August 2023
August 2023 saw us enjoy more sun and less rain than last month - hooray! though it was still a bit changeable, and it was often very cloudy, occasionally showery, and a little breezy at times, and with daytime temperatures ranging from 8c to 20c, a layered approach to clothing and a waterproof/windproof cagoule on stand-by is recommended..
The days are noticeably shortening now as autumn approaches, but we still have 14-15 hours of usable daylight this far north, with dawn at around 5am and dusk at around 9pm...
With many of our summer visiting bird species departing here for their wintering areas from mid month, it was inevitable that local full-day bird lists would reduce down into the 30's , though this could be increased considerably if you included a visit to the Moray coast.
Mammal day lists varied between 3 and 7 species, with earlier starts generally proving more successful, especially for the shyer, more crepuscular species.
August is often a good month for Butterflies, dragonflies and day-flying moths in this area - weather permitting - and a good variety of species were seen on the calmer, sunnier days, though sightings tailed-off noticeably later in the month...
The Highland scenery is extremely picturesque now, with the heather at it's beautiful purple best, one or two ferns turning coppery gold, a few leaves beginning to morph into their autumn hues, lots of varieties of fungus appearing, the wild Blaeberries ripe for picking, and the Rowan trees now fully laden with bright red or orange berries.
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| August in the Cairngorms National Park |
To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future August 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 this month and in previous August's will help....clicking on the picture enlarges it to full-screen.
Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:
Osprey, Red Grouse, and Goldeneye, and they are definitely the most reliable local speciality species in August...
Red-Throated Diver and Black-throated Diver, with young, were both seen a few times, though sightings tailed-off late in the month ....
Crested Tit and Crossbill sightings were a bit random and infrequent, though we did manage to see both species....
Dippers proved frustratingly elusive this month, with just a few brief views...
Golden Eagle sightings increased a little, with 3 sightings this month...though we only managed one view of White-Tailed Eagle....
Sadly, but not unusually, we failed to see Capercaillie or Black Grouse at all this month....
Mammal species seen regularly included:
Red Squirrel, Roe Deer, Reindeer, Red Deer, Rabbit, Brown Hare, and feral Mountain Goat, with just a couple of brief glimpses of Bank Vole....and typically, we failed to see a Mountain Hare this month...
All photographs of wildlife, especially Schedule 1 and other protected bird species were taken legally at long range with powerful zoom lenses, or from my vehicle on public roads, well away from nest sites, and no disturbance was caused to any wildlife....
August 2023 bird sightings in more detail:
On the lochs...
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| A local loch |
Osprey would probably take the crown as 'bird of the month' as voted by my safari clients this month, understandable I guess when you consider that these impressively large and attractive looking summer-visiting raptors can also provide additional "wow" factor when seen plunge-diving, eating or carrying fish!... and although some of the parent birds appeared to have departed by the 24th, the now fully independent youngsters could occasionally be seen near their nest sites right up to the end of the month, though they too will soon depart for warmer climes, so I am making the most of every sighting now...
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Young Osprey eating a fish |
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| Adult Osprey with a partly-eaten fish |
Our small numbers of the very rare Slavonian (Horned) Grebes have usually departed for the coast by late July, and having bred successfully locally, that appears to have been the case this month, though I am told that other pairs in northern Scotland failed to breed due to their nests being flooded out by July's abnormally high rainfall levels...
Still on the lochs, as I reported previously, Black-Throated Diver bred successfully locally this summer, and although sightings reduced a little and became less predictable as the juveniles became more mobile, we still saw them reasonably regularly until mid-month, when they presumably departed for the coast, where they will stay until next spring....
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| Black-Throated Divers |
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| Black-Throated Diver |
Our local Red-Throated Divers were seen occasionally until mid-month, and it was good to see at least one well-grown youngster maturing...but they too now appear to have departed for the coast.....
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| Red-Throated Diver family |
Our local Goldeneyes seem to have no problems breeding in this area though, the only place in the UK where they do so, and it was good to see them still in family groups on local lochs and rivers, all fishing together throughout the month,
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| Goldeneye |
Up on the moors....
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| A local upland heather moorland |
Red Grouse, still in family groups, were seen reasonably regularly on local upland moorlands, though they were not totally reliable, and with brood sizes being smaller than normal, it would appear that some local estates have either delayed or cancelled shooting this year.....
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| Red Grouse family |
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| Female Red Grouse showing off her 'cryptic' plumage |
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| Young Red Grouse |
In the Caledonian forests...
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| Nice morning light in a local ancient Caledonian Forest |
Crested Tits have now joined the 'mixed winter flocks' of many different bird species 'working' through our local Caledonian pine forests... so... to see the 'Wee Cresties' you first have to find one of these roving flocks , then listen out for their distinctive chuckling trill , then try and pick them out as they move in annoyingly flitty style through the branches - not an easy task! , but, satisfyingly for myself as a guide, we managed it on a decent number of occasions, with many of my safari clients obtaining a difficult and much sought after 'life-tick'... or of course, you can occasionally get lucky when one visits a forest feeding station, though this is not a common occurrence outside of the winter months...
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| Crested Tit by Gaurang Purchit (photo from August 2020) |
Still in the forests, with the exception of some distant but good views of a family feeding together on the 16th and 23rd, Crossbills sightings were (again!) usually of the rather frustrating 'fly-over' variety, with them only being identified by their characteristic 'jip' 'jip' calls as they flew overhead between different areas of the forests...so sadly, there were very few photo opportunities this month...
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| Female Crossbill (photo from August 2020) |
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| Male Crossbill (photo from August 2020) |
In the birch woods:
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| A local birch woodland |
It would appear that our 'star' summer-visiting species - Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler - have already migrated south from our local birch woods, and similarly to the pine forests, the resident birds are now forming their mixed winter flocks.....
On the rivers...
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| A picturesque local river |
Sightings of Dippers were frustratingly difficult to come by, and a little 'random' this month, as the adults presumably show the youngsters around their territory, so I would recommend familiarizing yourself with their distinctive 'zit zit' calls to give you more chance of spotting them, as they can be frustratingly elusive outside of breeding season...
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| Dipper |
Family groups of Goosanders were encountered reasonably frequently, though they are always very wary of humans, and don't usually stick around for too long once they become aware of us....
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| Goosander family |
Up in the glens...
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| A beautiful local upland glen |
Birds of prey are always popular with my safari clients, and although we are still to reach 'peak' time, sightings definitely increased this month, with visits to favourite local glens and moors producing regular encounters with Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon, often in family groups, and pleasingly, we also managed a few views of Golden Eagle, and one sighting of a White-Tailed Eagle....
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| Peregrine Falcon |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Red Kite |
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| Golden Eagle (photo from August 2018) |
Up in the mountains....
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| August in the Cairngorm Mountains |
Being really busy with safaris, I didn't have time to take a walk up to the mountain tops this month, but I'm not sure I missed much, as it would appear that although a few Snow Buntings were reported, Ptarmigan and Dotterel were generally very elusive, and our Ring Ouzels appear to have already departed...
On farmland....
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| Typical local grazing farmland |
Sadly, our local farmland is always a little 'quiet' at this time of year, with most of the summer-visiting waders now returned to the coast, and the winter visitors yet to arrive, bird sightings were restricted to just the odd Lapwing or Oystercatcher....
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| Young Lapwing |
Other good/scarce birds seen/reported locally this month included:
2 Marsh Harriers and a Greenshank at Insh marshes mid-month, a family of Red-Breasted Mergansers at Lochindorb on the 15th, a juvenile Ring Ouzel near Kincraig on the 17th, a Kingfisher near Aviemore on the 26th, and 4 Ruff at Insh Marshes, also on the 26th.....
A few photos of more common birds seen locally this month:
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| Great-Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Male Blackbird |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Barn Swallow |
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| Siskin by Steve Nicklin |
Adventures 'out of area':
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| Rosemarkie Beach on the Black isle |
Being really busy with safaris, I didn't have many opportunities to venture far this month, but a very enjoyable few hours on the Black Isle with a local birding mate on the 1st of the month, gave us a a good selection of terns, auks, and bonus views of Porpoises and Dolphins.....
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| Common Tern |
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| Common Guillemot |
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| Sandwich Tern by Steve Nicklin |
August 2023 mammal sightings in more detail:
With bird sightings 'slowing down' a little, mammal sightings always become more important at this time of year, and we are lucky to have such a good selection to go for in this area....
We are fortunate to have Red Squirrels in our local forests, a species sadly absent from most of the UK now, due largely to invasion by the introduced Grey Squirrel (and the Squirrel pox virus they carry), so they are always popular with my safari clients - often getting voted as 'mammal of the day', and forest walks and visits to my favourite Caledonian pine forest feeding stations produced lots of good sightings, often with decent photographic opportunities...though we did have a few days when none showed at all...
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| Red Squirrel |
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| Red Squirrel |
A frequent contender for my safari clients 'mammal of the day' award is the iconic 'monarch of the glen' - the Red Deer, and although they can be seen in more places all round the UK these days, it is still great to see them in their 'proper' home environment of upland glens and mountainsides, with many now sporting an impressive set of antlers, and although they are mainly still in their large same-sex groups at the moment, that will be sure to change in a few weeks time when the autumn 'rut' commences....
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| Red Deer stags |
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| Red Deer hinds |
Still up in the glens, we also have feral Mountain Goats, interesting animals that come in a wide variety of colours from white, through grey and brown to black, or any combination of some or all of these colours, and many of my safari clients saw them in the wild for the first time whilst out on safari with me this month...
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| Feral Mountain Goats |
Roe Deer are actually fairly common throughout most of the UK, but due to their crepuscular nature, most of my safari clients rarely see them, and they are easily disturbed by human noise and activity...but July and August is their 'rutting' time, and early starts, and quiet drives and walks round secluded areas gave us a few decent views this month..
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| Roe Deer buck |
Being largely nocturnal, and with their blotchy grey/brown/white summer coat perfectly matching their upland surroundings, Mountain Hares can prove very difficult to see in the summer months, and so it proved this month, as I don't recall us getting a single sighting .....
Thankfully, our local Brown Hares were a little more obliging, especially early in the morning, though they rarely stick around once they become aware of us watching them, so it's rare to get a decent photo opportunity...
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| A typically nervous-looking Brown Hare |
Hairy 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....
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| Carrot time for Murdo! |
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:
Butterfly sightings were definitely better than last month, with the more common species now being joined by our local speciality, the Scotch Argus....
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| Dark Green Fritillary by Steve Nicklin |
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| Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary by Steve Nicklin |
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| Painted Lady |
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| Scotch Argus |
Warmer days saw lots of activity at our local Wood Ant nests....
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| Wood Ant nest |
News:
I am very pleased to announce that Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris has recently been awarded - for the second consecutive year - a Travellers Choice accreditation from Trip Advisor, for being ranked in the top 10% of visitor attractions worldwide based on customer reviews and feedback.
This achievement would not have been possible without the support of all my family, friends, safari clients, social media followers, regular blog readers , the Visit Scotland 'mystery shoppers', and everyone else who has helped and encouraged me along the way to ‘living my dream’ of being a wildlife safari guide, since 2004, especially over the last few very difficult COVID affected years, so a big THANK YOU to you all :)
All tourism/hospitality/activities in Scotland are open , are free of restrictions and I have now completed two years 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, and already this year, I have enjoyed meeting my first ever clients from Chile, and Singapore....
For those considering a visit, these wildlife/outdoor tourism websites may prove useful:
June - September is midge season - But thankfully, this area is not usually affected too badly - This link explains why:
Bumper midge hatch alert after warm spell - BBC News
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
Positive prescriptions | The RSPB
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.
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| Rosebay Willowherb in full bloom |
Summary:
So, although maybe not the best month for the hard-core birder, 'twitcher' or photographer to visit, August in the Cairngorms National Park would still appear to have quite a lot to offer the more casual beginner or 'improver' nature-watcher, or maybe those with a young family looking for a less intense or 'taster' wildlife safari experience, with no need for a really early start, in arguably, one of the more scenic months of the year.
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| The Strathspey Steam Train by Nicolas Muller |
Reviews:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186537-d3335134-Reviews-
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| Sunrise over local farmland |
Gift Certificates:
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| Safari gift voucher |
