Andrew Russell
@andyrussornitho.bsky.social
Birder, ornithologist and local patcher based in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Clyde Bird Records Panel. Lover of Scottish islands, munros and live music.
Twitter: @AndyRussOrnitho
Twitter: @AndyRussOrnitho
The 16 and then some
August 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
The 16 and then some
A rare visit to the Clyde west coast for the county year list made for a great birthday. Eight year ticks including 17 Common Scoter and a surprise Storm Petrel were great bonus birds, the latter only a 7th record for Clyde! #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
June 22, 2025 at 6:01 PM
A rare visit to the Clyde west coast for the county year list made for a great birthday. Eight year ticks including 17 Common Scoter and a surprise Storm Petrel were great bonus birds, the latter only a 7th record for Clyde! #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
Had another productive visit to RSPB Baron's Haugh this evening. A female Little Ringed Plover was joined by a male and soon after a Wood Sandpiper was calling overhead before dropping in. My second here this spring. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
April 29, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Had another productive visit to RSPB Baron's Haugh this evening. A female Little Ringed Plover was joined by a male and soon after a Wood Sandpiper was calling overhead before dropping in. My second here this spring. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
On a post work visit to RSPB Baron's Haugh late this afternoon, it was good to see the smart breeding plumaged Green Sandpiper and ever better to find this Wood Sandpiper had joined it. Great views from the old Phoenix Hide area. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
April 22, 2025 at 5:58 PM
On a post work visit to RSPB Baron's Haugh late this afternoon, it was good to see the smart breeding plumaged Green Sandpiper and ever better to find this Wood Sandpiper had joined it. Great views from the old Phoenix Hide area. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
First seen 10 minutes from home, it's a bit of a shame this White Stork went wandering and I had to leave Clyde to see it. Seen just north of Linlithgow this morning. #BirdingScotland
April 20, 2025 at 7:08 PM
First seen 10 minutes from home, it's a bit of a shame this White Stork went wandering and I had to leave Clyde to see it. Seen just north of Linlithgow this morning. #BirdingScotland
Four Little Ringed Plovers at RSPB Baron's Haugh this evening, the first time I've seen more than one there.
#Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
#Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
April 10, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Four Little Ringed Plovers at RSPB Baron's Haugh this evening, the first time I've seen more than one there.
#Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
#Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
A rare five Grebe day in Clyde kicked off by the stunning Black-necked Grebe at Ardmore Point, soon followed by Slav and Great Crested Grebe.
Moving inland to Hogganfield Loch, the Red-necked Grebe showed well with Little Grebe present too. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
Moving inland to Hogganfield Loch, the Red-necked Grebe showed well with Little Grebe present too. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
March 15, 2025 at 6:14 PM
A rare five Grebe day in Clyde kicked off by the stunning Black-necked Grebe at Ardmore Point, soon followed by Slav and Great Crested Grebe.
Moving inland to Hogganfield Loch, the Red-necked Grebe showed well with Little Grebe present too. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
Moving inland to Hogganfield Loch, the Red-necked Grebe showed well with Little Grebe present too. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
A Great White Egret and Med Gull Gull from Forrestburn Reservoir this afternoon. Both birds on the increase locally. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
March 2, 2025 at 5:37 PM
A Great White Egret and Med Gull Gull from Forrestburn Reservoir this afternoon. Both birds on the increase locally. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
The Cornwall Booted Eagle showed brilliantly this morning, what a stunner! #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK
February 8, 2025 at 6:27 PM
The Cornwall Booted Eagle showed brilliantly this morning, what a stunner! #UKbirding #RareBirdsUK
Got lucky with the Ring-billed Gull at Strathclyde Loch this afternoon. As soon as I picked it up on the water, it got up and started flying around and was soon spiralling high over the beach car park.
Not an easy bird to see this winter! #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUk
Not an easy bird to see this winter! #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUk
February 3, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Got lucky with the Ring-billed Gull at Strathclyde Loch this afternoon. As soon as I picked it up on the water, it got up and started flying around and was soon spiralling high over the beach car park.
Not an easy bird to see this winter! #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUk
Not an easy bird to see this winter! #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUk
Some quality #Clydebirding this afternoon when the wintering Yellow-legged Gull landed in the fields at Newshot Island. It soon joined the bread feeding.
The drake American Wigeon and female Scaup were year ticks too. #BirdingScotland
The drake American Wigeon and female Scaup were year ticks too. #BirdingScotland
February 1, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Some quality #Clydebirding this afternoon when the wintering Yellow-legged Gull landed in the fields at Newshot Island. It soon joined the bread feeding.
The drake American Wigeon and female Scaup were year ticks too. #BirdingScotland
The drake American Wigeon and female Scaup were year ticks too. #BirdingScotland
An early start at Strathclyde Loch to see the fallout from Storm Eowyn. The result...a stunning 1st winter Little Gull. Not what I had in mind but still very nice to see.
#BirdingScotland #Clydebirding
#BirdingScotland #Clydebirding
January 25, 2025 at 8:43 PM
An early start at Strathclyde Loch to see the fallout from Storm Eowyn. The result...a stunning 1st winter Little Gull. Not what I had in mind but still very nice to see.
#BirdingScotland #Clydebirding
#BirdingScotland #Clydebirding
A drake Smew was showing well on the River Clyde near Bothwell Castle on Sunday. It's likely the recent Broadwood Loch bird which had moved on during the freeze. #BirdingScotland #Clydebirding
January 15, 2025 at 8:38 PM
A drake Smew was showing well on the River Clyde near Bothwell Castle on Sunday. It's likely the recent Broadwood Loch bird which had moved on during the freeze. #BirdingScotland #Clydebirding
The Buff-bellied Pipit showed brilliantly at Wide Open, Ross Back Sands yesterday late afternoon. Nice to finish the day on a win after hours of dipping the Ross's Gull. An educating bird that was more distinctive in the field than I expected. It had a great call too! #rarebirdsUK #nebirding
January 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
The Buff-bellied Pipit showed brilliantly at Wide Open, Ross Back Sands yesterday late afternoon. Nice to finish the day on a win after hours of dipping the Ross's Gull. An educating bird that was more distinctive in the field than I expected. It had a great call too! #rarebirdsUK #nebirding
Potentially the best ever views I'll have of Hawfinch in Britain, one of the Lesmahagow females put on a great show.
Back to work tomorrow... #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
Back to work tomorrow... #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
January 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Potentially the best ever views I'll have of Hawfinch in Britain, one of the Lesmahagow females put on a great show.
Back to work tomorrow... #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
Back to work tomorrow... #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
Not the best of photos but it's a Hawfinch and more importantly, my first Clyde Hawfinch.
First found on the 1st, it was in beech and hawthorn just off New Trows Road at it's Foulford Junction, south of Lesmahagow. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
maps.app.goo.gl/vVCHx5qX4K5S...
First found on the 1st, it was in beech and hawthorn just off New Trows Road at it's Foulford Junction, south of Lesmahagow. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
maps.app.goo.gl/vVCHx5qX4K5S...
January 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Not the best of photos but it's a Hawfinch and more importantly, my first Clyde Hawfinch.
First found on the 1st, it was in beech and hawthorn just off New Trows Road at it's Foulford Junction, south of Lesmahagow. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
maps.app.goo.gl/vVCHx5qX4K5S...
First found on the 1st, it was in beech and hawthorn just off New Trows Road at it's Foulford Junction, south of Lesmahagow. #Clydebirding #BirdingScotland
maps.app.goo.gl/vVCHx5qX4K5S...
My favourite find this year was the 2nd winter drake White-winged Scoter at Wadbister, a second record for Shetland.
My best local find was this 1st winter Caspian Gull, a second record for Clyde if accepted (first since 2008).
My best local find was this 1st winter Caspian Gull, a second record for Clyde if accepted (first since 2008).
December 31, 2024 at 3:46 PM
My favourite find this year was the 2nd winter drake White-winged Scoter at Wadbister, a second record for Shetland.
My best local find was this 1st winter Caspian Gull, a second record for Clyde if accepted (first since 2008).
My best local find was this 1st winter Caspian Gull, a second record for Clyde if accepted (first since 2008).
I seen some great birds this year including Pechora Pipit which was a bird I've wanted to see for years, the long awaited first Eastern Crowned Warbler for Scotland and a cracking Myrtle Warbler. My favourite birding day was the Great Shearwater spectacle off Tiree in November.
December 31, 2024 at 3:34 PM
I seen some great birds this year including Pechora Pipit which was a bird I've wanted to see for years, the long awaited first Eastern Crowned Warbler for Scotland and a cracking Myrtle Warbler. My favourite birding day was the Great Shearwater spectacle off Tiree in November.
Winter birding can be a bit slow, so this hunting Goshawk added some much needed excitement to yet another cold, grey, rainy day. No catch this time. #BirdingScotland
December 22, 2024 at 6:49 PM
Winter birding can be a bit slow, so this hunting Goshawk added some much needed excitement to yet another cold, grey, rainy day. No catch this time. #BirdingScotland
Challenging conditions but here's some of the Little Auk and Glaucous Gull battling north into the storm at Torness today. #BirdingScotland @birdinglothian.bsky.social
December 8, 2024 at 7:24 PM
Challenging conditions but here's some of the Little Auk and Glaucous Gull battling north into the storm at Torness today. #BirdingScotland @birdinglothian.bsky.social
We spent the afternoon closer to home, birding the patch before heading down to Strathclyde Loch. The adult Ring-billed Gull turned up for another winter, much earlier than it has in recent years.
The Belgian Med Gull was one of two. A Little Egret on the island. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK
The Belgian Med Gull was one of two. A Little Egret on the island. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK
November 24, 2024 at 6:53 PM
We spent the afternoon closer to home, birding the patch before heading down to Strathclyde Loch. The adult Ring-billed Gull turned up for another winter, much earlier than it has in recent years.
The Belgian Med Gull was one of two. A Little Egret on the island. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK
The Belgian Med Gull was one of two. A Little Egret on the island. #BirdingScotland #RareBirdsUK
Had a great morning around Pettycur and Kinghorn with my best views of Little Auk in many years. Also a Puffin, Arctic and Great Skua off Kinghorn.
We moved on to Otterston Loch where the drake American Wigeon and female Lesser Scaup showed well. #birdingFife #BirdingScotland
We moved on to Otterston Loch where the drake American Wigeon and female Lesser Scaup showed well. #birdingFife #BirdingScotland
November 24, 2024 at 6:21 PM
Had a great morning around Pettycur and Kinghorn with my best views of Little Auk in many years. Also a Puffin, Arctic and Great Skua off Kinghorn.
We moved on to Otterston Loch where the drake American Wigeon and female Lesser Scaup showed well. #birdingFife #BirdingScotland
We moved on to Otterston Loch where the drake American Wigeon and female Lesser Scaup showed well. #birdingFife #BirdingScotland
Had a decent afternoon at Strathclyde Loch, the Great White Egret I seen after work on Tuesday turned up again, this time joined by a Little Egret. Cold weather movements included 14 Meadow Pipits along the loch shore. #BirdingScotland
November 23, 2024 at 6:53 PM
Had a decent afternoon at Strathclyde Loch, the Great White Egret I seen after work on Tuesday turned up again, this time joined by a Little Egret. Cold weather movements included 14 Meadow Pipits along the loch shore. #BirdingScotland
Interesting observation, that's one of the reasons I think I'm going to run both at the moment. Bluesky left, Twitter right, some small differences but both are probably fine for what I'm posting. I've seen some video footage posted on here that wasn't as badly compressed as Twitter would have.
November 17, 2024 at 9:10 PM
Interesting observation, that's one of the reasons I think I'm going to run both at the moment. Bluesky left, Twitter right, some small differences but both are probably fine for what I'm posting. I've seen some video footage posted on here that wasn't as badly compressed as Twitter would have.
My first post on here, I'm going to try and run this and twitter simultaneously for a while to test the platforms longevity.
Some photos of the long returning Mediterranean Gull at Strathclyde Loch this weekend. Ringed as a chick in Antwerp in 2002, it's a decent age.
Some photos of the long returning Mediterranean Gull at Strathclyde Loch this weekend. Ringed as a chick in Antwerp in 2002, it's a decent age.
November 17, 2024 at 6:52 PM
My first post on here, I'm going to try and run this and twitter simultaneously for a while to test the platforms longevity.
Some photos of the long returning Mediterranean Gull at Strathclyde Loch this weekend. Ringed as a chick in Antwerp in 2002, it's a decent age.
Some photos of the long returning Mediterranean Gull at Strathclyde Loch this weekend. Ringed as a chick in Antwerp in 2002, it's a decent age.