The first bird ringed this season. A simple garden catch with live mealworms in a Potter trap. Always a special bird, this individual was born in 2023 and has already found a breeding partner. Biometrics were inconclusive but probably the male.

Nice arrival of new spring migrants for the Balephuil patch #Tiree this weekend: 3 male Corncrakes on 20th including 1 in the garden (pic), then today Cuckoo, Grasshopper Warbler (pic), Lesser Redpoll, Common Redpoll (pic) and Arctic Tern Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides

More migrants returning to Gigha. The first Blackcap and a Grasshopper Warbler reeling beyond Druimyeon More. The Golf Course had Wheatear and a pair of Stonechats. Na Crogachan held 5 Wheatears. I only managed to catch 1, her wing of 93mm indicating she is a local breeding bird.

I visited Sanda Island to count Black Guillemots recently, this Island needs to be properly managed, and the Bird Observatory restored. It is now for sale for £2.5m. This incredible place needs responsible ownership and research to be restored.

Two Greenland Wheatears caught this morning, this male with a wing of 113mm and weight of 39.1 gms is the largest so far. 8 Whimbrels dropped in onto the rocks briefly at Port na Carraigh.

Saw this colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit here at Hillwell and Spiggie, Shetland last week. Just received the history from Böðvar Þórisson: ringed as a chick in 2012 in Dýrafjörður, Iceland & seen almost annually every autumn/spring in NW England, but 1st time seen in Scotland.

A scarce bird for Gigha, a Magpie on the bird-table this morning. Perhaps I was wrong to doubt Birdnet's AI record.

Eurasian Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, ringed at Kartong Bird Observatory in 2017 recorded at Brownstown Head, County Waterford, R.O.Ireland. 29/4/2024. Our second record of a KBO ringed Eurasian Whimbrel in North West Europe. An excellent record.

This corncrake is proving the scientists entirely incorrect! Happily calling from an area of thatched grass, willow trees and hedging plants! Early cover fairly sparse after a long wet winter! RSPB Scotland National Trust for Scotland Visit Mull & Iona

KBO staff are proud to be working once again with the Vallentin Lab of The Max Planck Institute. We are supporting their long-term research by deploying accelerometers onto breeding male Nightingales in the Brandenburg area.

The first record of Red Kite, Milvus milvus, for the Isle of Gigha. 20.55hrs 7/5/2024.

Corncrake, possibly two, calling earlier in May in suitable habitat. Hope for the future.

Does anyone want to buy me a Bird Observatory? I'll look after it, walk it every day... We've got team lined up (Kate Fox, Ed Betteridge - sorry 🇺🇦🕊 Bardsey Lodge & Bird Obs) and island sheep dog (#BirderCollie) lined up... BirdObs Council GB&I knightfrank.com/properties/res…

Wonderful to hear the bubbly calls of this Woodlark yesterday! Not only a first for #StKilda, but also only the third Outer Hebrides record after birds in 1993 and 1913! Thanks to Outer Hebrides Birds for the info- definitely wasn't a species on our radar out here! BirdGuides National Trust for Scotland

This lovely lady has kindly taken this fancy geolocator to Africa and back for us. Thanks Felicity 😘 very excited to see what she's been up to! #projectSPOFL

We had a visit from Greg and Jinx, the latter a 4 year old Cocker Spaniel trained to detect rats thanks to Biosecurity for Wales (administered by RSPB Cymru). There was no sign, although we'll need a follow up visit in 3 weeks, whilst trail cams and chew blocks have been deployed

A male Hen Harrier was seen hunting over the nature reserve area behind The Boathouse. 1915hrs, 31 May.

A Great White Egret, rare in Argyll with only a few annual records, was seen flying past the South Pier at 1500hrs on 7/6/24. Found by Tianna Salmeron. Photo: James Cross.

We were out this morning looking for Lapwing pulli at Tarbet Farm. We believe there are 5 broods in this area. The amazing camouflage of these beautiful little birds makes them a challenge to find in heavily poached grassland.

A nice surprise this afternoon was finding and ringing two large Lapwing pulli. Both should fledge within a couple of days. A new species for Emmanuel, presently working on Gigha, on loan from Kartong Bird Observatory. Kartong Bird Observatory 🇬🇲.