Monday, September 21, 2026

Scotland, Early September 2026 (Haggis, Highlands, and History)

European Robin Erithacus rubecula

Common Blackbird Turdus merula

Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus

Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

Carrion Crow Corvus corone

Carrion Crow Corvus corone

Carrion Crow Corvus corone

(Western) Jackdaw Corvus monedula

Common Magpie Pica pica

Common Magpie Pica pica

True

The 'Brah

Greyfriars

One of many 'closes' in the old town

Dean Village

Irn Bru and the Scott Monument - Peak Edinburgh

Elixir of the gods


Harry Potter something something...

Edinburgh Castle

Doune Castle (Ni!)


We wanted a Skoda hatchback and they gave us this dumb thing instead.
Highland roads are white-knucklingly narrow...

Lovely skran at the Clan Macduff Hotel

Cullen Skink

The only grouse I saw in the highlands



Popped over to Scotland for a wee September break with Evelyn. It wasn’t a birding trip, but I encountered a few birdies anyway. Nothing ‘new,’ but it’s always nice to see Eurasian commons. Was raining heavily in the highlands, so I wasn’t able to get much birding done up in the hills.

My kingdom for a cold pint of Magner’s. Can't get it here, damned dirty Quebec apple barons.

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Mount Royal Cemetery, August 22, 2026

Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea

Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca

Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca

Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens

Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus

Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica


Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes


Looked like a hand coming up from the great below

They for sure keep all the haunted shit behind that door



Mount Royal Cemetery, August 22, 2026

-An early morning go-around of the cem with George and Harry

-It’s already full-on fall migration, which caught me off guard

-It was flycatchery! Single Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, and Eastern Wood-Pewee all encountered.

-Massive churning kettle of Chimney Swift (35+) up top

-Baltimore Oriole heard

-Indigo Bunting

-39 species in 2.5 hours

-‘Go-in-the-eye-bugs’ were out

-->9 warbler species:
-Yellow Warbler – 1
-Bay-breasted Warbler – 12+
-Black-throated Blue Warbler – 2 skulky males
-Chestnut-sided Warbler – 2
-Black-and-white Warbler – 1
-Magnolia Warbler – 2
-American Redstart – 1 female
-Cape May Warbler – 2
-Blackburnian Warbler – 2


August 24, Lasalle
-In a scrubby micro park near the water, plenty of Bay-breasted Warblers (10), single Nashville and Tennessee Warblers, as well as American Redstart, some REVIs, and Cedar Waxwings about.

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Birds of Glen Sutton, August 1-3

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius

Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis

Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica

Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica

American Robin Turdus migratorius

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus



Horse Fly (Tabanidae)





Clearwing Moth sp.

False Treefrog




Lovely and beyond my means

Late post, as is tradition.

Spent a weekend in lovely hills of Glen Sutton with Evelyn a bit ago. There were a few birds of note about.

A young Eastern Wood-pewee hung around out back.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds did circuits around the chalet’s flowery skirt.

Other usual suspects in the hills: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ovenbird, House Wren, Winter Wren, Grey Catbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, and Cedar Waxwing.

Silent warblers zipped around in the treetops, maddeningly backlit and furtive. I was sure I had a Cerulean Warbler for a bit, but now I’m not so sure. Not so sure at all.

25 species over the weekend.

It’s a bittersweet symphony, this life, etc etc.