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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 8m

Barnacle Geese heading south past Barra today driven on by a strong tailwind. The same conditions also produced a small arrival of Icelandic Redwings around the island. Hopefully more birds will surface tomorrow when the wind drops. #BirdingScotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

It's always pleasing to get a fast response when reporting a ringed bird, so big thanks to Olivier Gilg for getting straight back to me about yesterdays Sanderling on Barra. Turns out it was ringed as a juvenile in a brood of 2 in NE Greenland on 28th July this year. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Great White Egret at Nask this morning, surprisingly only the second record for Barra, nearly 11 years after the first. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

A juvenile Snow Goose among the Greylag flock on Vatersay this morning must surely have pretty decent credentials as a transatlantic vagrant, though you can never be 100% sure. Thanks to Martin Macneil for flagging up this odd goose. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Mediterranean Gulls are still scarce visitors to the Outer Hebrides. This first winter at Traigh Mhor today was the first we've seen on Barra this year. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A change in wind direction to a gale force south-easterly produced Barra's first Yellow-browed Warbler of the year at Cuithir. It feels like proper autumn now. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It took several minutes of making pishing noises to coax out the grey shape in the undergrowth at Creachen into something identifiable: our second Barred Warbler on Barra so far this autumn. Sadly this was as good as the views got! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Got to wonder if this new batch of Nearctic waders joined the GP flocks in Iceland before following them here. Catch up soon.

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Nice one Zak! Seems to be a lot more Golden Plovers (and friends) here today. Have numbers increased there too?

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Spurred on by finding the AGP on Vatersay, we dried our optics off and headed to the north end of Barra to check the Golden Plover flock at Eoligarry. After 10 minutes, out popped a Buff-breasted Sandpiper from behind the ragwort: the second Kathy and I have found this month. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

You really have to love birding a place to go do it in the rain. It was sluicing down when Kathy and I hit the south end of Vatersay today. Waterproofs, optics and ourselves utterly drenched, but the payback was finding a juv American Golden Plover, the first Vatersay record. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Utterly grim weather meant seawatching from the comfort of our lounge was the order of the day and by Barra standards it was pretty good. Highlight was a house tick Sabine's Gull (no.156) plus juv Long-tailed Skua, 4 Pom Skuas, 120+ Sooty Shearwaters all flying south into the gale. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Got to Castlebay just in the nick of time this afternoon to see the Glossy Ibis that put in brief appearances in the past 2 days circling away high to the north-west. The 3 previous Barra records involved 2 singles and a flock of 9. Fair chance we'll get more this autumn. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Our first Redwing of the autumn was at Northbay this morning. Just as well there's a huge crop of Rowan berries on Barra this year as there will be many thousands of hungry thrushes passing through over the next two and a half months. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The Lesser Yellowlegs, present for its second day on Barra, was again flaunting itself at Allasdale on a rapidly shrinking pool just a few metres from the road. What an absolute treat! #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Do you tend to find them in the same area each year? If so it'd be interesting to see a habitat shot. Given the (gripping) numbers you get, they must surely turn up on Barra, but I just can't seem to find them!

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Lesser Yellowlegs new in at Allasdale today. With only single previous records for both Barra and Vatersay, this was a very good find by Mark Oksien. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The Buff-breasted Sand was still trotting about on the machair at Allasdale this afternoon, though looking slightly dishevelled in the persistent driving rain. Seems one of the local Lapwings has taken a dislike to it and repeatedly tried to chase it off. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Kathy and I bumped into our first Barred Warbler of the autumn at Eoligarry during a lull in the weather first thing. It didn't take long for the wind and rain to return! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Buff-breasted Sandpiper present on and off at Allasdale for the second day: it could be the same bird we had yesterday on Vatersay, though perhaps more likely to be a different one. Also today another Lapland Bunting at Eoligarry; seems to be a good autumn for them. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Cheers Peter. I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have taken quite this long, but I guess that's one of the quirks of birding!

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Thanks Steve. It's an odd thing, we do well for AGP but BBS seem to shun Barra and Vatersay with just 1 previous Barra record. Maybe their status here is about to change as there was also a BBS on the west side of Barra this afternoon, very probably a different individual to the one on Vatersay.

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

After years of searching, trudging over the machair, beaches and headlands, delighted to find a mobile and flighty Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Vatersay this morning; the first record for the island and my first self-found too. Well worth getting rained on for! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

There's a similar situation here on Barra. Storm Floris scorched off most leaves at the start of August last year, meaning the trees had a 9 month winter! Lots of die back meant a sparse canopy in spring, but huge amounts of epicormic growth over summer has resulted in a dense autumn canopy now.

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Yes, but could be waiting a long time unless they're coming from Glasgow!

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Our first migrant Whooper Swan of the autumn taking a break on Barra's airport beach this morning. Must have been a tough flight from Iceland into strong headwinds. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Brevig seawatch today in a southerly gale and intermittent rain: 1 Cory's Shearwater (increasingly frequent on Barra these days), 22 Sooty and thousands of Manx Shearwaters all going south. The White-billed Diver did a fly-past as did the pictured White-tailed Eagle. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Autumn migration has been much in evidence on Barra today. Our first returning Pale-bellied Brent Geese cruised past Cleat first thing, there was a big arrival of Meadow Pipits around the island and a steady trickle of Lesser Black-backed Gulls slipping away to the south. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

At least one Pied Fly was still at Castlebay today, our first Wood Warbler on Barra this year was at Creachan, a few Sooty Shearwaters were offshore and 21 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits were at Eoligarry. And the breeze kept the midges away till 7pm when they all came for dinner! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The White-billed Diver reappeared off Brevig this evening, the first time we've seen it since the 19th. This makes 4 species of diver from our lounge in the past week! #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Not sure how it was on Mull, but midges were notable by their absence in the early part of the season here. Fair to say they've been making up for lost time today!

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

A Pied Flycatcher at Nask and 2 more at Castlebay were our first of the autumn on Barra, all finding plenty to eat on the midgiest of days! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

An adult Long-tailed Skua to the NW of Coll was the avian highlight of today's Oban-Barra ferry crossing. Also good to see a couple of Minke Whales off the east side of Barra plus multiple pods of Common Dolphins: great value as always. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Wonderful! There's been a marked arrival of Merlins around the island over the past week.

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

A small pod of Barra's resident Bottlenose Dolphins made a flying visit to Brevig this morning; lots of jumping, big splashes, great stuff! #cetaceans

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Thanks for your lovely comment. Glad you enjoyed the walk! It was good to meet you and we hope to see you again soon.

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Tree Sparrow, one of my favourite species, at Eoligarry today, our first on Barra since last winter. Also today the White-billed Diver was again off Brevig first thing and multiple flocks of Oystercatchers, Dunlin and Redshank were leaving Barra, departing SE out to sea. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The White-billed Diver loomed out of the fog in Brevig Bay again this afternoon, the first time we've seen it since the 7th. A single Sooty Shearwater, a few Storm Petrels and the usual crowd of Manxies were passing offshore during the clearer spells. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Very nice Dave. The only eclipse view I had on Barra this evening was of the moulting Eider kind! 😏

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

It's that time of year again. 2 Cory's Shearwaters south past Brevig mid-afternoon, the 6th consecutive August we've recorded them here. No longer a Scottish rarity, but still a thrill to see this awesome seabird cruising effortlessly past Barra. #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Wonderful views of Short-eared Owl at Eoligarry this morning, a highlight of one of the regular guided wildlife walks I lead for Barra and Vatersay Ranger Service. We also had 3 White-tailed Eagles, 3 species of tern and 3 rare bees! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Finally got my first Swift of the year on Barra which may also be my last Swift of the year on Barra! #birdingscotland

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Yes it's been a few years since the last one on Barra so very pleased with this one!

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Absolutely not what I expected to see when I scanned the sea from our lounge at lunchtime: a White-billed Diver feeding in the bay! A ridiculous early August record for Barra. #birdingscotland #RareBirdsUK

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Bruce Taylor @barrabirder.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Bottlenose Dolphin cavorting in front of our house yesterday morning was entertaining, but surpassed today by at least 2 Orca heading south offshore, the latter sadly way too distant for any record shots. We're lucky enough to see Orca from Barra a few times most years. #cetaceans

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