And a big "thank you" to everyone who used and supported my safari guiding services during 2016......
December 2016 was a very strange month weather-wise in this area! We started off, as is quite usual this far north, with northerly winds and a really cold feel (down to -9c), but then, rather unexpectedly, mild south-westerly winds began to dominate,the weather turned cloudy and damp, and temperatures began to climb, and remained well above average for the rest of the month, and we even had our warmest ever (14c) December day! So, though it was not particularly 'festive' weather, and not so good for scenic photography, it was actually pretty decent for wildlife watching!
Despite the days being at their shortest now, with only around 7-8 hours of daylight, we still enjoyed some memorable wildlife adventures, with plenty of memorable wildlife sightings often against dramatic Highland backdrops.
With all our winter-visiting birds now here, full-day safari bird lists topped-out in the 40's, whilst mammal day lists varied between 5 and 8 depending on the time of our start and number of habitats visited.
I was away down in England visiting relatives and friends for the final third of the month, so my report is a little shorter than usual, but to give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are planning a future December visit, 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.
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| An Eagles eye view of a favourite local glen |
Wildlife highlights included:
Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:
Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Crested Tit, Dipper and Golden Eagle, and we also had a few decent sightings of Crossbill and Snow Bunting. Winter visiting birds were represented by family groups of Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares, whilst literally hundreds of Waxwings continued to feast on berries throughout the month...a small flock of Hawfinches lingered, though they did become a little more mobile..and a few more Bramblings and Redpolls were seen......
Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Crested Tit, Dipper and Golden Eagle, and we also had a few decent sightings of Crossbill and Snow Bunting. Winter visiting birds were represented by family groups of Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, large numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares, whilst literally hundreds of Waxwings continued to feast on berries throughout the month...a small flock of Hawfinches lingered, though they did become a little more mobile..and a few more Bramblings and Redpolls were seen......
Mammals seen regularly during the month included:
Red Deer, Roe Deer, Reindeer, Red Squirrel, Rabbit, Mountain Hare and Mountain Goat, with just a couple of sightings of Brown Hare, and one brief glimpse of a Stoat.
Pre-dawn starts - a relatively user friendly 7am at this time of year - gave us decent views of Black Grouse on local moorland 'lek' sites, though the birds did not seem to be quite so 'up for it' on the milder mornings, with more birds and more 'action' being seen on the colder days....
By way of contrast, our local Red Grouse were actually surprisingly easy to see and photograph on their favoured upland heather moorlands this month, as many of the cock birds seem to be getting a bit territorial, with some seen perching prominently on the few higher points and occasionally even being heard uttering their guttural 'go-back, go back' calls...
Our local Crested Tits continued to show well at my favourite forest feeding stations, especially soon after dawn, and on the colder days, when they are presumably at their hungriest. There are probably only around 1,200 - 1,500 of these charismatic little birds in the whole of the UK, and they are all to be found in the Caledonian forests of Highland Scotland, so you can imagine that many of my safari clients are delighted to see them, especially if it is a 'life-tick'.
Our local Dippers appear to already be planning for the spring breeding season, with much singing and displaying being witnessed , especially soon after dawn, and near to favoured nesting spots such as bridges....which is handy , as it gives us much more chance to see and photograph them....
As I mentioned last month...the short daylight hours mean that early to mid-winter is definitely the best time of year for raptor sightings in this area, and this month again proved very fruitful, with my favourite local upland glens providing my safari clients and I with regular sightings, and even the occasional (and rare) photo opportunity, of the much sought after Golden Eagle, with views of these magnificent and iconic birds providing great entertainment, numerous 'life-ticks' and putting big smiles on many faces....The regular 'raptor back-up cast' of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard , Red Kite, and even the occasional Hen Harrier and Goshawk, should not be forgotten though, as all were seen at least once.....
Being early breeders, Crossbills actually become (thankfully!!) a little easier to see in midwinter, as the male birds can occasionally be heard singing (rather than just calling) from the tops of conifers, in an attempt to establish a territory and attract a mate...
Snow Buntings could be seen at lower levels early in the month whilst it was cold and snowy, but became much more difficult as the snow receded in the unseasonably mild temperatures, and they presumably followed the snow-line uphill......
Those colourful 'viking invaders', the Waxwings, continued to chomp their way through local berry supplies, providing great entertainment and giving us more opportunities to capture images of these beautifully marked birds...
Hawfinches are extremely rare on Speyside, and the small flock that arrived last month seemed to become much more mobile, and occasionally split up into smaller groups, so I thought I had better grab the opportunity of a few more pics, before they inevitably depart....
Whooper Swan and Geese numbers seemed to decrease a little in this area, as many of the birds presumably headed further south, but Redwing and Fieldfare numbers seemed to remain high, and it was interesting to watch our 'local' Blackbirds trying (usually in vain) to defend 'their' berry bushes from the unwelcome intruders...
Onto mammals now...
Mountain Hares , now they are almost completely 'winter white' are often voted as 'mammal of the day' by my safari clients, at this time of year, and we were fortunate enough to see them in their upland habitats on a number of occasions. It should be noted though, that a bit of rough uphill walking is often required for photography purposes..
Though our Red Deer stags still have their magnificent antlers intact, but with rutting season long forgotten, they are much calmer beasts now, and are seemingly content to just quietly graze and laze around...
Red Squirrels, being absent from most of the UK now, always prove popular with my safari clients, especially with those seeing one for the first time, and it is unusual for us not to see at least one whilst out on safari....
Well, another year has flashed by, fortunately for me it was one filled with beautiful highland scenery, lots of amazing and memorable wildlife, and happy times spent with lots of interesting people from all over the world. I hope you have enjoyed reading my safari updates as much as I have whilst experiencing and writing about them.....And I am already looking forward to even more wildlife-filled adventures in 2017...
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 a great present and are available for any amount in multiples of £10, and are valid at any time within a year from date of purchase....
Red Deer, Roe Deer, Reindeer, Red Squirrel, Rabbit, Mountain Hare and Mountain Goat, with just a couple of sightings of Brown Hare, and one brief glimpse of a Stoat.
Pre-dawn starts - a relatively user friendly 7am at this time of year - gave us decent views of Black Grouse on local moorland 'lek' sites, though the birds did not seem to be quite so 'up for it' on the milder mornings, with more birds and more 'action' being seen on the colder days....
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| Male Red Grouse by safari client Tom Southall |
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| Crested Tit by safari client Tom Southall |
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| Dipper |
Our local Dippers appear to already be planning for the spring breeding season, with much singing and displaying being witnessed , especially soon after dawn, and near to favoured nesting spots such as bridges....which is handy , as it gives us much more chance to see and photograph them....
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| Golden Eagle |
As I mentioned last month...the short daylight hours mean that early to mid-winter is definitely the best time of year for raptor sightings in this area, and this month again proved very fruitful, with my favourite local upland glens providing my safari clients and I with regular sightings, and even the occasional (and rare) photo opportunity, of the much sought after Golden Eagle, with views of these magnificent and iconic birds providing great entertainment, numerous 'life-ticks' and putting big smiles on many faces....The regular 'raptor back-up cast' of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard , Red Kite, and even the occasional Hen Harrier and Goshawk, should not be forgotten though, as all were seen at least once.....
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| Male Crossbill |
Being early breeders, Crossbills actually become (thankfully!!) a little easier to see in midwinter, as the male birds can occasionally be heard singing (rather than just calling) from the tops of conifers, in an attempt to establish a territory and attract a mate...
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| Snow Bunting by Steve Nicklin |
Snow Buntings could be seen at lower levels early in the month whilst it was cold and snowy, but became much more difficult as the snow receded in the unseasonably mild temperatures, and they presumably followed the snow-line uphill......
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| Waxwing by Steve Nicklin |
Those colourful 'viking invaders', the Waxwings, continued to chomp their way through local berry supplies, providing great entertainment and giving us more opportunities to capture images of these beautifully marked birds...
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| Hawfinch |
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| Fieldfare |
Onto mammals now...
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| An anxious looking Mountain Hare... with good reason... a Golden Eagle was overhead! |
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| Red Deer stag |
Though our Red Deer stags still have their magnificent antlers intact, but with rutting season long forgotten, they are much calmer beasts now, and are seemingly content to just quietly graze and laze around...
 |
| Red Squirrel |
Red Squirrels, being absent from most of the UK now, always prove popular with my safari clients, especially with those seeing one for the first time, and it is unusual for us not to see at least one whilst out on safari....
Well, another year has flashed by, fortunately for me it was one filled with beautiful highland scenery, lots of amazing and memorable wildlife, and happy times spent with lots of interesting people from all over the world. I hope you have enjoyed reading my safari updates as much as I have whilst experiencing and writing about them.....And I am already looking forward to even more wildlife-filled adventures in 2017...
 |
| Add caption |
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 a great present and are available for any amount in multiples of £10, and are valid at any time within a year from date of purchase....
 |
| Early morning at Loch Garten |
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