ujw2

#BirdingScotland

Mark Lewis@fatpaulscholes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Great news from the SOC that loads of folks are already signed up to join us at the end of February. I don’t think there’s a limit to numbers so it’s not too late to sign up now too!

Great news from the SOC that loads of folks are already signed up to join us at the end of February. I don’t think there’s a limit to numbers so it’s not too late to sign up now too!

Mark Lewis@fatpaulscholes.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Christmas can be an expensive time of year, so how about something for free? The @scottishbirding.bsky.social and Scottish Birds Records Committee are hosting a FREE online conference over the evenings of February 24th to the 26th. Three talks per night and some real belters among them.

Come and hear more from the author about the birds behind this book at the free online SOC/SBRC conference in February! www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...

Scottish Birds Records Committee Online Conference

The SOC

the-soc.org.uk

Ian Andrews@ijandrews.bsky.social · 9mo ago

It’s beginning to feel that the end is in sight. The proofs of the new 'Birds of Fair Isle' book are now being checked by the team of authors. That’s more than 400,000 words on 938 pages! Details on how to order will be announced in the New Year. www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/bofi #BirdingScotland