So although the lack of snow was not ideal for 'classic' winter scenic photography, or for winter sports enthusiasts, it did make getting around remote areas much easier than normal, and the generally benign conditions were actually pretty good for wildlife-watching. Add in the fact that the days are noticeably lengthening now, with around 9 hours of usable daylight, and we were able to enjoy plenty of excellent days out , with some memorable wildlife sightings, and lots of lovely new 'year-ticks'!!
Full-day local safari bird lists usually topped-out in the 40's, though a trip to the nearby Moray Coast can boost this total considerably, whilst mammal day lists varied between 4 and 9 depending on the time of our start and number of habitats visited.
To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are planning a future January visit yourself, I hope the following more detailed information, illustrated with photos taken by myself or my safari clients will help - clicking on the picture will enlarge it to full screen.
 |
| On safari in a beautiful local glen |
Wildlife highlights included:
Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:
Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Dipper, Crested Tit, Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle, and we also had a few decent sightings of Goshawk and Crossbill whilst a couple of ascents of Cairngorm Mountain produced Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting.
Winter visiting birds were represented by a few remaining family groups of Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, lots of wildfowl such as Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Wigeon and Teal, and decent numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares, whilst a few very mobile Waxwings continued to feast on our fast disappearing berries throughout the month...a small flock of Hawfinches lingered, though they too were much more mobile.. a few Bramblings and Redpolls were also seen and we had one sighting of Rough-Legged Buzzard.
Mammals seen regularly locally during the month included:
Red Deer, Roe Deer, Reindeer, Red Squirrel, Rabbit, Brown Hare, and Mountain Hare (white), with just a couple of sightings of Mountain Goat.
Whilst a couple of trips to the moray Coast gave good views of both Common and Grey Seal...
 |
| Duelling Blackcock at dawn |
 |
| Cock Red Grouse |
 |
| Dipper |
 |
| Crested Tit |
It is worth noting that the winter months (October-March) are actually the best time of year for seeing the 'wee Cresties', as these characterful little birds can be frustratingly secretive and unobtrusive during the breeding season....
 |
| White-Tailed Eagle |
 |
| Male Crossbill |
 |
| Snow Buntings |
The unseasonably mild weather and lack of snow at low levels, meant that a trek up towards the snow-line was needed in order to see Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting this month, and it was good to make use of my Cairngorm Mountain Birdwatching Guide permit to use the funicular railway before taking clients on a walk up towards the summit, something which is not allowed to the general public, and which reduces the time spent and effort expended considerably when in search of these iconic and very attractive species.
 |
| Ptarmigan |
 |
| Spey Bay on the Moray Coast |
The picturesque Moray Coast is only about an hour north of Aviemore by car, and I can highly recommend a visit in winter, as it can provide an excellent selection of geese, seabirds, waders and wildfowl, and help your 'year-list' along too..... I made a couple of trips to some favourite sites, and saw many species including 'Grey' Geese, Eider, Long-Tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Gannet, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Turnstone, Godwits, Curlew, Teal and Wigeon to name just a few......
 |
| Woodcock by Steve Nicklin |
Onto mammals now.....
 |
| Mountain Hare |
Our local Mountain Hares, resplendent in their all-white winter coats must have realised that they were looking far too conspicuous to predators on the relatively snow-free grassy uplands, so they were generally found sheltering on or amongst similarly coloured rocks.....
 |
| Red Deer stags |
Deep snow always poses a harsh challenge to find food for Highland animals, especially those that inhabit the higher areas, and the mid-month arctic blast gave us the chance to observe Red Deer digging down through the white stuff to the grass below, impressing us with their hardyness....
 |
| Roe Deer |
Roe Deer, whilst not quite as physically impressive as the Reds, are still nice to see, though they can be a little crepuscular, rarely showing well outside of the low-light times of dawn and dusk, and they are generally pretty wary of human disturbance.....so be warned, you need to be quick with your camera!
 |
| Red Squirrel |
Red Squirrels are always a joy to see, and we were fortunate enough to have plenty of good sightings of these endearing little animals this month, both at feeding stations and whilst on walks in their Caledonian forest home...
 |
| Grey Seal |
As I mentioned earlier, the sheltered harbours of the Moray Coast gave great views of both Common and Grey Seals, that seem to be relatively unconcerned by us humans, often giving great photo opportunities....
 |
| New spotting scope |
Well, with some friendly weather, and lots of great sightings, we seem to have got 2017 off to a pretty good start! And there is more good news! Hot on the heels of the safari vehicle upgrade last year, I can now announce that we have a new and much better communal spotting scope ( a Leica APO Televid 82 ) for everyone to enjoy even closer, brighter and sharper views of the wonderful Highland wildlife....
 |
If you think you know someone who may enjoy a taste of what I do, why not treat them to a safari gift certificate. They make an imaginative present and are available for any amount in multiples of £10, and are valid at any time within a year from date of purchase....
 |
| When the going gets tough........ |
No comments:
Post a Comment