After the small drab brown moths of early spring here, great to see some larger more colourful species over the weekend in the moth-trap at Balephuil #Tiree : Emperor Moth, Puss Moth, Early Thorn and Angle Shades UK Moth Identification

A Bee-eater flew south calling over Balephuil #Tiree yesterday evening at 20.25hrs - no sign of it since despite much searching - my first here in 23 years! Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides

The easterly winds have brought a few new migrants to #Tiree today: Whinchat (2nd of the spring) and 6 Blackcaps at Balephuil, also a Canada Goose at Barrapol Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides

Female-type Black Redstart at Balephuil #Tiree today - a rare but in recent years just about annual visitor to the island Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides

Icelandic Redwings in twittering sub-song in the Balephuil #Tiree garden this morning Patchwork Challenge

A confiding Twite on my #Tiree Breeding Bird Survey this morning Patchwork Challenge - also a Whinchat new for the year last night at Balemartine & a Golden Eagle again today at Balephuil BirdGuides

Lovely postscript to this one - two of the ringed birds in this flock when they went into to roost on Orwell late morning 21st were on Tiree following day- most likely departed when they left the roost early afternoon x.com/tireebirder/st…

Bright male Siskin in the Balephuil #Tiree garden this morning was the first of the spring here - also 2 Common Sandpipers at West Hynish & a House Martin at Happy Valley, Hynish - all new for the year Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides

Great records!
From the Stour (Suffolk Bird Group EBwS Bird News) to Tiree (@ScottishBirding BTO Scotland)
Black-tailed Godwits connecting two of the UK's most outstanding godwiteers! Parula & Ed Keeble
What's a godwiteer?
wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/god…
#waders #ornithology

It has been a great spring for Black-tailed Godwit passage on #Tiree with 10 different colour-ringed individuals logged so far including 2 birds last night at Loch an Eilein (see pic), which were still on the Orwell Estuary in Suffolk on 21st April Jen Gill (she/her) Graham Appleton

Another pulse of north-bound migrants through the Balephuil #Tiree patch today despite the northerly winds: White Wagtails (10 together on one beach), Redwings (including one in full song) and more Wheatears Patchwork Challenge

So good to have Willow Warblers back in the Balephuil garden belting out their songs. Numbers of this summer visitor have increased on #Tiree in recent years, partly as a result of increased bush/tree cover in gardens The SOC

Nice arrival of new spring migrants for the Balephuil patch #Tiree this weekend: 3 male Corncrakes on 20th including 1 in the garden (pic), then today Cuckoo, Grasshopper Warbler (pic), Lesser Redpoll, Common Redpoll (pic) and Arctic Tern Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides

STOP PRESS!
The only Black-tailed Godwit to star in its own blog, dropped into Tiree today! Parula
On its way to #Iceland but thwarted by strong NW winds.
In 2017 it stopped off in Caithness (📷 Karen Munro)
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/jus…
#waders #shorebirds #ornithology

Fantastic day of spring migration on #Tiree today with birds everywhere in the sunshine: Black-tailed Godwit flock at Vaul, Pale-bellied Brent at Gott Bay, flock of 2,000+ Golden Plovers at Kilmoluaig Patchwork Challenge

Major influx of Black-tailed Godwits to #Tiree today with 1,200+ around the island including a flock of 385 at Vaul (see pic) - 6 more leg-ring combinations observed including an Icelandic-ringed bird (2010) seen previously on Tiree on 25 April 2017 Graham Appleton Jen Gill (she/her)

Lots more Black-tailed Godwits about on #Tiree just now including the first colour-ringed bird (lime flag) at Heylipol this morning Graham Appleton Jen Gill (she/her)

Short-necked oil beetles are out & about on Tiree!

These rare beetles were discovered for the first time on Tiree just last year - where else might they be??

If you live in the Hebrides, why not go for a look - they're most likely to be found in sand dunes & machair grassland.

Finally! Found 2 Short-necked Oil-beetles at Traigh Ghrianal on the west coast machair of #Tiree today - both only 15mm long but busy munching on buttercup leaves Species on the Edge BuglifeScotland Andy James Silvey Tiree Ranger Hayley

First Little Tern back on cue at Sorobaidh Bay #Tiree yesterday despite strong NW winds, also a Rook new at Balemartine this morning Patchwork Challenge BirdGuides