Blue-cheeked Bee-eater becomes my 300th island bird after dropping back to 296 with the AviList update! What a bird to do it with! Was a nice surprise to see it hunting for bees as we drove past the fence at Burray! Not where Id of predicted it’d turn up! #OrkneyBirding

A nice little video of the bird just before it went into roost. #OrkneyBirding

A brilliant day trip twitch to Papa Westray for the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Bonus Reed Warbler in a geo that @papaybirder.bsky.social was telling us he never sees anything in (apart from a Greenish), the Reed got a good laugh when it popped out! Massive thank you to all the Papay community

@gavnorthron.bsky.social in at the back post with a late spring (it might be summer) mega with this very smart Oriental Turtle Dove (ssp. meena) at Westness #OrkneyBirding

The three Dotterels remain at Sandar for their 13th day. Showing very well despite occasionally disappearing. #OrkneyBirding

Bright and blustery days are often unproductive on North Ron but today proved the total opposite! A very smart Subalpine Warbler in Ancum just before lunchtime was joined on the yearlist by three Dotterel in the afternoon at Sandar.

A quick trip to Filey with @maddyhine.bsky.social for the Eastern Black Redstart. Very nice indeed

King Eider still at Dornoch after we were fogged off on Christmas Eve. Still two Surf Scoter but no sign of Black Scoter sadly. #HighlandBirding #Ukbirding #KingEider #BoxingDayBirding

Warra week. Black-throated Thrush and Sibe Rubythroat! #OrkneyBirding

Always nice to find a Red-breasted Flycatcher, this bird appeared to drop onto a wall and feed in the garden at Dennishill. #OrkneyBirding

Another day, another bird. This Black-headed Bunting found by @maddyhine.bsky.social is our 9th island record and first since 2012. Needless to say, another island tick! #OrkneyBirding

A bit of video of todays White-rumped Sandpiper on Sandsheen. First on here since two birds in 2015. Amazed it was able to predate the Great Black-backed Gull, or thats what I assume from the evidence 🫣 #OrkneyBirding

Always good to see Curlew Sandpipers, this bird was one of four on Bewan today. #OrkneyBirding

Some great birding today, with plenty of migrants making landfall throughout the day. Personal highlights included 2 Barred Warblers, 2 Rosefinch, a Wryneck, Black and Common Redstart, 7 Garden Warblers and nearly 20 Willow Warblers! Four Convolvulus Hawkmoth and two Bat sp in the evening at nets.

Another Long-tailed Skua summer? Yes please!

Bonaparte’s Gull at Bewan today, it certainly made the blow of missing a very brief American Wigeon land a bit softer. Both would be island ticks so 1 out of 2 isn’t bad. Now on 295 for the island! #OrkneyBirding

Some good birds caught over the last few days. Obvious highlight was the Eastern Subalp but Crossbill and some Curlew chicks a close second. #OrkneyBirding #Ringing

Costa del North Ronaldsay strikes again! Black Kite today, Little Ringed Plover yesterday and a Glossy Ibis Tuesday. Not the usual mix for the Northern Isles.

Who doesn’t love a contextually significant rubbish bird. A nice pair of Mandarin on Gretchen this morning, only the second time I’ve seen Mandarin in North Ronaldsay #OrkneyBirding #NotPlasticStillFantastic

Some highly enjoyable but very cold birding in Finland and Norway with @heatherleabirds.bsky.social in the past 48hrs!

Some other bits as well. Monk Parakeets bought back fond memories of Simon leaping out the car at Morre Jable 😂

A few processed pics from mine and @maddyhine.bsky.social week on Fuerteventura. African Houbara an obvious highlight but Eastern Yellow Wag and African Blue Tit were great too. Common Sand on a Hippo (at the zoo 🙈) was good fun.

A few days in Kruger NP post flock to marion has treated us well! Leopard at death today, Ground Hornbill both today and yesterday, Lions yesterday and Elephants seemingly everywhere!

A very long but very enjoyable day of birding on board the Flock to Marion ship. Wandering Albatrosses, Sooty Albatrosses, White-chinned Petrels and another Barau’s Petrel! #FlocktoMarion #BirdingSouthAfrica #BirdLifeSouthAfrica

Day two: Burchell’s Coursers just outside Piketberg in lovely evening light was the highlight of the day…. although Ostriches were pretty good too, even when photographed through windscreen. #birdingsouthafrica

African Penguins, Orange-bellied Sunbirds and Cape Sugarbird the highlights from a great first day in South Africa. #birds #birdingsouthafrica

Some fun with Ptarmigan this afternoon. Never get tired of Snow Chickens! #ScottishBirds

Thats me and Maddy off island for 2024! Its been an incredible season but now time for some down time and extra curricular birding 😅

Not the November bird I had mind, but the first Brown Booby for Orkney was a very welcome find after a dry spell. Not quite as smart as yesterdays Eyebrowed Thrush, Craig seems to attract bright orange birds! #scottishbirds #OrkneyBirds #UKbirding @northronbirdobs.bsky.social

All the lovely habitat we have here on the island and the Black-faced Bunting chooses a cattle pen full of litter… #scottishbirding #orkneybirds @northronbirdobs.bsky.social