Highland Wildlife and Birdwatch Safaris, Guided wildlife excursions, Aviemore, Scotland
Highland Wildlife and Birdwatch Safaris, Guided wildlife excursions, Aviemore, Scotland Highland Wildlife and Birdwatch Safaris, Guided wildlife excursions, Aviemore, Scotland

Tuesday, June 02, 2009


Late May 2009 saw us enjoy some fantastic dry,hot, sunny weather with temperatures soaring to to 27.5c on the last weekend, and we now have almost 20 hours of daylight - great wildlife watching weather! With all of the Summer visitors now arrived, bird day-lists crept higher up into the 60's, with mammal day-list steady at 6-10.


Wildlife highlights included:


Most of our 'local specialities' - the species that my clients most hope to see (Osprey, Goldeneye, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Dipper, Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Crested Tit, Crossbill, Red Deer, Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare, etc) continued to show well - though Capercaillie & Black Grouse, with their 'lekking' season over, have become much more difficult to see.


A new 2009 record (so far!) mammal day-list of 10 - Rabbit, Bank Vole, Wood Mouse, Roe Deer, Red Deer, Reindeer, Brown Hare, Mountain Hare, Red Squirrel, & Mountain Goat.


Regular views of our local Ospreys fishing (& sometimes actually catching a fish!) & delivering their catch to the female & chicks at the nest - a wonderful sight!


Great views of a ring-tail (female) Hen Harrier hunting low over heather moorland, impressing us all with it's very buoyant , acrobatic flight - sadly, this is a very rare sight these days.


Super close-ups of one of Britain's rarest & most beautiful birds - Slavonian Grebe, on a lovely secluded local lochan (see pic).


A brief mid-afternoon glimpse of a beautifully marked Woodcock on a quiet track - a rare & enjoyable treat as they are normally only seen at dusk.


Fledglings! First sightings of young Goldeneyes, Red Grouse, Greylag Geese & Ospreys.

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