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

Friday, December 30, 2022

December 2022


Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!


I would like to wish all my readers a healthy, happy, and wildlife-filled 2023.


December 2022, weather-wise,  saw winter hit the Highlands with a vengeance for the middle two weeks of the month, with our snowiest and coldest pre-Christmas weather for over a decade, but despite the wilder than usual conditions,  thanks to the excellent all-weather abilities of my trusty 4-wheel drive Land Rover Discovery,  we managed to access even the remotest sites without too much trouble.

The Cairngorms National Park is the coldest - temperatures hit -20c locally this month -  and snowiest place in Britain though, so if you are considering a future winter visit, you would be wise to check the weather forecast in advance, and pack suitable warm clothing and footwear.

Despite the days being at their shortest now, with only around 7 hours of usable daylight, by 'cherry-picking' the best ones, we still enjoyed some memorable adventures, with plenty of exciting wildlife sightings, and often against dramatic and picturesque snowy Highland backdrops.

With all our winter-visiting birds now here, full-day local safari bird lists topped-out in the 30's, or more if you include a trip to the nearby Moray Coast - though I didn't manage a trip there myself this month, whilst mammal day lists varied between 3 and 7 depending on the time of our start and number of habitats visited, with earlier starts, as usual, proving to be best....



A suitably festive scene in the Cairngorms National Park


To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future December visit, I hope the following more detailed information, illustrated with photos taken at sites in and around the Cairngorms National Park, and sometimes further afield, by myself, my friends or my safari clients this month and in previous December's will help....clicking on the picture enlarges it to full-screen. 


Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:

Crested TitRed GrouseGolden Eagle , White-Tailed Eagle, and Dipper, whilst Black Grouse were occasionally seen at or soon after dawn at traditional lek sites, and we also had a few decent sightings of Snow Bunting.....and a couple of views of Crossbills....

Local winter visiting birds were represented by Redwings and Fieldfares,  family groups of Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, and a few Redpolls and Bramblings were also seen...whilst Waxwings were finally reported locally from mid-month....


Mammal species seen regularly included:

Red SquirrelRed DeerReindeerRoe DeerMountain Goat ,  Rabbit and (white) Mountain Hare.....with just a few (mainly dawn) views of  Brown Hare and a few brief glimpses of Bank Vole and Wood Mouse underneath forest bird feeders...




December 2022 bird sightings in more detail:



Up in the glens...


Winter in a local upland glen



Golden Eagle


Golden Eagle


Golden Eagle by Steve Nicklin


Golden Eagle by Steve Nicklin


White-Tailed Eagles by Josh Allan


White-Tailed Eagle by Josh Allan


Young White-Tailed Eagle


As I have mentioned before, the short daylight hours, and no breeding season distractions,  mean that 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 us with  pleasingly regular sightings, and even the occasional (and rare) photo opportunity, of the much sought after Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle, with views of these magnificent and truly huge birds always putting a smile on our faces, and filling us with awe.....


Red Kite


Common Buzzard


Should the Eagles fail to show, the regular 'raptor back-up cast' of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard,  Red Kiteand the chance of even the occasional MerlinHen Harrier and Goshawk often provide good entertainment by way of consolation though....



Up on the moors...


A local upland heather moorland


Displaying Black Grouse


Pre-dawn starts - a relatively user friendly 8am at this time of year - gave us decent views of up to 12 displaying male Black Grouse on local moorland 'lek' sites, though rather frustratingly, they proved to be a little unpredictable, with seemingly no obvious pattern to whether they would show or not - they are more reliable from Feb-May-  so it should be noted that we did fail to see them on a few occasions...



Male and Female Red Grouse



Female Red Grouse - Note the white winter leg feathering


By using my safari vehicle as a stealthy and slow-moving  'mobile hide', our local Red Grouse were reasonably easy to see and photograph on their favoured upland heather moorlands this month, as some of the cock birds already seem to be getting a little aggressive and territorial, with a few individuals seen perching prominently on the few higher points and occasionally even being heard uttering their guttural 'go-back, go back' calls, with their red 'eyebrows' aglow....



In the forests...



Local ancient Caledonian forest - Before the snow came...



Crested Tit


Crested Tit by Josh Allan


Crested Tit


Crested Tits are always a joy to see (and hear - they have a characteristic chuckling trill)), being a true local speciality , and during the winter months they can usually be relied upon to put in an appearance at my favourite Caledonian forest feeding stations, especially on the colder days, though it should be noted that,  being extremely 'flitty' and quick, they rarely give good photo opportunities...



Ancient Caledonian forest after the snow arrived...



Female Crossbill by Josh Allan




Female Crossbill by Ron Mitchell - Photo from Dec 2019

Still in the Caledonian forests, sadly, Crossbill sightings were, as usual, mainly restricted to the fly-over variety, and we usually only identified them by their characteristic 'jip jip' calls.....though as they are early nesters, we now have a chance of some better views of singing and displaying birds over the next couple of months... and that was the case on the 4th when a small group actually posed nicely for a short while, allowing a rare photo  opportunity...





Continuing the forest theme, despite numerous walks and drives through suitable habitat, sadly, but not unusually,  we failed to see a single Capercaillie again this month...but I will be increasing my efforts soon, in order to try and get what is becoming an increasingly difficult 'year-tick'!!



On the rivers...



Winter on a local stretch of the River Spey




Dipper




Dipper by Lizee Oliver - Photo from Dec 2019

On our local rivers, the Dippers are usually pretty reliable in December, with much aggression, singing and displaying being witnessed  especially soon after dawn, and usually near to favoured nesting (and viewing) spots, particularly bridges....which is very useful , as it gives us much more chance to see and photograph them....however, our local rivers were partly frozen for much of this month, so sightings were less regular than normal....



On the lochs...



A frozen Loch Garten


Goldeneyes


Star birds on the lochs during the winter are probably Goldeneyes, with the males now in their dapper breeding plumage,  and the winter-visiting Whooper Swans, with a back up cast of  GoosanderTealWigeon and Tufted Ducks, but as the lochs were frozen from the 5th onwards, sightings were somewhat limited this month....




Up in the mountains....


A snowy scene in the Cairngorm Mountains



Snow Buntings


Snow Buntings



Snow Bunting by Steve Nicklin


Snow Buntings can often be seen well during the winter 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 sometimes be tempted to come and feed at quite close range....as was the case several times this month....


Ptarmigan by Paul Sharman - Photo from Dec 2018

With the Cairngorm Funicular Railway still closed for major repairs, the weather rarely being suitable, and the days so short now,  I didn't venture up into the mountain-tops myself this month, but for future reference, a few Ptarmigan , now almost totally white, can sometimes be seen, up around the 'snow-line', usually sheltering on the leeward sides of ridges, out of the cold wind...




Winter-visiting birds seen in our area this month included:




Whooper Swans




Fieldfare




Redwing by Steve Nicklin





Waxwing by Steve Nicklin





Waxwing by Steve Nicklin



Local winter visiting birds were represented by Redwings and Fieldfares,  family groups of Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, and a few Redpolls and Bramblings were also seen...whilst Waxwings were finally reported locally from mid-month....



Other good/scarce birds seen/reported locally this month included:

A Ring-Necked Duck on Loch Insh early  and late in the month , flocks of Twites on local farmland, a Kingfisher on the River Spey,  a Marsh Harrier at Insh marshes  on and off throughout the month, and 3 Russian White-Fronted Geese there late in the month..





A few photos of more common birds seen locally this month: 


Coal Tit


Great Tit



Greenfinch



Robin



Grey Heron



Adventures 'out of area': 


Although I didn't make a trip there myself this month, the Moray coast is only about an hour drive north of Aviemore, and  trips to favourite reserves, lochs, bays and harbours usually give good views of wintering birds such as Greylag Geese,  Pink-Footed GeeseBrent GeeseBarnacle GeeseWhooper SwanShovelerWigeonTeal Pintail,  Bar-Tailed GodwitKnot, Golden Plover , Grey Plover Ringed PloverPurple SandpiperRedshankOystercatcherTurnstoneCurlewCommon ScoterVelvet ScoterRed-Throated DiverLong-Tailed Ducks, Eiders, Slavonian Grebe, with the chance of rarities such as Snow Geese, rare Scoters, and King Eider.....




December 2022 mammal sightings in more detail:



Mountain Hare




Mountain Hare by Steve Nicklin - Photo from Dec 2018



Mountain Hare close-up by Steve Nicklin


Mountain Hares, now they are in their most attractive winter-white outfits, are probably the most exciting mammal to see at this time of year, and with them now having protected status in Scotland, with less persecution, I am hoping to see a gradual reversal of their decline in numbers . If you fancy seeing them, we can often manage that, at distance, with my telescope from just outside my vehicle, but please be aware that some considerable rough uphill walking, often in snow,  may be required to get close enough for photography purposes...



Red Deer


Red Deer stag


Also up in the glens, Red Deer, now mostly back in their same-sex herds, the October rut seemingly ancient history, were seen reasonably frequently, though often at long range, and we struggled on some days as some estates were culling the old, injured or unhealthy animals, and the disturbance, not surprisingly,  made them a little more easily spooked than normal...






Feral Mountain Goat - Photo from Dec 2017



Feral Mountain Goatalso frequent our local upland glens, but they proved to be a bit elusive this month, which may well be because many of the females appear to be heavily pregnant, and keeping away from perceived dangers.... 





Red Squirrel




Red Squirrels are always a joy to see, with their relative rarity and very localised distribution in the UK, cute looks and cheeky nature, and they are pretty reliable visitors to forest feeding stations, and if you avoid sudden movements and keep quiet, you can often creep fairly close for photos.....





Roe Deer


Roe Deer are actually nowhere near as rare as most people think, being present throughout most of the UK, it's just that their nervous disposition and crepuscular nature tends to make them less obvious, and I tend to get most sightings in very undisturbed areas or at dawn and dusk..





A typically wary Brown Hare



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, though sightings were very few and far between this month...




Reindeer




Reindeer by Steve Nicklin


Britain's only free-roaming Reindeer can be found in the Cairngorms National Park, and we were lucky enough to get great views of them around Cairngorm Mountain early in the month....



Merry Christmas Murdo!!


Highland Coo's always prove to be popular with my safari clients, especially those who do not have them close to home, so don't be afraid to ask me if you fancy going to see them, and maybe even get to feed and 'pat' them,  as I have a couple of great sites....



Rare/nocturnal mammals:


I get a few enquiries about the possibility of seeing  Badgers and  Pine Marten from my safari clients, many of whom I suspect are unaware that they are actually a largely nocturnal creature, and although we do get the occasional (maybe one or two a year) dawn glimpse of one, you would definitely have a much higher chance of seeing them at a specific dusk Badger/Pine Marten watching hide - Please contact me for more information.


Similarly, our inland Otters too are mainly active during the hours of darkness, and again, although we do get a few early-morning sightings on local lochs and rivers each year, looking for them feeding in a suitably quiet, kelp - filled bay on the coast on a rising tide, but at any time of day, would give you a much better chance.


Whilst we are still on the 'tricky to see stuff', the Scottish Wildcat too, as well as being incredibly rare now, is also generally nocturnal, and the fact that I have had a mere handful of  (dawn or dusk) sightings in 17 years of providing wildlife safaris should give you an idea of how difficult they are to see.



Other wildlife:

Nothing to report this month....



News:

All tourism/hospitality/activities in Scotland are open , are free of restrictions  and I have now completed well over a year of (thankfully!) increasingly busy and extremely enjoyable safaris with clients with no major issues arising.

With all national travel restrictions lifted too, Scotland is officially 'open for business' for visitors from all over the UK, and from abroad.


For those considering a visit, these wildlife/outdoor tourism websites may prove useful:


https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid


NatureScot (outdooraccess-scotland.scot)


Can Nature Help Health? | Nature Prescriptions - YouTube


Scotland, Yours to Enjoy. Responsibly. - YouTube


Cairngorms National Park Authority


Highland Wildlife Park



Positive prescriptions | The RSPB



Midwinter in a local birch wood



COVID-19

The Scottish Highlands, being very sparsely populated, has had very few COVID-19 cases in comparison to most of the UK, and on my safaris we tend to visit remote , wild habitats well away from the more popular tourist areas, and usually have very little interaction with other people, and this is something that I intend to continue.



Ruthven Barracks on Insh Marshes 



Summary:

Well, after a couple of extremely difficult years, where the future of my business was very much in the balance, I am really pleased to announce that 2022 saw me booked for a record  high number of safari days, narrowly beating my previous best year of 2019 - Meaning that we look to be well on the way to financial recovery - So it's a big thank you to all my clients, social media followers, and everyone else  who has supported me in so many ways again this year, as I am very aware that I could not do this by myself.....


Looking back through my reports and photos at the end of the year is always a joy, and once again, it looks like 2022  for me, was a year filled with varied and beautiful highland scenery,  exciting  and awe-inspiring wildlife sightings, and happy times spent with lots of friendly and interesting like-minded people from all over the world - some new, some post- COVID returnees, and some valued 'regulars' who have become friends - special memories that have kept me  -  hopefully them, and maybe you - somewhere near sane during what has apparently been a bit of a depressing year, if you watch the news - Thankfully I don't!!


I hope you have enjoyed viewing my photos and reading my safari updates as much as I have whilst experiencing and writing about them throughout the year.....And I am already looking forward to even more wildlife-filled adventures in 2023...and sharing them them with you all.....



Reviews:

I know a lot of visitors to this area very wisely check out reviews of attractions/experiences at TripAdvisor before 'taking the plunge' and booking - We now have over 270 reviews online, so if you wish, you can check out our clients comments at the link below....



https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186537-d3335134-Reviews-

Highland_Wildlife_Birdwatch_Safaris-Aviemore_Aviemore_and_the_Cairngorms_Scottish.html




Photos:


Prints of any of the photos (taken by myself) shown on this blog, going right back to 2015,  reproduced on high quality photographic paper,  with a choice of sizes up to A3, and satin pearl or glossy finishes available, can now be purchased from me at very reasonable prices. So if you see an image that might look nice in a frame (provided by yourself) on your wall, please make a note of the year and month of my blog in which it appeared, and email me for more information.




Gift Certificates:


Safari gift voucher

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, with (currently) no expiry date........