Bruce Taylor @barrabirder Twitter profile

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

This may come as a shock to some; it sure did to me! I found Britain's 1st RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET on Barra on 12th Nov. It stayed until 19th and is now gone. We felt torn, not being able to share this rarity with others, but protecting our island community comes first during Covid.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Corncrake photographed from my bed this morning. This bird has spent the past few nights calling just a few feet from my pillow, close enough to actually feel the noise. It's oddly therapeutic!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

After a quiet spell, there seems to be another small wave of Violet Sea Snails arriving on Barra. Found 4 of the little beauties fresh in, with bubbles intact, this afternoon.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Just in from busy day when the phone rang. "Live dolphin stranding Eoligarry." 30 mins later we found it in fading light stuck in shallows on fast receding tide, apparently unhurt. The 2 of us carried it 50m in a sling to deeper water and released it: swam away towards open sea.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Adult Cuckoos left Barra about 3 weeks ago and it's possible some may have already reached Africa, but their youngsters are here for a bit longer, being raised by Meadow Pipits.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

I've been birding for 40 years and in that time I've found a few good birds, but there's one that's always eluded me. I twitched a few Wrynecks back in the day, but never found my own. That just changed when this little stunner popped up in front of me at Cuithir, Barra. At last!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Always fancied finding a Harlequin on Barra but never thought it would actually happen. Birding off-piste this morning south of Traigh Eais I noticed a small duck close in. It was the Holy Grail itself! Barra's first Harlequin.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Corncrakes are shy, elusive birds that like to stay hidden in low vegetation... apart from this one, slowly pottering along the open roadside verge without a care in the world as we drove past this morning.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Our first Common Sandpiper family of the year were blocking the road home this evening: a brood of 4 chicks, each the size of a ping-pong ball but even more bouncy.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Out birding since first light. Got home, refilled the feeders and sat down to breakfast when Kathy says 'ROSY ON THE FATBALLS!' Nice house tick (no. 141).

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

A report of 5 Shoveler (a Barra tick) had us hot-footing it to Eoligarry. They were still there but lacking those big bills. The penny dropped: they were actually 5 BLUE-WINGED TEALS! Clearly new in and jumpy, last seen flying north. Also a brief Pec Sand. Still need Shoveler!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

It's fair to say that we feel overwhelmed by all the positive feedback and support following yesterday's Ruby-crowned Kinglet news from Barra. Thank you all. Birding is a great stress-reliever... unless you find a first for Britain during a pandemic!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

One of those promising days...stopped to make some pishing sounds by the clump of bushes at the top of Glen, Barra, and immediately up popped a Red-eyed Vireo!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

There must be hundreds of Great Northern Divers around Barra at present and most are now in summer plumage. For striking good looks, this bird takes some beating!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

7 years

Another holy cow moment: just found an American redstart in trees behind Eoligarry church! #mega #Barra #AnotherDayInBarradise

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Basking Shark at the end of my garden this morning.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

A big box containing a cat-mauled bird greeted me at work today. I lifted the lid expecting a Robin or Blackbird but a young Corncrake was looking up at me, ruffled but otherwise uninjured. I released it nearby; last seen running hell-for-leather for the nettles!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

This cold spring is holding back my crop of onions in the new raised bed in our back garden.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

7 years

Holy cow. I just found a needle-tailed swift at Glen! It's still present at 11am showing down to 5 feet! #BarraBirding #mega

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

This morning's events on Barra haven't sunk in yet but it's been epic! I found a Red-eyed Vireo behind Eoligarry church mid morning. While watching it Kathy found a 2nd bird in the same sycamore clump. 2 hrs later we hit Nask and had brief but close views of a Tennessee Warbler.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

I've been birding for 44 years and have been driven by the urge to find my own rarities for much of that time. These past few days on Barra have been the stuff of dreams for a bird-finder like me. Feels like a new benchmark for autumn birding has been set in Britain this week.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

We were just in the middle of measuring a dead whale on the beach (as you do) when Mark Oksien called to say he'd caught a small thrush species at Creachan! Got there in time to see Barra's second Swainson's Thrush being ringed and released.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Here come the geese! Our first Pale-bellied Brents of the autumn were powering south past Vatersay through blustery showers this afternoon.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

I take my house list quite seriously, so when today's Red-backed Shrike moved to a fence just a few hundred metres behind my neighbour's it was time to get the ladder and take to the roof. Rb Shrike duly added to the list! 135th species from the house and 95th in lockdown. #BWKM0

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

A crazy morning on Barra. I had a brief view of the Tennessee Warbler at Nask first thing before finding 2 more Red-eyed Vireos at Castlebay. While waiting to see them again this Philadelphia Vireo started calling beside us, a joint find between Kathy, Ian and myself.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

10 months

Wintering Barnacle Geese and some big waves on the west side of Barra today.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

7 years

American redstart still present at Eoligarry mid morning and showing well.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

4 - yes, four Red-eyed Vireos on Barra today and that's just the ones we've found!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

At least birding was good in 2020! I recorded 174 species on Barra. Self-found highlights: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 5 Blue-winged Teal, Dusky Wblr, Citrine Wag, 2 Blyth's Reed Wblr, AGP, 2 Rb Shrikes, Sabine's, Rb Fly, Rosefinch, Pec Sand, Hobby and a Wryneck. Happy New Year to all.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

After yesterday's finds, we hit Vatersay's shores again and immediately found another Sea Heart. I'm in awe of the huge journey it made: falling from a vine in the tropics, washing into a river then out to sea, then drifting thousands of miles to reach the Outer Hebrides. Epic!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

The 'don't eat anything bigger than your head' rule was smashed clean out the park today by this Otter and its cub eating their way through a 4 foot long Conger Eel on Barra. They gave up after an hour's constant eating, leaving a feast for the gulls gathered nearby.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Hard to tear myself away from the lounge window when there's 2 White-tails having a spat over the bay.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 months

I was surprised to find a Dipper on Barra a week ago, but today I had a far bigger surprise: it has a partner and kids! This appears to be the first confirmed breeding record for the species on Barra.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Corncrakes are harder to see now compared to the start of the season: the grass has grown up, the birds are calling less and generally seem more wily. These two bucked the trend though, wandering around out in the open on a lawn today.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

This just made my day: found Barra's second ever Rustic Bunting by the football pitch at Castlebay. Calling lots, but very flighty, I managed this shot between two branches in the moment before it flew.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

Corncrakes have been arriving back on Barra in the past few days. This one was blocking the road on my way home from work this afternoon!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Point blank views of this Otter from our lounge over breakfast. It munched its way through a two foot conger eel in the time it took me to get through a bowl of muesli!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

Now 5, yes FIVE Red-eyed Vireos on Barra! 2 each still at Castlebay and Eoligarry and I found another at Nask.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

A brisk north-easterly wind and some good updrafts on the slopes around my house today. Wasn't long until White-tailed Eagles took advantage of them; at one point 4 birds were present over the bay, with a few tussles between them. Photographed from my lounge window.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

KINGFISHER by the football pitch at Castlebay this morning. Not the bright colourful mega I was hoping to find, but it's a true mega rarity on Barra with apparently only 1 previous record and that was in 1892. We get more Red-eyed Vireos than these!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Chuffed to find this Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Glen this morning. Only the third record for Barra following individuals in 2004 and 2009.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

Merlin perched on a windscreen wiper on wet and windy Vatersay this morning. Pity the Blyth's Reed Warbler at Creachan this afternoon didn't show this well!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Barra's long-awaited new ferry passing Brevig just now. At least this one won't have engine problems! 🤣

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

Barra's autumn of mega rarities continues with the island's third ever Swainson's Thrush found by Ian Ricketts at Castlebay this morning, the 4th species and 9th individual of North American passerine so far this autumn. It's not usually like this, honest!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Distant White-tailed Eagle against a backdrop of the even more distant snowy peaks of Skye. It's bitterly cold, but there's no snow here on Barra yet.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

We thought we were doing well for Yellow-browed Warblers yesterday with 35 but today's total blew that out of the water with a colossal 94+; by far the highest ever count on Barra. Also 2 Pied Fly, a Ring Ouzel and a Hawfinch on the island.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Another big arrival of Redwings on Barra with the west side of the island heaving with birds! We estimate 5000 or more scattered across the machair and hillsides today.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

The bays around Vatersay are an important area for wintering Black-throated Divers. Before today my highest ever count was 59, but this afternoon that rose to a colossal 73! Has there been a higher count from a single site anywhere in Britain?

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

There's been a nice little arrival of Waxwings on Barra in the past 24 hours. It's been a few years since there was a decent influx and the current birds are earlier than we generally see them. Maybe this is the start of something...

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Yesterday I found £20 on the grass by Eoligarry church. Didn't feel right to keep it, so found the priest and handed it over with the comment "Maybe God could see his way to sending me a rarity as thanks". Today I found a cracking male Eastern Subalpine Warbler behind the church!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

After a few good birds from the east, finally a mega from the west: Northern Oriole at Northbay House, Morghan. Great find by Stuart Rivers.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Heard my first Barra Corncrake of the year calling from the vegetation behind our house early this evening. We've had stunningly good views (see photo) from the bedroom window over the past 3 summers; hoping for a repeat this year.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

Just found a Baird's Sandpiper on the beach at Allasdale. Only the second record for Barra after the first in October 2005.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

5 years

The Two-barred Crossbill influx just reached Barra. After weeks of watching, waiting and hoping, I found this stonking male at Bruernish this morning. The first record for the island.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

5 years

After much searching I finally found my first Sea Heart, a tropical seed that's drifted here from the Caribbean, washed ashore on Vatersay today. Thought I'd do the romantic thing and gave it to Kathy, but 5 minutes later she found her own so I took it back again.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

First day back at work at the Garadh, Northbay, after annual birding leave. Just finishing my shift when an Olive-backed Pipit dropped in! 5th record for Barra and my 300th self-found species in Britain.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

Birding Barra gets crazier by the day. Found my second Tennessee Warbler of the week at Creachan this afternoon. Terrible weather conditions and light and a Robin that took umbrage when it called meant a brief view and poor photos.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

Saw the weirdest thing today. Scanning through Long-tailed Ducks on the sea off Craigston when I noticed something smaller and brown bobbing among the flock. What I thought was debris sat up, took flight and headed for land. Bizarrely it was a Woodcock!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

5 years

There's something almost otherworldly about the appearance of Goose Barnacles. There were thousands covering this big chunk of driftwood on a deserted Barra beach today.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

'Robofinch' was back in our garden again this morning. #BW0KM

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

8 months

Another snowy day on Barra and again normally shy species are appearing in odd places, including this Woodcock sitting out in the open on a neighbour's lawn, watching us watching it as we walked past.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Journey's end for this long distance voyager: a beautiful Violet Sea Snail complete with its buoyancy raft of bubbles, washed in by the morning tide at Traigh Eais. There's been a small arrival of these on Barra in recent days along with many By-The-Wind Sailors and jellyfish.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Around this time of year some parents begin to wonder when their kids will leave home! Cuckoos have had a productive year on Barra: saw my tenth juvenile of the season begging to be fed by its overworked Meadow Pipit "parents" on my way to work today.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Corncrakes are still calling strongly on Barra, but now the vegetation has grown up they're harder to see than at the start of the season. I got lucky just now when this one hopped up on a rock outside the lounge window.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Found a drake Green-winged Teal at Ardmhor this morning. I was feeling pleased with that as it's an overdue self-found tick, when Kathy promptly found 2 more in the same little flock!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

So it finally happened. I've spent the last 7 years looking at this view waiting for a Great Shearwater to appear round that headland and at 6.30 this evening one did! Then another at 7.05 and a 3rd at 7.15, a bit like buses, making my house list 145. 4 species of skua today too.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

5 years

Merlins have been reappearing on Barra in the past few days. Through the autumn they are often our most frequently seen bird of prey on the island.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Kathy found this sea bean on Vatersay this afternoon. It's a "Hamburger Bean", the seed of a tropical vine that's drifted here on the ocean from the Caribbean or beyond.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Today was a Ring Ouzel day. We saw a minimum of 9 around Barra. Pretty sure there's never been a higher day count on the Outer Hebrides.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 months

It still amazes me that we can walk along a beach here and find a seed that floated over the ocean from a plant growing thousands of miles away. This is our collection of sea beans and drift seeds found during lengthy searches on Barra and Vatersay, mostly in the past 2 winters.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

Bottlenose Dolphins checking out the kayakers just off the marina in Castlebay this afternoon. Those guys are going to have a hell of a story to tell their friends and family when they get home. And the kayakers will too.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Don't think the sparrows like the new batch of bird seed. Not seen anything on the feeders all evening.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Black-throated Divers off Castlebay this afternoon, looking absolutely stunning in summer plumage. These birds have spent the winter around Barra and Vatersay, but will soon be departing for their breeding sites, perhaps in the Highlands or further up the island chain.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Had a funny feeling that I should check the beach at Cleat just in case there was a Citrine Wagtail there. Sure enough there was! A self found tick and the 3rd record for Barra.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Awesome start to the week. Honey Buzzard heading north over Northbay on my way to work. First record for Barra and only the 6th record for the Outer Hebrides.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

WOW! Roller on the power lines near Vatersay cafe late morning before the rain hit, apparently for its second day. Congrats and thanks to the finders of this 1st record for Vatersay and the 2nd for the Outer Hebs. The previous bird was on Barra in Sept '13 found by yours truly.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Lazy Sunday afternoon on Barra, Otter-style.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

Corn Buntings became extinct on Barra and Vatersay about 6 years ago. We thought we'd never see another here, so we were delighted to find this one on Vatersay this morning. It gives us a glimmer of hope that all might not be lost.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

The Roller was still on Vatersay this morning ranging widely but returning to the fences and power line near the community cafe from time to time. Great to see in sunshine after yesterday's deluge.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

5 years

Red-spotted Bluethroat at Glen this evening. We've waited a long time to see one of these on Barra, but it was worth the wait. What a stunner!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

The Baltimore Oriole was still present mid afternoon. 1st record for Barra, 2nd record for the Outer Hebrides. It's so bright you almost need shades!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Despite tinder dry conditions, despite birds already nesting, despite pleas from emergency services not to start fires, despite Scottish government banning muirburning during COVID 19, a crofter still set fire to Barra today. Hard to imagine a more irresponsible thing to do.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

There are colossal numbers of By-The-Wind Sailors washing ashore on Barra's west facing beaches today. We estimate there were in the region of half a million on the strandline at Traigh Eais this afternoon.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

Now is the best time to see Corncrakes on Barra, while the vegetation is still low.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Red-breasted Flycatcher at Glen today; nice find by Stuart Beeby. We get 2-3 on Barra most years but all the previous ones I've seen have been immature/females. Great to finally see a cracking adult male!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

5 years

Slammed on the brakes when I noticed a Corncrake flaunting itself on a roadside wall this afternoon. It sat out in the open for a full 5 minutes before it got chased off by a House Sparrow!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

This is Barra's rarest orchid, Irish Lady's Tresses, coming into flower. Old records suggest this beautiful little plant used to be more abundant here, but I've only seen 2 in the last 5 years before suddenly stumbling across 4 today. @ukorchids

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

7 years

No sign of the swift since 12 but could still be on Barra. Meanwhile my wife found a rosy starling by the cemetery at Eoligarry at 3.30pm.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

It only feels like the other day, but it was 5 years ago today that we found Britain's 9th White-throated Needletail. It stayed less than 2 hours, but it was the most adrenaline-charged, euphoric 2 hours of my life watching the coolest bird on the planet cruising Barra's skies.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

We rarely see Short-eared Owls here on Barra, although they breed just a few miles away on South Uist. So it was great to bump into this one at Bruernish today and get a long overdue owl fix!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

I think my Swiss Chard could do with a drop of rain.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

It's not unusual to find a few dead seabirds washed ashore on Barra's beaches at this time of year, but the numbers of dead Fulmars in recent weeks is concerning: we've found 16 in past ten days alone, way more than usual. Got a bad feeling about this...

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

11 months

More Waxwing encounters on Barra today including this flock of 9 that paused briefly at Cuithir before heading west. With thousands of migrant thrushes on the island and now a Waxwing influx, it wont be long before every last berry is eaten.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

6 years

Pechora Pipit at Castlebay today. 1st record for Barra. A joint effort with Ian Ricketts: he found it, I identified it. Cracking bird!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

Twite taking a dip at Eoligarry. Some huge flocks have been on the machair this autumn after a good breeding season. Most will soon depart for the winter, leaving just a few dozen to tough out the stormy season on Barra.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

1 year

And still they come. Not the huge numbers we saw yesterday but By-The-Wind Sailors are still washing ashore on Barra's western beaches today, a few with every wave. A number of Violet Sea Snails are arriving with them: we've found 26 in the past 48 hours.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

2 years

So here's a turn up for the books. Returned to Eoligarry and had far better views of what I took to be a Yellow-brow yesterday. Things didn't add up for YBW and when it started calling it upgraded itself to Arctic Warbler, our second in a week. Then it started singing too!

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

4 years

Been seeing a lot of Jack Snipe photos on twitter where the bird was located with a thermal imaging camera. I don't have that kind of kit but I've an eye for suitable habitat, lots of patience and a pair of wellies! There are far more on Barra and Vatersay than records suggest.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

3 years

The Rosy Starling was still at the north end of Barra today roaming the machair between Eoligarry jetty and the airport, usually in the company a couple of hundred local Starlings.

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Bruce Taylor

@barrabirder

7 years

Hawfinches seem to be turning up all over the place this winter. This one appeared outside my lounge window a few minutes ago. Not bad for mid December on Barra!

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