December 2023
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!
I hope you all had a lovely festive season, and I would like to wish you all a healthy, happy, and wildlife-filled 2024.
December 2023 started with a really wintry feel, with sub-zero temperatures and lots of snow, even down to lower levels, with the majority of the month turning milder, but wetter and windier, including a wild spell due to Storm Pia, and the end of the month seeing colder , snowy weather return courtesy of Storm Gerrit.....
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 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....
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| A suitably festive scene from a local loch |
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 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 Tit, Red Grouse, Golden 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 seen locally on and off throughout the month....
Mammal species seen regularly included:
Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer, Roe Deer, Mountain 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...
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....
December 2023 bird sightings in more detail:
Up in the glens...
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| Midwinter in a picturesque local upland glen |
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.....
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| Golden Eagle by Ron Mitchell - Photo from Dec 2021 |
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| Golden Eagle |
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| Golden Eagle by Steve Nicklin |
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| Golden Eagle by Jon Worthington - Photo from December 2021 |
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| White-Tailed eagle by Josh Allan - Photo from Dec 2022 |
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| White-Tailed Eagle by Steve Nicklin - Photo from December 2017 |
Should the Eagles fail to show, the regular 'raptor back-up cast' of Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard, Red Kite, and the chance of even the occasional Merlin, Hen Harrier and Goshawk often provide good entertainment by way of consolation though...
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Red Kite |
Up on the moors....
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| A snowy local upland heather moorland |
Pre-dawn starts - a relatively user friendly 8am at this time of year - gave us decent views of up to 5 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...
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| Displaying Black Grouse |
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| Displaying Black Grouse |
By using my safari vehicle as a stealthy and slow-moving 'mobile hide', our local Red Grouse were usually 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....
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| Female Red Grouse by Lizee Oliver - Photo from Dec 2019 |
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| Male Red Grouse |
Upland moorlands can also produce bird of prey sightings, and this month we were lucky enough to see Kestrel, Common Buzzard, and Red Kite reasonably frequently, and on the 30th a Rough-Legged Buzzard.....
In the Caledonian forests...
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| Nice light in a local Caledonian forest |
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...
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| Crested Tit |
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| Crested Tit by Wayne Dixon - Photo from Dec 2017 |
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| Crested Tit by Steve Nicklin -Photo from Dec 2018 |
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| Crested Tit 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.....except for one obliging male bird who perched nicely atop a pine for us on the 30th....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...
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| Female Crossbill - Photo from Dec 2019 |
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| Male Crossbill - Photo from Dec 2021 |
A bonus by-product of regular winter feeding is often (especially on colder days) being able to feed the incredibly confiding Coal Tits and (sometimes) Great Tits by hand, an experience much enjoyed by my safari clients of all ages...
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| Hand-feeding a Coal Tit |
Continuing the forest theme, despite numerous walks and drives through suitable habitat, sadly, but not unusually given their rarity, we failed to see a single Capercaillie again this month.....
On the lochs...
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| Low winter sun at a local loch |
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 Goosander, Teal, Wigeon and Tufted Ducks......
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| Male Goldeneye - Photo from Dec 2018 |
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| Whooper Swans |
On the marshes...
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| Midwinter at Insh Marshes |
Alongside the ever-present Grey Herons, ducks like Teal and Wigeon were noted, along with Whooper Swans and 'grey' Geese , and raptors such as Kestrel, Buzzard, Red Kite, and Hen Harrier were seen reasonably regularly, and the occasional Merlin, Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle also reported.
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| Grey Heron |
On the rivers...
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| A wintry scene at the River Spey |
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| Dipper by Lizee Oliver - Photo from Dec 2019 |
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| Dipper by Lizee Oliver - Photo from Dec 2019 |
Up in the mountains....
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| The Cairngorm Mountains |
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....
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| Snow Buntings |
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| Snow Buntings |
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| Snow Bunting |
With the Cairngorm Funicular Railway still closed for 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...
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| Ptarmigan by Paul Sharman - Photo from Dec 2018 |
On farmland....
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| Typical local farmland |
Although all the waders have gone to the coast now, 'grey' Geese and Whooper Swans can often be seen feeding on crop remains , whilst the seeds on local farmland during the autumn and winter months often attract large flocks of mixed finches and buntings, along with the winter thrushes and more common Pheasants and occasional Red-Legged Partridges...........
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| Bramblings - Photo from Dec 2021 |
In local gardens;
Berry bushes, fruit trees and garden bird feeding stations are a real magnet for hungry winter visiting birds from further north, and Redwings, Fieldfares Bramblings and Redpolls were all seen locally alongside the more common tits and finches, and it was great to get our first proper 'invasion' of Waxwings for some years, with my own garden having 1-4 birds feeding on sliced apples on the lawn every day for the first week of the month...
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| Waxwing |
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| Waxwings |
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| Waxwings |
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| Waxwing |
Other good/scarce birds seen/reported locally this month included:
Apart from a couple of Kingfishers, rarities were a bit 'thin on the ground' locally this month.....
A few photos of more common birds seen locally this month:
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| Blue Tit |
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| Male Chaffinch |
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| Greater Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Robin |
Adventures 'out of area':
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| Sunrise at Lossiemouth Lagoon |
The nearby Moray Coast is always worth a visit, especially in autumn and winter, and a couple of visits gave us a good selection of auks, waders, wildfowl, seaducks, geese ,swans and gulls ....
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| Purple Sandpiper and Ringed Plover by Steve Nicklin |
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| Common Scoter by Steve Nicklin |
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| Velvet Scoter by Steve Nicklin |
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| Bar-Tailed Godwit and Oystercatchers by Steve Nicklin |
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| Eiders by Steve Nicklin |
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| Male Red-Breasted Merganser by Steve Nicklin |
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| Male Long-Tailed Duck by Steve Nicklin |
The freshwater lochs and nature reserves just inland from the Moray Coast can be productive too....
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| Loch Spynie |
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| Male Smew |
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| Tufted Ducks |
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| Little Grebe |
December 2023 mammal sightings in more detail:
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| Mountain Hare - Photo from Dec 2019 |
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| Mountain Hare by Steve Nicklin - Photo from Dec 2022 |
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| Mountain Hare by Steve Nicklin - Photo from Dec 2018 |
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...
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| Red Deer Stags |
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| Red Deer Stags |
Feral Mountain Goats also 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....
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| Feral Mountain Goats - Photo from Dec 2020 |
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| Red Squirrel |
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| Red Squirrel - Photo from Dec 2022 |
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..
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| Roe Deer |
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| Brown Hare - Photo from Dec 2022 |
Britain's only free-roaming Reindeer can be found in the Cairngorms National Park, and we are sometimes lucky enough to get good views of them around Cairngorm Mountain .......
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| Reindeer - Photo from Dec 2022 |
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| Reindeer by Steve Nicklin - Photo from Dec 2022 |
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 means smiles all round |
Marine mammals:
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:
Apart from one daytime Bat sighting on the 18th, I can't recall seeing much in the way of 'other wildlife' this month.....
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| Nice light in an ancient Caledonian forest |
News:
I am very pleased to announce that Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris has recently been awarded - for the second consecutive year - a Travelers 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 this year, I have enjoyed meeting my first ever clients from Chile, Alaska, 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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| A wintry scene at a remote local loch |
Summary:
Well, after a couple of extremely difficult 'COVID' years in 2020 and 2021, where the future of my business was very much in the balance, I am really pleased to announce that 2023 saw me booked for a record high number of safari days, narrowly beating my previous best year of 2022 - Meaning that we, thankfully, 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 2023 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 difficult and depressing year globally, 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 2024...and sharing them them with you all.....
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| My trusty Land Rover Discovery on a snowy upland moorland |
Reviews:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186537-d3335134-Reviews-
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| Ruthven Barracks and the Monadhliath Mountains |
Gift Certificates:
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| Safari gift voucher |
