Rob Hughes

Merlin on a fence post

Smart dark faced, white collared, and heavily streaked Merlin (presumably a 2cy) landed briefly at Nybster this morning #CaithnessBirds

Two European White-fronted Geese with a Greylag Goose

8 Euro White-fronted Geese near our house today plus a nice Green-winged Teal on Loch of Wester #PWC2026 #CaithnessBirds

I agree

We did mention that at the time. Quite chunky including the bill. I’ll add some shortly.

Kumlien’s Gull in flight

Kumlien’s Gull on the sea with Herring Gulls, Common Gulls and an Oystercatcher

Looks like a Juv Kumlien’s Gull in Dunnet Bay this morning with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social
#CaithnessBirds

White-billed Diver

White-billed Diver showing very well at Gill’s Bay this afternoon with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social
Nice find by A. Branch
#CaithnessBirds

Three White-fronted Geese in a mixed Greylag and Pink-footed Goose flock

Three Euro White-fronted Geese at Huna this afternoon. Nice #PWC2026 birds #CaithnessBirds

Juvenile Iceland Gull flying over a choppy sea.

Third juvenile Iceland Gull from our house in two days. Today’s was a particularly dark individual #PWC2026 #CaithnessBirds

Bull Orca surfacing at a distance

Was watching two Humpback Whales cruise up the coast from our house, when a pod of Orca went through between the Whales and land this morning @ninaohanlon.bsky.social

Optics rule #1: never expose the glass to wind-accelerated cheesecake. Scratch resistant coating can’t defend against the sugar!

Adult Little Gull in flight over the sea

Juvenile Iceland Gull lifting off the sea

Juv Iceland Gull and three Little Gulls in Freswick Bay at lunchtime today #PWC2026 #CaithnessBirds

White-tailed Eagle in flight

After an absence last year, White-tailed Eagle flying past our house was a welcome #PWC2026 tick #CaithnessBirds with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social

Drake Bufflehead on a calm pool.

Lovely to see the Bufflehead at Foryd Bay this morning whilst back for the holidays. Great company and nice to catch up with a few N.Wales birders #birdingWales

The Taiga Bean Goose at Loch Heilen was ringed in E. Finland in July 2020. Usually wintering in S. Sweden, it was sighted in Norway (26th Sept) before Caithness. Full details can be found here submit.cr-birding.org/animals/1417... #CaithnessBirds

Taiga Bean Goose flock standing in a field

16 Taiga Bean Geese at Loch Heilen on my @webs-gsmp.bsky.social count today. One of which looks to have been neck collared in Finland! Will share its history when it comes through #CaithnessBirds

Orcas swimming in a choppy sea

Four Orcas swimming in a choppy sea

Spotted a fin whilst making a cup of tea from our house this afternoon. They made a kill too!
@ninaohanlon.bsky.social

Roxane Andersen in front of screen showing conference welcome slide.

Rob Hughes in front of screen with photo of a female Common Scoter.

Slide showing trends in birds at sites in Iceland, featuring Icelandic bird names

Slide showing bog restoration in Germany, including grids of rectangular flooded cells.

Another brilliant Flow Country Research Conference.

Big 🏆 for Roxane and team at UHI Thurso.

Great to see @rob-hughes-birder.bsky.social's PhD crammed into 30 mins. Loved the Icelandic word for Meadow Pipit and check out those German bog restoration lagoons.

@theflowcountry.bsky.social

Firecrest looking at the camera in the centre of the image, surrounded my pine tree branches

Gorgeous Firecrest at John O'Groats this morning 🧡 🔥
#CaithnessBirds
📸 @rob-hughes-birder.bsky.social

Treecreeper head coming around a tree trunk

Treecreeper in a tree

Treecreeper climbing a tree

This Treecreeper at John O’Groats this morning was #PWC2025 #patchgold Looked a bit frosty in the dull light
#CaithnessBirds

Ring Ouzel in the sun on a football pitch

Nicely marked Ring Ouzel at John O’Groats football pitch this morning. Also Hawfinch, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 2 Siberian Chiffchaffs, Woodcock and 3 Crossbills. Quite a few commoner migrants too #CaithnessBirds #PWC2025

1st winter Bonaparte’s Gull flying over the sea

Three Bonaparte’s Gulls still in Dunnet Bay today, also a new Ring-necked Duck on Wester Loch #CaithnessBirds

It was amazing, we didn’t know where to look! Found one in April so Nina can fill in the paperwork for this ‘set’.

Bonaparte’s Gull flying over a Black-headed Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull in flight with a Black-headed Gull

Juvenile Sabine’s Gull in flight

We had three Bonaparte’s Gulls (ad and two 1st w’s) in Dunnet Bay this morning!!! Also a Juv Sabine’s Gull, Juv Little Gull, 1st w Mediterranean Gull and a Curlew Sandpiper with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social
#CaithnessBirds

Woodpigeon on a nest with its chick popping its head up

Woodpigeon and its chick managed to cling on through Storm Amy, in Wick #CaithnessBirds

Red-breasted Flycatcher in a tree

Red-breasted Flycatcher still around, near John O’Groats this morning #CaithnessBirds

Red-flanked Bluetail, Red-breasted Flycatcher, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler and a Long-eared Owl from a quick run around JOG this morning, though nothing at Freswick or Noss #CaithnessBirds

Glossy Ibis in flight

Glossy Ibis flew down the Wick river this morning and landed near the just outside town. 10th record for Caithness. Also prob American Wigeon, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper on the river #CaithnessBirds

Coal Tit in Gorse

Coal Tit in John O’Groats quarry is a good sign of birds being on the move. Fresh in this morning, occasionally sticking its crest up #CaithnessBirds

Leach’s Petrel flying over the sea

Black Tern flying over the sea

Leach’s Petrel and Black Tern still in Dunnet Bay this morning #CaithnessBirds

Blurry photo of a Wryneck in flight, in a quarry

Terrible photo of a Wryneck at John O’Groats this morning but a useful #PWC2025 tick with @ninaohanlon.bsky.social
#CaithnessBirds