December started as November had finished, with high winds and rain, rain and more rain causing some bad flooding in low-lying areas of the Spey Valley. A brief window in the bad weather on the 8th allowed me to do a full dawn to dusk 'practise' Safari - the highlights being; 7 Male Black Grouse at dawn on the moors, good views of a small flock of Snow Buntings on Cairngorm (see pic), a close encounter with a Red Grouse in the heather, good views through the scope of a totally white Mountain Hare, Mountain Goats, Red Deer, Reindeer and Roe Deer plus plenty of Buzzards and Kestrels and a very obliging Red Squirrel in the birdfeeder box at the very welcome brekkie stop.
