Nice selection of waders on the cut fields at Cornaigmore, Tiree today including 2 adult Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwits including the first juv of the autumn @markgolley.bsky.social & 13 Bar-tailed Godwits. Also 1 Grey Plover and several Arctic Skua W off Aird #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
John Bowler
@tireebirder.bsky.social
Life-long birder - Tiree-based but sometimes elsewhere
Snow Geese on the Isle of Coll on Monday - the last 3 remaining birds of this now much dwindled feral population #BirdingScotland
Striped Hawk-moth in the Balephuil garden Heath trap last night - the first record for Tiree! #teammoth
A few warblers already on the move with Blackcap and Whitethroat in the Balephuil, Tiree garden yesterday, plus another Whitethroat at Scarinish #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Male Ruff and 5 Black-tailed Godwits on the cut silage fields at Cornaigmore, Tiree today in with 200 Oystercatcher, 250 Golden Plover & 470 Lapwing. Also a handful of Greenshanks on the loch edges & 220+ Sanderling on the beaches #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
An amazing day for dragonflies on Tiree today - this male Red-veined Darter shared the same lochan at Heylipol with a male Lesser Emperor - both first records for the island. Also a Common Hawker (rare here) at Balephuil @britishdragonflies.bsky.social
Now is the time to dig up invasive non-native Giant Rhubarb before its fruits ripen - four more plants removed from fields at Balephuil, Tiree today #InvasivePlants
A couple of mid-July scarcities on Tiree today: a Whooper Swan new at Loch Riaghain and a Woodpigeon new at Balephuil #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Spectacular hybrid orchids on Tiree today (perhaps Frog x Common-spotted Orchid (?) - although the leaves are unspotted) - we see more hybrids here in good orchid summers (like this one) @ukorchids.bsky.social
A damp Ringed Plover on Tiree today, following a week of extensive low cloud, dreich conditions and rain out here #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Looking like a good, if late, breeding season for Kittiwakes at Ceann a' Mhara, Tiree - 680 pairs with some 1,100+ chicks counted there today #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids just now on the Tiree machairs - the cool damp spring/early summer out here has brought them out in bumper numbers @ukorchids.bsky.social
Fledged Dunnock today in the Balephuil garden - only the 2nd confirmed successful breeding record of this species for the island! A good year for other rare breeders in the garden including fledged Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats and Goldfinches plus an early juv Cuckoo on 1 July #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
An early return of adult waders to Tiree including 175 Black-tailed Godwits yesterday at Loch an Eilein and dozens of Dunlin and Sanderling at Gott Bay today, plus 2 early Ruff - suggestive of a poor breeding season? #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Over 1,200 Kittiwakes at Loch a' Phuill, Tiree today in the dreich conditions - a high count for the site #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Lovely Peach Blossom in the garden Heath trap at Balephuil last night was the first record for the island of Tiree, also a few migrants including Rush Veneer and Silver Y #teammoth
4 Black-tailed Godwits at Cornaigbeg, Tiree yesterday, with 2 Med Gulls also there (ad and 2cy), plus 58 Curlew nearby at Cornaigmore & 6 Sanderling at Gott Bay - feeling like autumn already... #BirdingScotland #PWC2026 @birdguides.bsky.social
A bit like buses! Tiree's second Red-breasted Flycatcher of the spring was in the Balephuil garden last night together with a late Blackcap, although no sign of it this morning. #BirdingScotland #PWC2026 @birdguides.bsky.social
Migrant Spotted Flycatcher new in the Balephuil, Tiree garden today with the current warm SE airflow - the sixth of the spring here so far #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
At least 4 Puffins rafting with other off-duty auks off the seabird cliffs at Ceann a' Mhara, Tiree on this week's seabird counts. They nest only very rarely at this site because of the presence of rats #BirdingScotland
Female-type Red-breasted Flycatcher new in the Balephuil, Tiree garden this afternoon - the 12th record for the garden since 2011 and the 8th in spring #BirdingScotland #PWC2026 @birdguides.bsky.social
Belated news: this smart adult American Golden Plover was photographed by Lachie Brown at Hough machair, Tiree on 23 May 2026 #BirdingScotland @birdguides.bsky.social
Finally, some easterly-based breezes drifted a few migrants to Tiree today including 2 Siskins, a Blackcap, 3 Woodpigeons, 10+ Collared Doves and a singing male Chaffinch. Hopefully, something scarcer yet to come... #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Smart Wood Sandpiper at Balinoe, Tiree last night. Migrant Robin, Blackcap and 5 House Martins the lowly highlights so far today... #BirdingScotland #PWC2026 @birdguides.bsky.social
A couple of House Martins on the Balephuil, Tiree 3km patch this pm after the rain, the first here since late April. Hopefully, more migrants to come with this southerly airflow.... #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Common Sandpiper at Crossapol, Tiree this morning - a rare breeder here 25 years ago (1 or 2 pairs), there are now at least 15 pairs scattered around the more sheltered parts of the coast #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
Drake American Wigeon new at Loch an Eilein, Tiree today on my WeBS count, also 2 Siskins at Balephuil - the first of the year here #BirdingScotland #PWC2026 @birdguides.bsky.social
Mixed passage flocks of Dunlin and Ringed Plover are all over Tiree's machairs and beaches just now - well over 1,000 of each species this morning around the eastern half of the island alone #BirdingScotland
2CY Iceland Gull at Heylipol today - the first of the year here. Also now 3 Tree Sparrows at Balephuil and dozens of Whimbrel passing through #BirdingScotland #PWC2026
2 Tree Sparrows new in the Balephuil #Tiree garden this morning - a very scarce but annual spring migrant to the island #BirdingScotland #PWC2026