February 2025
February 2025 was a bit of a month of two (very different) halves weather-wise in this area. The first two weeks saw high pressure dominate, meaning clear sunny skies, little wind, very cold temperatures and little in the way of precipitation, whereas the second half was much milder, but with more changeable, and sometimes wet and breezy conditions. Overall though, when compared to some previous, more extreme February's, with the exception of a few days in week three, it wasn't a bad month for wildlife watching.
Temperatures ranged considerably from a chilly -10c to a balmy +10c during the month, with the colder, snowier days reminding us that February is still very much winter this far north. However, on the warmer, brighter days, there was definitely a feeling of spring not being TOO far away now, with the lighter mornings and evenings, the return inland of some of the wading birds, and more woodland and garden birds heard singing.
The days are lengthening noticeably now, with up to 9-10 hours of usable daylight, and dawn (for the Black Grouse) is still a relatively sociable 7am, with dusk at around 5pm.
Full-day local safari bird lists usually top-out in the 30's or 40's, though a trip to the nearby (one hour by car ) Moray Coast can boost this total considerably, whilst mammal day lists can vary between 3 and 8 species, depending on the time of our start and number of habitats visited, with early starts usually proving to be best.
I always think that wintertime gives some of the best opportunities for scenic landscape photography in this area, and I felt very priviledged to enjoy some beautiful vistas again this month, so I have scattered a few of my photos around this report...
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A wintry scene on a local upland moor
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To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future February 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 February's will help....clicking on the picture enlarges it to full-screen.
All photographs of wildlife, especially Schedule 1 and other protected or vulnerable bird species shown on this website 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..
Local speciality/upland bird species seen regularly during the month included:
Black Grouse (usually first hour of light only), Red Grouse, Snow Bunting, Goosander, and Dipper, we also managed a few brief views of Crested Tits on our forest walks , and a few reasonable Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle sightings on local marshes and glens...though Crossbills proved very elusive, with just a few brief glimpses....
A good variety of seabirds, waders, seaducks , wildfowl and Geese were seen at the Moray Coast and the nearby inland lochs...
Mammal species seen regularly included:
Red Deer, Roe Deer, Reindeer, Red Squirrel, and Rabbit, with just a few sightings of Mountain Hare (still white), Brown Hare, Wood Mouse and Bank Vole ...whlst the feral Mountain Goats again proved to be very elusive....
February 2025 bird sightings in more detail:
Up on the moors....
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| A local upland heather moorland |
Dawn in February (still a pretty user-friendly 7 am) on my safaris is usually spent visiting one (or more if needed!) local Black Grouse lek sites, usually a flat, grassy area on an upland heather moorland with forest not too far away, and we enjoyed the spectacle of up to 6 of these attractive, but sadly now increasingly rare, blue-black cock birds displaying, posturing aggressively and flutter-jumping in a bid to out-display and intimidate their opponents in a bid to secure their little patch of the 'arena' for the forthcoming breeding season, all accompanied by their distinctive bubbling and whooshing calls drifting across the moor... surely one of British wildlife's 'must-see' (and 'must hear') experiences? 'Performances' are usually noticeably better on cold, still mornings.... but please be aware that we have to view from a respectful (and legal) distance, and that sightings are not 'guaranteed' as the birds can fail to show for no apparent reason, as was the case on a few occasions this month...
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| Displaying Black Grouse |
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| Displaying Black Grouse |
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| Black Grouse by Kosmo Dossett |
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| Black Grouse |
Still on the moors, the cock Red Grouse too, are now becoming very territorial and full of aggression, but they have a very different method to the other Grouse species, as they defend their chosen 'territory' from rivals and try to attract a mate with much calling and posturing and their red eye wattles aglow, usually from one of the few higher vantage points, making them (occasionally) nice and easy for us to find, although numbers of birds do seem to be down on previous years....
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| Male Red Grouse |
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| Male Red Grouse |
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| Female 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.
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| Common Buzzard |
Up in the glens:
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| A local U-shaped glacial valley |
Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle are nearly always on my safari clents' "wish-lists", and as I have said before, the shorter days of the winter months , and no nesting distractions definitely give us the best chance of seeing them. That trend was continued this month, with several sightings of GE and a couple of WTE being achieved, though not as frequently as we had enjoyed in the 3-4 months before this, as many of the adult birds will now be paired-up and nesting....
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| Golden Eagle |
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| Golden Eagle |
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| White Tailed Eagle |
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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| Kestrel |
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| Peregrine Falcon |
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| Red Kite |
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| Goshawk (photo from Feb 2021) |
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| Common Buzzard |
In the Caledonian pine forests...
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| A local Caledonian Pine Forest |
Similarly to last February, Crested Tits proved to be a little elusive this month, with fewer sightings than normal achieved, though thankfully, it wasn't just me, as guides from other safaris experienced the same disappointment, with the favourite theories as to why, being that either numbers are down due to a couple of poor breeding seasons, or that the often strangely mild and spring-like weather in the second half of the month may have made them less dependent on feeding stations and may even have prompted them to begin courtship season very early....
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| Crested Tit |
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| Crested Tit |
It is well worth noting that the winter months (November-February) are actually the best time of year for seeing the 'wee Cresties', as these characterful little birds can be frustratingly secretive and unobtrusive during the breeding season, with sightings being much more difficult to obtain between March and September....
Still in the Caledonian forests, we managed a few decent Crossbill sightings again this month, and this can be a good time for seeing them...mainly because the period between December and March is breeding season for them, which means that this is your best chance to see a male perched on a treetop, often singing to defend a territory ....whereas they can be pretty tricky to see (apart from flyovers) for the rest of the year...
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| Female Crossbill |
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| Male Crossbill |
A bonus by-product of regular winter feeding is sometimes (especially on colder days) being able to feed the incredibly confiding Coal Tits and (sometimes) Great Tits and Robins by hand, an experience much enjoyed by my safari clients of all ages...
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| Hand-feeding a Coal Tit - Photo by Jan Shields |
Although I did manage a couple of 'chance' sightings of Capercaillie from two different sites this month......in the interests of conservation and to avoid any danger of disturbance, I am inclined to keep the locations quiet .... sorry...
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| Male Capercaillie |
Please note that Capercaillie numbers would still appear to be alarmingly low, they are now very rare and elusive, possibly on the brink of extinction, and I would only rate our chances of seeing one on my safaris as "very slim" at best, and we are now requested not to go in search of them, for fear of disturbing them.....and please be aware that Police Scotland and the Cairngorms National Park Authority Rangers patrol 'known' Capercaillie areas for the first few hours of light throughout the spring/summer in an attempt to dissuade anyone from entering the forest and potentially disturbing the birds during lekking/breeding season.....with prosecution an option if you fail to heed their 'advice'....you have been warned....
On the lochs..
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| A picturesque local loch |
Star birds on our local lochs during the winter are probably the Goldeneyes, with the males now in their dapper breeding plumage with some already seen performing their elaborate courtship display, and the winter-visiting Whooper Swans, with a back up cast of Goosander, Teal, Wigeon , Mute Swan and Tufted Ducks.
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| Mute Swans |
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| Male and female Goldeneye |
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| Whooper Swans |
On the marshes...
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| Insh Marshes |
Although the marshes were frozen for the first half of the month, raptors such as Kestrel, Buzzard, and Red Kite were seen reasonably regularly, and the occasional Hen Harrier, Merlin, Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle also reported. and once the ice thawed, alongside the ever-present Grey Herons, ducks like Mallard, Teal and Wigeon were noted, along with Whooper Swans and several species of 'grey' Geese, and the first few returning waders such as Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew and Golden Plover were also reported.....
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| Whooper Swans |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Grey Heron |
On the rivers...
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| A picturesque local stretch of the River Spey |
Our Dippers are in full 'breeding season mode' now, and early morning visits to known favourite sites (keeping a respectful distance of course) occasionally give us great views of these characterful and hardy little birds singing their hearts out, with wings back and chests pushed out... and towards the end of the month we sometimes see one or two carrying nesting material....and it still makes me shiver every time I see these tough little birds submerge themselves when feeding amongst the ice in the freezing winter months...
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| Dipper |
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| Dipper |
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| Dippers by Kosmo Dossett |
We sometimes get to see Goldeneyes and Goosanders on our local rivers too....
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| Female Goosander |
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| Male Goldeneye |
Up in the mountains....
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| A distant view of the Cairngorm Mountains |
Snow Buntings can often be seen in and around the Cairngorms Ski Centre car park in the winter months, if it can be accessed in the often heavy snow and high winds!!, and that was the case on a few occasions this month, with up to 30+ of these attractive and characterful little birds being seen.
Their confiding nature means that you can sometimes creep reasonably close for photos too, especially if you put some wild bird seed out to attract and distract them....
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| Snow Buntings |
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| Snow Bunting |
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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 , still 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...
On farmland...
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| Typical local farmland |
Although most of the waders are still at the coast, with just a few brave Lapwings, Curlews, Oystercatchers and Golden Plovers reported, '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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| Fieldfare |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Curlew |
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| Red Legged Partridge |
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| Pheasant |
In local gardens:
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| My garden on the outskirts of Aviemore |
Berry bushes, fruit trees and garden bird feeding stations are a real magnet for hungry winter visiting birds from further north, and Redwings, Fieldfares, Redpolls and a few Bramblings were all seen locally alongside the more common tits and finches, and on the 10th we were lucky enough to spot a Waxwing (rare this winter) feeding on berries locally...
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| Male Bullfinch |
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| Fieldfare |
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| Waxwing |
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| Male Siskin |
A few photos of more common birds seen locally this month:
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| Blue Tit |
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| Great Tit |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Dunnock |
Other good/scarce birds seen/reported locally this month included:
A Hawfinch near Grantown On Spey on the 5th, a solitary Waxwing at Glenmore on the 10th/11th then at Boat of Garten on the 19th, a Snow Bunting at Glen feshie at Feshiebridge on the 20th,
Adventures 'out of area':
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| Burghead Bay viewed from Roseisle |
The nearby Moray Coast is always worth a visit, especially in autumn and winter, and a visit at this time of year should give a good selection of waders, wildfowl, seaducks, Scoters, Divers, gulls etc, and winter visiting Pink Footed Geese and Whooper swans, with the chance of rare gulls .....
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| Common Scoters |
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| Wigeon |
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| A raft of Eiders |
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| Cormorants |
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| Male Long Tailed Ducks |
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| Redshank |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Purple Sandpipers (foreground) and Turnstones |
The freshwater lochs , nature reserves and farmland just inland from the Moray Coast can be productive too....
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| Loch Oire |
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| Wigeon and a selection of gulls |
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| Drake Goosander |
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| Pink-Footed Geese |
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| Yellowhammer |
February 2025 mammal sightings in more detail:
Star mammal for February is usually that much sought-after local speciality the Mountain Hare, and rightly so, as Britain's only native 'lagomorph' and with their UK distribution being restricted to just a few remote upland areas, seeing one is always a treat, especially in their white winter coats...
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| Mountain Hare |
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| Mountain Hare |
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| Mountain Hare |
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| Mountain Hare by Kosmo Dossett |
Seeing them was tricky during the snowy conditions early in the month, and I often had to resort to using my thermal imager to find them, but it actually became easier than usual for the second half of the month with the lack of snow meaning that their white coats made them much more obvious against their green/brown/grey mountainside background...
It should be noted though, that most of our views are at range through my telescope, and that a closer view or photo opportunity usually involves some considerable rough uphill walking, and maybe a bit of scrambling around on rocks, often in deep snow....
In the same upland glens, Red Deer, mainly in large same-sex herds, can usually be seen, although a number of factors such as the weather, in particular the wind strength and depth of the snow, and whether there is any local shooting activity , can dictate whether we get nice close-up views, or distant views through the telescope....
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| Red Deer Stags |
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| Red Deer Hinds |
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| Red Deer Stag (photo from Feb 2018) |
Still up in the glens, another local speciality mammal, our Feral Mountain Goats can often seen on the same sheltered sides of the ridges as the Red Deer , and althoughg we struggled this February, at this time of year it is not unusual to see them with the first , very cute, new-born youngsters ....
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| Feral Mountain Goats |
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| Feral Mountain Goat |
Red Squirrels are a true Highlands speciality, and we are usually fortunate enough to see at least one on most of my safaris, mainly chomping on peanuts at forest feeding stations, but with the occasional random sighting whilst walking or driving in suitable habitat.
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| Red Squirrel |
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| Red Squirrel |
Roe Deer are most commonly seen at dawn or dusk and generally at the quieter, more remote sites well away from human disturbance, their shy, nervous nature making them much harder to see than Red Deer, despite being considerably more numerous and widespread than their larger 'cousins'...
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| Female Roe Deer |
We managed a few (mainly early morning) sightings of Brown Hare this month, usually on the quieter farmland areas, but sadly they were mainly very fleeting glimpses. with no decent photo opportunities.....
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| 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....though sadly, lovely old Murdo, and his mate Buster the friendly Sheep, are now no longer with us, having both recently succumbed to old age and poor health
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| Hamish and Dougal - Pre-carrots.... |
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| And happy faces all round - Post carrots... |
Marine mammals:
The Moray coast is pretty reliable for sightings of Seals, with a decent chance of Harbour Porpoise and Dolphins, and,even a slim chance of Whales.....and we also got a quick glimpse of a Mink on the 14th....
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| Common Seal by Steve Nicklin (photo from Feb 2019) |
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 over 20 years of providing wildlife safaris should give you an idea of how difficult they are to see.
Other wildlife:
Apart from a few brave bugs seen flying around on the milder days, I don't recall seeing any other wildlife this month.... although the early flowers like Snowdrops and Crocuses look like they could bloom at any moment.....
News:
I am very pleased to announce that Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris has been awarded - for the third 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 financial recovery years, so a big THANK YOU to you all :)
We have also upgraded our safari vehicle to a slightly newer Land Rover Discovery5 HSE LUX 7-seater, and this one has, along with excellent off-road and all-weather ability. 7 heated seats, and all the usual luxuries such as rear-seat entertainment DVD screens, a panoramic sunroof, and height-adjustable air suspension, and it is also more spacious and 'greener' than my previous versions with (ULEZ compliant) ultra-low emissions and improved fuel economy....
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| My new(er) safari vehicle on it's 'debut' outing in February 2024 |
All tourism/hospitality/activities in Scotland are open, are free of restrictions and I have now completed well over three 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.
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
Highland Wildlife Park
Positive prescriptions | The RSPB
www.scotlandbigpicture.com
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| Uath Lochans viewed from Fairletter Ridge |
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 typical snowy February scene in the Cairngorms National Park |
Summary:
Although, with just one safari booking, I felt like a bit of a 'Norman No Mates' out on my adventures in the first half of the month, thankfully, much of the second half was spent showing off the spectacular scenery and special wildlife of the Cairngorms National Park to a nice mix of first-timers, returners and valued regulars, some of whom have become good friends, which was much more enjoyable, and although the weather was very changeable, it wasn't that bad for February, and looking back through my sightings notes and photos, I reckon we did pretty well with a good selection of local specialities, winter visitors and common species seen and enjoyed, a few rarities thrown-in, and some good times, a few laughs, and plenty of hot drinks and shortbread enjoyed along the way ....
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| A picturesque snowy scene in a local forest |
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 making a booking - We now have over 350 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
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| Dramatic morning light at a local loch |
Gift Certificates:
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Safari gift voucher
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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 for a whole year from date of purchase........
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