As we reach the end of another year, it is time to reflect on what has been an interesting twelve months. To be candid, I have grown somewhat disenchanted with social media and to a certain extent blogging during this period, resulting in my fewest ever posts since the inception of my blog in 2009. Consequently, I have left X (formerly Twitter) and joined 'Bluesky', along with one million others since Trump's election victory. I shall reserve my political opinions for another day, but I have not felt comfortable with the X platform since Musk assumed control.
In 2024, Dazza and I decided to postpone our visits to Spain until the autumn and instead explore some of the islands of our homeland, Scotland. With this in mind, we made spring visits to the Orkney Isles, the Isles of Lewis and Harris in the outer Hebrides along with North and South Uist and Benbecula.
Furthermore, we spent a long weekend in Aviemore with the RSPB Aberdeen Local Group, and I added an early summer visit to Shetland to see my friend Theo de Clermont, who was guiding there. This was in addition to my annual visit in October. Dazza and I then finished our travels with a November visit to my friends in Andalusia, Spain.
I ended 2024 with a final total of 225 bird species for Scotland, including the Isles and mainland. I was also fortunate to see three personal lifers Ptarmigan, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler and Paddyfield Warbler. This in addition to another fifteen Scottish ticks, making my total species since moving to Scotland permanently in October 2020 a creditable 266.
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| LIFER- Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler - Shetland 7th October. |
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| LIFER - Ptarmigan - November 3rd Cairnwell, Glenshee Cairngorms. |
Mainland Scotland Highlights included: Firecrest, Short-eared Owls, Shore Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Bittern, Bufflehead, Marsh Warbler, Bluethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Bee-eater, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Greenish Warbler, Snow Goose, Pectoral Sandpiper, Isabelline Wheatear, Crested Tit, Cattle Egret and Ptarmigan.
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| Red-breasted Flycatcher - 25th May Ballater. A very rare spring record for mainland Scotland. |
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| Bluethroat - Collieston 24th May. |
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| Pallas's Warbler - Rattray 17th October. |
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| Isabelline Wheatear - Collieston 19th October. |
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| Surf Scoter - Girdleness, Aberdeen 2nd November. |
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| Bittern - Monikie Country Park Angus 6th February. |
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| Bufflehead - A short drive over to the Sand Loch at Forvie NNR on March 25th for a Drake Bufflehead which is almost certainly the same bird that spent a brief few hours on the east side of the Irish Sea at Carbeth Loch, Clyde. From here it made its way across to the North Sea coast at Sand Loch, Aberdeenshire, on the 24th becoming the first record for both counties. |
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| Greenish Warbler - Rattray 2nd September. |
Orkney Highlights included: Hen Harriers, Short-eared Owls, Great Skuas & Hares
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| View from our Cottage window overlooking Stromness Harbour, Orkney |
We commenced our journey to Orkney on April 20th, with the first stage involving a four-and-a-half-hour drive north, where we stayed near John o'Groats for a few days. Subsequently, we took the ferry from Gills Bay to St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney, where we spent four days exploring the islands..
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| Orkney has a large population of Hares. |
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| Short-eared Owls are a regular feature on Orkney. |
Lewis, Harris (6th-8th May) & Outer Hebrides (9th-12th) Highlights included: - Little Tern, Corncrake, White-tailed Eagles, Black-throated Diver and Short-eared Owl.
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| Little Terns at Taransay, Isle of Harris. |
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| White-tailed Eagle - In the gloom at Loch Druidibeg, south Uist. |
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| Corncrake - A feature throughout the Outer Hebrides. |
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| Black-throated Diver - Benbecula. |
Shetland Highlights (June & October) included: - Red-necked Phalarope, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler, Lapland Bunting, Grey Phalarope, Pallas's Warbler, Little Bunting, Arctic Warbler, Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Olive-backed Pipit, Cattle Egret.
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| Blyth's Reed Warbler - 15th June, Virkie Mainland. |
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| Dark & Light Phase Arctic Skua, Shetland Mainland. |
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| Red-necked Phalarope -13th June, Shetland. |
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| Lapland Bunting - 10th October Mossey Hill, Mainland Shetland |
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| Little Bunting - 5th October, Lerwick, Shetland. |
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| Barred Warbler - 6th October, Lerwick, Shetland. |
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| Olive-backed Pipit - 6th October, Kergord, Shetland |
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| Common Rosefinch - 7th October, Valyie, Shetland |
The final trip of the year was to Andalusia in November, where I spent two weeks at my friend's villa in Mijas. Although it was not primarily a birding break, I managed a few outings, including a trip to the Sierra de las Nieves National Park, one of my favorite places high in the mountains behind Marbella.
HERE'S TO 2025
