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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Patch year tick 128 with a wheatear briefly at Barr Loch this morning in the rain. Black-tailed godwit on flooded field to west and good numbers of ducks

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Pintail on my Lochwinnoch patch was a patch year tick today (127) a bird I did not get last year so pleased to catch up with it. 2 juv Garganey showed well and nice selection of wildfowl.

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Two juvenile Garganey at my Lochwinnoch patch on scrape this evening. #clydebirding #scottishbirdong #Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter in dull wet conditions

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Great morning birding my Lochwinnoch patch with Garganey briefly before flying off towards Calder marsh. I think probably a juvenile male rather than eclipse male but happy for views). Little stint, green sandpiper was patch year tick 126 reaching my 2026 target! #clydebirding #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

After a week off, back to work and little stint turns up on my patch (first record on my patch since 1976!). Quick post work twitch and patch tick helped my patch year list reach 125 Digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter and iphone16Pro #clydebirding #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Great morning birding my Lochwinnoch patch. Juv Marah Harrier at Barr Loch was patch year tick 124. New brood of 7 tufted ducks duckling, GCG with 4 humbugs. On scrape 2 mandarin, blackwit and juv redshank #scottishbirding #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Peregrine on edge of Barr loch was highlight of evening birding my Lochwinnoch patch. 4 mandarin and lovely views of water rail on scrape also. Digiscoped with kowa884 using iPhone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

2 Garganey on my Lochwinnoch patch yesterday 6th aug. Among the teals early evening. #clydebirding #birdingscotland #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Patch twitch this evening for the Juv/eclipse type Garganey on the scrape at Lochwinnoch. Patch year list is now 123. Digiscoped in fading light with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #clydebirding #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Still 4 eclipse Mandarins on my Lochwinnoch patch, but not much else this morning. #clydebirding #birdingscotland #Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Patch year tick 122 with dunlin on scrape at Lochwinnoch, still 4 mandarin plus all the usual stuff After a busy weeks finally got time to complete my ‘Lego’ Common Crane

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Swung by Blacktoft and St Aidans on the way back to Glasgow. Highlights include c40 bearded tits, 22+ spoonbill, 10+ cattle egrets, BN Grebes, Little Owls, nice selection of waders including ruff, spotted red etc. now back to reality of Clyde birding…

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Catching up with family in Hull and managed to catch up with the White-rumped Sandpiper at Kilnsea Wetland this evening

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

What a beast of bird! Quick detour on way from Glasgow to hull. Caspian tern at Nosterfield. #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #rarebirduk

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Common Scoter was patch year tick no. 121. Found the bird with tufted duck on Barr Loch this evening, but was alway distant - Record Digiscoped shot #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Highlight past few days on Lochwinnoch patch limited time so mostly pre and post work visits, Highlights include Sandwich tern, 1st summer med gull, 4 mandarins, 5 LRPs, 3 black-tailed godwit.#clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Managed to add little egret to my Lochwinnoch patch year list (120) with 2 flying over Barr loch at 6:11am. Nice selection of birds this morning including 6 gadwall, 5 LRPs, 4 mandarins and single black-tailed godwit #clydebirdibg

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Day off today so spent a bit time birding my Lochwinnoch patch Mandarin still kicking about, at least 100 black-headed gull chicks across the reserve. 7 LRPs (3 chicks) plus all the usual stuff #clydebirding #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Quick lunchtime twitch to see spotted redshank on my Lochwinnoch patch (first one here for 18 year!) annoyingly had to be in work early so first time in over a week I’ve not visited at first light! #clydebirding #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Pectoral Sandpiper showed well this evening on my Lochwinnoch patch (117 for the patch year list). Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #rarebirdsuk #birdingscotland #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Two water rail chicks on my Lochwinnoch patch today. #clydebirding #birdingscotland #digiscoped with kowa 884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Heading to airport shortly and back home, after a relaxing week in and around Budapest - 144 species of bird seen (or heard river and moustached warbler both stayed well hidden) all within about 50miles of Budapest. No lifers just good birding.

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Great days birding the Kiskunság National Park and nearby fish ponds. #digiscoped with kowa884 using vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Great days birding yesterday - Very windy as I explored Dinnyesi Ferto the Acros warblers where particularly difficult due to wind, moustached warbler only heard! Bit of #digiscoping of Red-backed Shirke having lunch hang kowa884 with vario adapter and iphone16Pro

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

A few days away - Birded Dinnyesi Ferto today avoiding most of the forecasted heavy rain - only a 50 minute train ride from Budapest (costing about £2.75p - cannot get into Glasgow for that!). Despite the wet and windy conditions loads of good birds seen

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Nice morning birding my Lochwinnoch patch highlight wood sandpiper, 2 LRPs, scaup plus all the usual stuff #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Quick look at the patch first thing then headed to Loch Venachar for the White-billed Diver which showed well. #birdingscotland #rarebirduk #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Bit of patch gold with kittiwake on the scrape at Lochwinnoch this morning #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

My 100th species on my Lochwinnoch patch 2026 year list was a drake mandarin had hoped for something better! Sedge warblers added to year list this morning and cuckoo a bird I don’t alway get every year on Saturday. #birdingscotland #clydebirdibg

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Black-tailed godwits at sunrise on scrape at Lochwinnoch RSPB reserve at sunrise this morning @rspbscotland.bsky.social #Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro with vario adapter #birdingscotland #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Rather fine adult Mediterranean Gull on my Lochwinnoch patch yesterday evening. Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter. #birdingscotland #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

Greenshank on the scrape at Lochwinnoch (first thing, flying high north at 7:04am) takes my patch year list to 91 after a good week with gadwall, Slavonian grebe, swallow and House Martin all added to the year list. #clydebirding Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Bit of patch gold this evening with a summer plumage Slavonian Grebe on Castle Semple often distant. #digiscopes with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter Also Osprey over Barr loch, 48 whooper swans and the hybrid shoveler x BW teal. #birdingscotland #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

A rather impressive looking hybrid (shoveler x blue winged teal) at Lochwinnoch today. #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter Swallow at Castle Semple Loch this evening bring my patch year list to 87 #birdingscotland #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Birded my Lochwinnoch patch this morning, windy and wet most of the time. Very much the usual suspects and patch year list remaining 80. Birds seen include GWE, 3 scaup, 3 pochard, 3 jays and 15 fieldfare. #birdingscotland Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Birded my Lochwinnoch patch first thing LT duck, 3 scaup & GWE highlights. Spent an hour birding Newshot island, American wigeon still present mostly sleeping during heavy rain #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #rarebirdsuk #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Not sure but it looks like they are getting on well with the timber fence. You can still get to channel hide and access the Aird meadow trail via temp routes. Reserve staff should be able to give you more information

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

After a few days in birding in Suffolk and Yorkshire it’s back to the reality of birding my Lochwinnoch patch. GWE showed well. Highlights was a redshank a patch year tick my 80th

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Managed to get a couple of hours of birding while back in Yorkshire. Red-necked Grebe showed well at Hornsea Mere. #Digiscoped with Kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter.

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Days birding started with Hume’s Warbler at Lowestoft, mostly high up in pine but got good but brief views in hedge, nice, over 20 since my last. Did bit of birding around Horsey before heading to to Hull see family in with 3 mile detour to way to see GGShirke.

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Cracking full days birding along the Suffolk coast. Lots of good birds seen today include the Zitting Cisticola, 4 shorelarks, woodlarks, dartford warblers, spotted redshank, bittern, bearded tits etc. also my first adder and butterfly of the year. Walked miles mostly on shingle beaches

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Opened the curtains this morning to see my first pipistrelle bat bus feeding just outside my window

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Birded the Blackstoun Farm rhubarb fields this morning 2 brambling among 280+ chaffinch. Then visited the reservoirs at Dams to Darnley, L. Egret on Balgray, at Littleton a stunning Drake scaup and 2 pochard Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Great White Egret in the rain at Barr Loch, Lochwinnoch today. #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter #birdingscotland

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Rainy, dull, cold days birding. Got soaked birding my Lochwinnoch patch only thing of note GWE. Visited Newshot Island America wigeon, Lt duck and 2 scaup still present #birdingscotand #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

LT ducks wintering on kilbirnie loch did the descent thing and came over to Barr Loch a patch year tick. Great white egret, 3 scaup plus all the usual stuff #birdingscotland #clydebirsing

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

A cold, windy and often very wet morning birding Ardmore, Craigendoran and Cardross. Highlights including a total of 9 Slavonian grebe, c80 GCGs, single RT Diver, 20+ pintail and single L Egret #birdingscotland #clydebirding

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Rick Bolton @digiscopingbyrick.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Birding my Lochwinnoch patch is starting to feel like Groundhog Day with the same stuff for past month - GWE and 3 scaup on Barr Loch the highlights

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