Though the days are shortening noticeably now, with only around 8-9 hours of usable daylight (7am-4pm approx), a further influx of winter-visiting birds from further north, including a few rarities, helped to boost local full-day bird day-lists into the high 30's or low 40's, or more if you include a trip to the nearby Moray Coast, whilst mammal day-lists varied between 4 and 7 species, depending on the time of our start, and variety of habitats visited.
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| On safari in a wild and beautiful upland glen |
To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future November visit, I hope the following more detailed information, illustrated with photos taken at sites in and around the Cairngorms National Park by myself, my friends or my safari clients, will help....clicking on the picture enlarges it to full-screen.
Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:
Crested Tit, Red Grouse, Dipper, Goosander, Goldeneye, Golden Eagle, and White-Tailed Eagle, with one sighting of a Hen Harrier, and one brief but very welcome view of a Capercaillie, but sadly, Crossbills were frustratingly elusive again, and unusually , despite several dawn attempts, Black Grouse were not seen at all at traditional lek sites....and the lack of snow at low levels meant that Snow Buntings were not seen either....
A good variety of seabirds, waders and wildfowl were seen at the Moray Coast, and winter visiting birds were represented by Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, Redwings and Fieldfares, whilst a few decent flocks of Waxwings were seen feeding on berries occasionally during the second half of the month...the first Bramblings of this winter were seen on local farmland, and a stunning looking but very lost Hoopoe surprised us all late in the month!!
Mammal species seen regularly included: Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer, Roe Deer, Mountain Goat , Rabbit and (now mostly white) Mountain Hare.....with just a few (mainly dawn) views of Brown Hare , a couple of brief sightings of Bank Vole and my first Fox for quite a while ... ...most of the month also saw us continue to enjoy great close-up views of Atlantic Salmon spawning in the upper reaches of our local rivers....
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| Crested Tit by James Ball www.instagram.com/james.wildlifeworld |
Still in the Caledonian pine forests, Crossbills continued to be a bit of a 'bogey-bird', with (yet again) sightings mainly restricted to snatched glimpses of calling birds flying around the tree tops...
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| Male Capercaillie |
Continuing the forest theme, I am often asked about where to see Capercaillie, and sadly, always have to reply along the lines of "I'm really sorry, but they are so rare and elusive now that it is an almost impossible task.. your best bet is just to drive or walk slowly and quietly around a Caledonian forest at dawn (sticking to roads , tracks and paths), and look and listen out for them", and....following my own advice, we got lucky on the 9th of the month, with good , if brief views of a splendid male bird... a great birthday present for one of my clients who was on a surprise safari for his present!!
On the remote upland moors, Black Grouse are always popular with my safari clients, probably because of their relative rarity and sadly, declining numbers over much of the UK, However, we are fortunate to have good numbers in Highland Scotland, and our dawn visits to their traditional local moorland 'lek' sites are usually fruitful at this time of year, but as I mentioned earlier, despite several attempts, we failed to see a single bird this month.. I am hoping that the cock birds just need a a few sharp frosts and some snow to 'fire them up' into appearing..... hopefully I will have more positive news to report next month....
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| Red Grouse |
Red Grouse too, being birds of very specific upland heather moorland habitat, are absent from much of the UK these days as well. Thankfully though, we have no shortage of them in this area, and it was interesting to note that a few of the cock birds are already starting to get a bit more 'showy' and aggressive now the shooting season is over, with a few seen seemingly staking their claim to prime
territory, and their characteristic 'go-bak, go-bak' calls frequently being heard ....
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| Dipper by James Ball www.instagram.com/james.wildlifeworld |
On the rivers, our local Dippers are definitely becoming more aggressive now, with much displaying, dawn singing and chasing each other around being witnessed as they presumably seek to establish winter and breeding territories, and it still makes me shiver every time I see them disappear under the icy water in search of food - they sure are tough little critters!
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| Golden Eagle by James Ball www.instagram.com/james.wildlifeworld |
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| White-Tailed Eagle |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Male Sparrowhawk |
As I have mentioned in previous years, and with no apologies for repeating myself... November is in my opinion, THE month for raptor sightings in this area, and so it proved again this year, with my favourite local upland glens and moors providing my safari clients and I with pleasingly regular sightings, and even the odd (very rare) photo opportunity, of the much coveted Golden Eagle and White -Tailed Eagle, with these huge, awesome and majestic 'Kings of the skies' 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 the chance of even the occasional Merlin, Hen Harrier ,Goshawk, and even Rough-Legged Buzzard, should not be forgotten though....
Snow Buntings can often be seen well this month, as they usually begin to frequent known lower altitude sites, possibly driven down from the mountain tops by the snow and cold, and with their numbers likely to have been swelled by visitors from Scandinavia...and I am always sure to have a bag of wild bird seed on board, as they can often be tempted to come and feed at quite close range....but sadly, with the Cairngorm Funicular Railway closed , the lack of snow on the hills so far this winter meant that we have yet to see them.....but hopefully I will have better news to report next month...
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| Cairngorm Mountains viewed from nearby Coylumbridge |
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| Waxwing |
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| Waxwing |
Following on from last month's Redwing and Fieldfare invasion, this month saw a decent influx of more 'Viking invaders' in the beautiful, and very welcome form of Waxwings!! It was a real treat to see large flocks of them feasting on the few berries left by the thrush species, often at quite urban sites like supermarket car parks, school grounds and gardens, with their reasonably confiding nature often giving good opportunities for photography...
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| Hoopoe |
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| Hoopoe |
Bird of the month for me though has to be the Hoopoe that very unexpectedly turned up locally on the 26th of the month. This strikingly marked and very distinctive bird breeds mainly in southern Europe and overwinters in Africa, and although the UK usually get a few 'vagrant' birds in spring and autumn, to see one as late as November, and in the northern highlands of Scotland is very unusual!!!
I therefore, did not hesitate to 'drop everything' and rush to see it when a report of it appeared on my Rare Bird Alert pager... and with a bit of patience,and a couple of visits, I even managed a few pics...
Moray coast highlights:
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| Turnstone |
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| Red-Necked Grebe |
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| Redshanks |
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| Wood Sandpiper |
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| Ringed Plover |
The Moray coast is only about an hours drive north of Aviemore, and my trips to favourite reserves, lochs, bays and harbours gave good views of wintering birds such as Greylag Geese, Barnacle Geese, Pink-Footed Geese, Brent Geese, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Teal, Scaup, Pintail, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Knot, Golden Plover , Grey Plover , Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Common Scoter, a few Long-Tailed Ducks, a couple of rarities in the form of a Red-Necked Grebe and a Wood Sandpiper, and a bird rarely seen on Speyside, a Kingfisher...
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| Whooper Swan |
Other good birds seen or reported locally this month included: Great Grey Shrike, Smew, Hawfinch and Snow Goose.....
November 2018 mammal sightings:
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| Mountain Hare |
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| Red Deer stag |
Still in the uplands, although the annual autumn 'rut' is now over and apparently already forgotten by the participants!, it was still a treat to see the magnificent fully antlered Red Deer stags, seemingly now chilling out after the rigours of October....
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| Red Squirrel |
Being rare outside of Highland Scotland, attractive, charismatic and cute, they certainly tick a lot of boxes, and thankfully, they can usually be relied upon to put in an appearance at forest feeding stations in the winter months....
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| Roe Deer |
Brown Hares, similarly to the Roe Deer, can also be very nervous and 'crepuscular' in nature, and most of our best sightings happen in the first hour of daylight, and that proved to be the case again this month....
Our local feral Mountain Goats proved to be unusually elusive this month, with our sightings mainly reduced to long-distance views through the scope....better than nothing I suppose, but with sadly, no decent photo opportunities......
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| Red Fox |
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| Spawning Atlantic Salmon |
However, sightings are very reliant on the rivers water levels - too little water and the Salmon cannot access the upper reaches - too much water, and they can get there... but we can't see them. As I mentioned last month though, this autumn we eventually got lucky with everything falling into place, and good sightings being enjoyed up until the third week of this month..
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| RSPB Insh Marshes Nature Reserve |
Well, I reckon that was a pretty decent month of wildlife-watching, and although many people that I know seem to get the 'winter-blues' as the days shorten and the temperatures drop , as a keen wildlife watcher and photographer, it is far from the case for me up here, with November now one of my favourite and, weather permitting of course, often most productive safari months, with lots of great wildlife to be enjoyed, some of our 'local speciality species' at their easiest to see, the chance of a few rarities, and all in spectacularly picturesque and often snowy scenery.....
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 thoughtful and imaginative present, are available for any amount and are valid at any time within a year from date of purchase....
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