Steve Dudley
@stevedudley.bsky.social
Birder #WestrayBirding | Orkney Bird Recorder | #birdingScotland #ornithology 🪶 | #TeamMoth | #wildlife #art | 🎶 Punk, Post-punk| PUFC | MUFC | Pro-EU | ✊🏾🏳️🌈 ally
Feeds - Birding Gear, Orkney Birding, UK Patch Birding and BirdWeather PUC.
Feeds - Birding Gear, Orkney Birding, UK Patch Birding and BirdWeather PUC.
For sale - £25 inc P&P
Surplus to my Westray requirements!
Haglöfs lightweight fleece in moss green with lime trim and zip pulls. Full length front YKK zip. Two zipped pockets. Pit to pit = 52cm. Front length = 66cm. Rear length = 76cm. Little worn. Excellent condition.
#BirdingGear
Surplus to my Westray requirements!
Haglöfs lightweight fleece in moss green with lime trim and zip pulls. Full length front YKK zip. Two zipped pockets. Pit to pit = 52cm. Front length = 66cm. Rear length = 76cm. Little worn. Excellent condition.
#BirdingGear
November 21, 2025 at 2:43 PM
For sale - £25 inc P&P
Surplus to my Westray requirements!
Haglöfs lightweight fleece in moss green with lime trim and zip pulls. Full length front YKK zip. Two zipped pockets. Pit to pit = 52cm. Front length = 66cm. Rear length = 76cm. Little worn. Excellent condition.
#BirdingGear
Surplus to my Westray requirements!
Haglöfs lightweight fleece in moss green with lime trim and zip pulls. Full length front YKK zip. Two zipped pockets. Pit to pit = 52cm. Front length = 66cm. Rear length = 76cm. Little worn. Excellent condition.
#BirdingGear
For sale - £20 inc P&P
Rohan Icelander fleece-lined trousers. Dark blue. In very good condition. Medium = W32 and L32.
Not worn since I moved to Westray as I only wear waterproof trousers here. So these are surplus to requirements so someone else may as well get some use out of them.
#BirdingGear
Rohan Icelander fleece-lined trousers. Dark blue. In very good condition. Medium = W32 and L32.
Not worn since I moved to Westray as I only wear waterproof trousers here. So these are surplus to requirements so someone else may as well get some use out of them.
#BirdingGear
November 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
For sale - £20 inc P&P
Rohan Icelander fleece-lined trousers. Dark blue. In very good condition. Medium = W32 and L32.
Not worn since I moved to Westray as I only wear waterproof trousers here. So these are surplus to requirements so someone else may as well get some use out of them.
#BirdingGear
Rohan Icelander fleece-lined trousers. Dark blue. In very good condition. Medium = W32 and L32.
Not worn since I moved to Westray as I only wear waterproof trousers here. So these are surplus to requirements so someone else may as well get some use out of them.
#BirdingGear
There's been a few Taiga Beans in the county since late Sept but nearly all (all?) have moved on. So 19 (min) here on Westray today is a surprise! Hard to get close to tho as they're by a road in amongst some flitty Greylags. iPhone and Leica APO Televid 82 to the rescue 🙂 #WestrayBirding #PWC2025
November 20, 2025 at 3:38 PM
There's been a few Taiga Beans in the county since late Sept but nearly all (all?) have moved on. So 19 (min) here on Westray today is a surprise! Hard to get close to tho as they're by a road in amongst some flitty Greylags. iPhone and Leica APO Televid 82 to the rescue 🙂 #WestrayBirding #PWC2025
It's pretty wild outside, bitingly cold and power has been off and on all evening. Mostly off. Like now. Issue seems to be in Caithness and SSEN had promised that full power would be restored by 2100h. Guess not. The backup woodburner is lit in living room and backup power bank on hand. Stay warm!
November 19, 2025 at 9:13 PM
It's pretty wild outside, bitingly cold and power has been off and on all evening. Mostly off. Like now. Issue seems to be in Caithness and SSEN had promised that full power would be restored by 2100h. Guess not. The backup woodburner is lit in living room and backup power bank on hand. Stay warm!
So from now on the Haglöfs L.I.M Airak GTX jacket will be my go to summer waterproof. At 5’9” and relatively slim the medium fits grand with enough room for a couple of layers inc a light fleece/down jacket. Just perfect for #WestrayBirding.
(Oh, how I wish I still had hair like this fella!)
(Oh, how I wish I still had hair like this fella!)
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
So from now on the Haglöfs L.I.M Airak GTX jacket will be my go to summer waterproof. At 5’9” and relatively slim the medium fits grand with enough room for a couple of layers inc a light fleece/down jacket. Just perfect for #WestrayBirding.
(Oh, how I wish I still had hair like this fella!)
(Oh, how I wish I still had hair like this fella!)
Then, last week, an email from Trekitt - the Haglöfs L.I.M Airak GTX jacket in clay yellow was 30% off! And it was the clay yellow I wanted 🙂 Deal done. Ordered. Delivered. Tried. And boom 💥 my prayers have been answered. It ticks every box apart from having an external zip chest pocket.
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Then, last week, an email from Trekitt - the Haglöfs L.I.M Airak GTX jacket in clay yellow was 30% off! And it was the clay yellow I wanted 🙂 Deal done. Ordered. Delivered. Tried. And boom 💥 my prayers have been answered. It ticks every box apart from having an external zip chest pocket.
And with improved features such as a YKK 2-way zip, Velcro cuffs and pit zips the jacket was a serious upgrade on the old one. And it still only weighed 290g! But then came the price - the £230 jacket was now a £380 jacket 😬 I refuse to pay so much for any item of clothing so it wasn’t to be.
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
And with improved features such as a YKK 2-way zip, Velcro cuffs and pit zips the jacket was a serious upgrade on the old one. And it still only weighed 290g! But then came the price - the £230 jacket was now a £380 jacket 😬 I refuse to pay so much for any item of clothing so it wasn’t to be.
I don’t like buying new but when I do, it needs to be as eco as possible. The Haglöfs L.I.M Airak GTX jacket uses recycled fabrics, a PFAS-free DWR and is ‘bluesign-approved’ meaning it has been manufactured to strict environmental requirements (see attached image).
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
I don’t like buying new but when I do, it needs to be as eco as possible. The Haglöfs L.I.M Airak GTX jacket uses recycled fabrics, a PFAS-free DWR and is ‘bluesign-approved’ meaning it has been manufactured to strict environmental requirements (see attached image).
In 2024 Haglöfs upgraded that jacket and brought out their L.I.M Airak GTX jacket made from 3-layer Gore-tex with Gore’s new C-Knit lining - this combines waterproof protection with a smooth and soft interior for increased comfort.
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
In 2024 Haglöfs upgraded that jacket and brought out their L.I.M Airak GTX jacket made from 3-layer Gore-tex with Gore’s new C-Knit lining - this combines waterproof protection with a smooth and soft interior for increased comfort.
A few years back Haglöfs brought out their L.I.M GTX II jacket made from GORE-TEX Paclite® PLUS and was outrageously lightweight at just 270g and was priced OK. But … no 2-way front zip, no outer chest pocket and elasticated cuffs all negatives on my ultimate summer jacket checklist.
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
A few years back Haglöfs brought out their L.I.M GTX II jacket made from GORE-TEX Paclite® PLUS and was outrageously lightweight at just 270g and was priced OK. But … no 2-way front zip, no outer chest pocket and elasticated cuffs all negatives on my ultimate summer jacket checklist.
Well, at last, my search for a truly lightweight summer waterproof is over! I have exacting specs to meet and over the last few years I’ve been buying countless secondhand jackets only for them to be tried on and then relisted for sale. None have even made it out the house!
#BirdingGear
#BirdingGear
November 19, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Well, at last, my search for a truly lightweight summer waterproof is over! I have exacting specs to meet and over the last few years I’ve been buying countless secondhand jackets only for them to be tried on and then relisted for sale. None have even made it out the house!
#BirdingGear
#BirdingGear
Get in! Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles" on @bbc6music.bsky.social! Their debut and breakfthru single from their ace album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Boy I played my copy to death back in the 80s.
#Punk #PunkIsntDead #PunksNotDead #PunkAintDead
#Punk #PunkIsntDead #PunksNotDead #PunkAintDead
November 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Get in! Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles" on @bbc6music.bsky.social! Their debut and breakfthru single from their ace album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Boy I played my copy to death back in the 80s.
#Punk #PunkIsntDead #PunksNotDead #PunkAintDead
#Punk #PunkIsntDead #PunksNotDead #PunkAintDead
A frustrating time today trying to get anything half decent on a Lesser Whitethroat found by a resident in their village garden. Seeing white in T6 I presumed a blythi but on checking the few images I managed, it might be a little more interesting. Hope it’s settled down tmrw morning #WestrayBirding
November 15, 2025 at 7:54 PM
A frustrating time today trying to get anything half decent on a Lesser Whitethroat found by a resident in their village garden. Seeing white in T6 I presumed a blythi but on checking the few images I managed, it might be a little more interesting. Hope it’s settled down tmrw morning #WestrayBirding
Today dawned still and bright but despite strong sun it never really warmed up - certainly no airborne insects visible so really quite cool. And so I saw very little until I bumped into the now long-staying Firecrest and found a new Siberian Chiffchaff elsewhere in the village. #WestrayBirding
November 11, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Today dawned still and bright but despite strong sun it never really warmed up - certainly no airborne insects visible so really quite cool. And so I saw very little until I bumped into the now long-staying Firecrest and found a new Siberian Chiffchaff elsewhere in the village. #WestrayBirding
After only very brief views of the Radde's Warbler and Firecrest yday, this morning the sun shone, the insects emerged in their droves and out came the birds. Both of these gems performed brilliantly for a short while at least and one local managed to catch up with the Firecrest #WestrayBirding
November 7, 2025 at 6:44 PM
After only very brief views of the Radde's Warbler and Firecrest yday, this morning the sun shone, the insects emerged in their droves and out came the birds. Both of these gems performed brilliantly for a short while at least and one local managed to catch up with the Firecrest #WestrayBirding
David has done brilliant to claw back a species which, as he says, has a very strong east bias in Orkney. But it gives me hope for Westray, just as yday both David and I scored Firecrests, another eastern bias species, which were first record for Westray and only second for Papay. #OrkneyBirding
November 6, 2025 at 9:46 PM
David has done brilliant to claw back a species which, as he says, has a very strong east bias in Orkney. But it gives me hope for Westray, just as yday both David and I scored Firecrests, another eastern bias species, which were first record for Westray and only second for Papay. #OrkneyBirding
A Papay and Westray double! Amazing how long it's taken them to make it to us here in the west. First birds down east side on 19 Oct, then eight by end of 22nd. Central Mainland on 27-28th. Then no new birds until two today in NW of county - see graphic. #OrkneyBirding
November 5, 2025 at 8:45 PM
A Papay and Westray double! Amazing how long it's taken them to make it to us here in the west. First birds down east side on 19 Oct, then eight by end of 22nd. Central Mainland on 27-28th. Then no new birds until two today in NW of county - see graphic. #OrkneyBirding
Radde's Warbler was a real bogey bird for me until I found my own on the Isles of Scilly on 14 October 1994 (sadly forgot the photographer). It was commemorated on a badge (which is now a fridge magnet). Self-found firsts always mean the species stays special. Forget who the photographer was.
November 5, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Radde's Warbler was a real bogey bird for me until I found my own on the Isles of Scilly on 14 October 1994 (sadly forgot the photographer). It was commemorated on a badge (which is now a fridge magnet). Self-found firsts always mean the species stays special. Forget who the photographer was.
5 Nov fireworks 💥 on Westray today! Not one, but two isle firsts! 🙅♂️ First up was Orkney's 11th Radde's Warbler (second this autumn and the latest ever recorded in the county) which was followed minutes later by a Firecrest - in the same bush! Pure #PatchGold! #PWC2025 #WestrayBirding
November 5, 2025 at 7:03 PM
5 Nov fireworks 💥 on Westray today! Not one, but two isle firsts! 🙅♂️ First up was Orkney's 11th Radde's Warbler (second this autumn and the latest ever recorded in the county) which was followed minutes later by a Firecrest - in the same bush! Pure #PatchGold! #PWC2025 #WestrayBirding
Rather disappointing #WestrayBirding today. The influx of Blackbirds continues but no other thrushes. A ‘pheeting’ Siberian Chiffchaff refused to come out of cover apart from glimpses of its ghostly form. Three Blackcaps remain, each now feeding exclusively on the ground as trees are now leafless.
November 4, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Rather disappointing #WestrayBirding today. The influx of Blackbirds continues but no other thrushes. A ‘pheeting’ Siberian Chiffchaff refused to come out of cover apart from glimpses of its ghostly form. Three Blackcaps remain, each now feeding exclusively on the ground as trees are now leafless.
Boy it’s been wet here and #WestrayBirding has been both tough and grim in recent days. Birding between deluges today and I was rewarded with a couple of 1CY ♂ Ring Ouzels hopping about amongst 40+ Blackbirds and a few Redwing and Fieldfare up by Noup lighthouse. My first Ringos of the autumn!
November 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Boy it’s been wet here and #WestrayBirding has been both tough and grim in recent days. Birding between deluges today and I was rewarded with a couple of 1CY ♂ Ring Ouzels hopping about amongst 40+ Blackbirds and a few Redwing and Fieldfare up by Noup lighthouse. My first Ringos of the autumn!
What an unexpectedly fabulous morning to be out #WestrayBirding. Here’s hoping 🤞🏼
October 30, 2025 at 8:33 AM
What an unexpectedly fabulous morning to be out #WestrayBirding. Here’s hoping 🤞🏼
Autumn definitely feels like it’s on its last knockings. This garden Brambling was today’s #WestrayBirding highlight. No warblers at all today for the first time in weeks. Little of anything other than increasing numbers of winter seaduck.
October 29, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Autumn definitely feels like it’s on its last knockings. This garden Brambling was today’s #WestrayBirding highlight. No warblers at all today for the first time in weeks. Little of anything other than increasing numbers of winter seaduck.
Whilst @northronbirdobs.bsky.social basked in their glory of a male Sibe Rubythroat, I again flogged Westray with diminishing return as migrants ship out rather than in. Chiffchaffs are hanging on, both Common and Siberian. Now up to five different Sibes this last week. #WestrayBirding
October 28, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Whilst @northronbirdobs.bsky.social basked in their glory of a male Sibe Rubythroat, I again flogged Westray with diminishing return as migrants ship out rather than in. Chiffchaffs are hanging on, both Common and Siberian. Now up to five different Sibes this last week. #WestrayBirding
My #Top5Birds from this week’s #WestrayBirding are:
1) Waxwing in the garden 🙂 sadly all too brief 😕
2) Garden Warbler (getting late for them up here)
3) Redwings
4) Grey Heron
5) Siberian Chiffchaff
1) Waxwing in the garden 🙂 sadly all too brief 😕
2) Garden Warbler (getting late for them up here)
3) Redwings
4) Grey Heron
5) Siberian Chiffchaff
October 26, 2025 at 9:42 PM
My #Top5Birds from this week’s #WestrayBirding are:
1) Waxwing in the garden 🙂 sadly all too brief 😕
2) Garden Warbler (getting late for them up here)
3) Redwings
4) Grey Heron
5) Siberian Chiffchaff
1) Waxwing in the garden 🙂 sadly all too brief 😕
2) Garden Warbler (getting late for them up here)
3) Redwings
4) Grey Heron
5) Siberian Chiffchaff