A short 30min drive from home to see a very smart looking drake Bufflehead on the Sand Lock at Collieston Aberdeenshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿this morning!

Really excited to announce the launch of the Braemar Nature Festival 10-19 May, a local festival celebrating nature & a great reason to visit the eastern #Cairngorms this spring. Full programme complete with booking links available here: wild-discovery.com/wild-diaries/b… Spread the word!

A 4 1/2 hour drive north today from home on route to Orkney for 5 days! Tonight’s stop near John o’ Groats produced this Short-eared Owl quartering the dunes near Dunnet Head! Not a bad start 😁

A few images while bouncing around on the ferry to Orkney this afternoon 😁 Here for the next 4 days and really looking forward to it! #BirdingOrkney

A beautiful day on our final day on Orkney! Yes a great place for Hen Harriers, SE Owls and fly over Great Skuas but you gotta love the many Hares that reside here 😁 Just love them ❤️

After the mist and rain of yesterday spring finally arrived today in the northeast 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and my first spring visit to #miurofdinnet NNR produced many singing Willow Warblers, displaying Tree Pipits and my 1st Cuckoo of the season!

A couple of record shots of the self-found Pectoral Sandpiper at #RSPB #LochofStrathbeg #Aberdeenshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 earlier this morning! Plus a smart Drake Garganey.

While the mainland basked in the sun a thoroughly miserable day weatherwise on Uist #outerhebrides 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 with fog & rain! Brightened by two Sea Eagles at Loch Druidibeg and the sound of at least 4 Corncrakes #elusive 🫤

After yesterday’s fog & rain a gorgeous day in south Uist #outerhebrides 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 today with Golden & White-tailed Eagle and probably the most elusive bird I’ve ever photographed the Corncrake! Patience they say is a virtue!

Last day of my first visit to South Uist and what a beautiful part of the world this is #outerhebrides 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Delighted to find this summer plumage Black-throated Diver before heading home!

An influx of Red-backed Shrikes around Aberdeenshire🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 over the last few days! Managed to catch up with this female at Rattray this morning! No sign of the male at the old Kirk unfortunately.

The unprecedented fall of Red-backed Shrikes continues in Aberdeenshire🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿along with this cracking Red-spotted Bluethroat at Collieston found by ⁦Colliestonbirds 💙⁩ yesterday! Had to go back for a 2nd look! Also of note nearby today at Whinnyford a Marsh Warbler ✅

On route to the Cairngorms today with Dazza and a quick stop at Ballater for this very vocal Red-breasted Flycatcher at Craigendarroch Oak Wood! Cracking little bird singing his heart out ❤️

Well that was a great week of birding around my regular haunts in Aberdeenshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 5 Red-backed Shrike, Red-spotted Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher + Marsh Warbler! It’s been a terrific spring thus far & fingers crossed there’s more to come ⁦British Nature⁩

A few images from an enjoyable if not chilly 🥶 weekend on Speyside 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 with the RSPB Aberdeen & District Local Group, also included Crested Tit, Slavonian Grebe & Wood Warbler. ⁦RSPB⁩

An excellent 1st day on Shetland⁦ with ⁦Theo de Clermont⁩ the highlight had to be seeing these roadside Red-necked Phalaropes! A nice surprise to catch up with ⁦Andy Hale⁩

Due to a senior moment Leaving my Mac charger back home in Aberdeenshire a few BOC shots of the Blyth’s Reed Warbler at Virkie Shetland this morning! An elusive character but showed well on a few brief occasions ⁦BirdGuides⁩ #BirdingShetland

A few photos from my recent trip to #shetland to catch up with ⁦Theo de Clermont⁩ some great species on show including dark & light phase Arctic Skua, Great Skua and Red-necked Phalaropes. Of course there were many more highlights!

After last nights attempt in the fog to photograph the Greenish Warbler at Rattray Aberdeenshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Finally managed a few in the sunshine this morning. Flighty little fella! Also in the lighthouse cottage garden Pied Flycatcher & Lesser Whitethroat. ⁦BirdGuides⁩

Nice to find this Spotted Redshank along the Ythan Estuary just below Snub car park Aberdeenshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 this evening.