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, July 31, 2026

July 2026


July 2026  started off generally warm, dry and sunny, weather-wise in this area, we then enjoyed/endured - depending on your preference - a second-week heatwave, with temperatures even topping 25c (rare here) for several days, before the month closed with cooler temperatures , and although it remained mainly dry, we had a few much-needed rain showers too...

Full-day (8 hours) safari bird species day lists dropped a little, down into the 40's or 30's, as some of our wader species moved away from their upland breeding territories to the coasts, and bird-wise things have definitely quietened down , with much less singing noted, as just about every species seems to have successfully raised and fledged youngsters now, and some have already, or soon will be, preparing to leave the area ....


Mammal day lists varied between 3 and 8, depending on the length of day, and variety of habitats visited...with early starts generally producing more and closer sightings, with again, many species seen with youngsters..

With a mixture of warm sunshine and regular showers giving the area a very lush, green appearance,  more heather starting to turn a beautiful vivid purple, and the wild flowers and butterflies at their most abundant, the Cairngorms National Park really was a beautiful and unspoilt place to be this month, and my safari clients certainly seemed to enjoy being here....


As you may have seen on the TV news, we had a serious wildfire on moorland at the foot of Cairngorm Mountain, between Glenmore and Nethybridge and then beyond..., which meant that some of my favourite wildlife watching sites in the Cairngorm Mountain/Glenmore/Nethybridge area were inaccessible for the second half of the month....


The wildfire, inevitably, led to a few safari cancellations, so as it was a little 'quiet' for safari bookings mid-month, and to distract myself from the wildfire and distance myself from the smokey atmosphere , I took advantage of this time off to take a few family trips out around the coasts of Scotland, so my report may be a little shorter than usual... 


A typical July scene in this area - Photo by Charlie Williams


To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future July 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 July'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:

Osprey,  Goldeneye, Dipper, Slavonian Grebe, Red-Throated Diver and Black-Throated Diver (all with young) were seen occasionally, along with a few Red Grouse , a few brief, if somewhat unreliable views of Crested Tit and Crossbill were managed and we enjoyed a couple of distant Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle sightings ...Sadly, but typically at this time of year, we failed to see Capercaillie or Black Grouse at all this month, and our local Ring Ouzels appear to have already headed south.....



Mammal species seen regularly included:

Red Squirrel, Rabbit, Brown Hare, Roe Deer, Red Deer, Reindeer and feral Mountain Goat, with  just a couple of early morning sighting of Mountain Hare , a couple of brief glimpses of  Black Water Voles, and one sighting of a Stoatwhilst trips to the coast  provided Bottlenose Dolphins, and both types of Seal.








July 2026 bird sightings in more detail:





On the lochs..



A picturesque local loch


Our local Ospreys stole the show again this month, and these attractive and impressive raptors were often voted as 'Bird of the day' by my safari clients, with the adult birds seen fishing, delivering fish  and feeding and encouraging the fast growing 'scaly' looking , orange-eyed youngsters to take their 'maiden flights', and after much furious flapping of wings and practice lift-offs', by mid-month they had indeed fledged and could be seen perched in adjacent trees and flying for the first time.. I can therefore highly recommend July as THE month for Osprey watching and photography in this area...




Osprey family at their nest





Hovering Osprey




Juvenile Ospreys by Koullis Patsalis





Adult Osprey by Koullis Patsalis




Osprey with trout








Slavonian Grebes, undoubtedly one of the UK's rarest and most beautiful breeding birds, after their first attempt failed, are attempting to nest again on a secluded local loch,  so hopefully this effort will be succesful....



Slavonian Grebes by Steve Nicklin





Divers (Loons), being very rare in summer south of here, and looking resplendent in their dapper summer plumage are always popular with my safari clients, and we were fortunate enough to get some good views of both Red-Throated and Black-Throated occasionally throughout the month, both species with their rapidly growing youngsters on their favoured local lochs.  It should be noted however, that they are rarely seen close to the shore, can be difficult to find in 'choppy' conditions, and are easily disturbed by non wildlife-friendly tourists dog-walking, swimming and boating etc, so the less windy days and early morning starts in search of them usually gave us our closest sightings, and sightings became noticeably less frequent as the month progressed, as some presumably moved out to the coast where they will spend the autumn and winter... 


Adult Black Throated Diver with youngster


Adult Black Throated Diver


Red Throated Diver


Red Throated Diver by Steve Nicklin



Goldeneyes only breed in the UK in northern Scotland, and their numbers have increased greatly in recent years, mainly due to the RSPB providing nest boxes on trees around most local lochs - yes, they really are a duck that nests up a tree! - and we managed regular sightings of families of these very attractive little ducks this month...





Female Goldeneye






Up on the moors....



Purple heather on a local moorland


Red Grouse are always popular with my safari parties, as being a bird of largely uninhabited upland heather moorlands, most of my clients do not have them close to home. We, however, are fortunate to have lots of suitable habitat in this area, and although they were sometimes elusive, we often enjoyed good close up views of families of up to 5 of these very characterful and beautifully marked birds, though with the 'Glorious 12th' rapidly approaching... I suspect they may not be quite so obliging next month...




Young Red Grouse



Female Red Grouse by Steve Nicklin




Male Red Grouse by Steve Nicklin








In the Caledonian pine forests...


A local Caledonian pine forest



Crested Tits were seen occasionally on our walks through Caledonian pine forests, usually fleeting glimpses of family parties, though there didn't appear to be any 'pattern' to our sightings, and I must stress again, that they can be very elusive in the spring and summer months, and although we got really lucky with one very 'unseasonal' sighting of a Crestie using a peanut feeder at a forest feeding station on the 23rd, this is not a common occurrence at this time of year, and knowing their distinctive rippling trills is a huge advantage in helping you to see these very 'flitty' little local specialities....




Crested Tit by Steve Nicklin



As I have mentioned previously, it is well worth noting that the colder winter months (October-Feb), when they regularly visit feeding stations,  are actually the best time of year for seeing the 'wee Cresties', as these characterful little birds can be frustratingly secretive, unobtrusive and almost silent during the breeding season, with sightings being much more difficult to obtain between March and September....




It was a similar story with Crossbills too, with most of our sightings being of the rather frustrating 'fly-over' variety, with them only being identified by their characteristic 'jip' 'jip' calls as they flew between different parts of the forests, and despite my best efforts, we only managed a couple of brief views of  perched birds this month...



Male Crossbill





Capercaillie

As is usual, sadly, we failed to manage any sightings of Capercaillie this month, though to be honest, we did not try for them or visit any known sites, and these days I tend to keep any random sightings a bit hush-hush, for obvious reasons.....





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 in the UK, 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, or even entering Caledonian forests before 09:30am, 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....

https://cairngormscapercaillie.scot/lek-it-be/





In the birch woods:


A local birch wood



Although there were  a few reports of sightings of Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher in our local birch woods early in the month, they were extremely difficult to find now they have stopped singing, have fledged their young,  and with a full canopy of leaves, and they rarely seem to stick around into August....so we had to make do with the odd sighting of Willow Warbler, Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher....



Spotted Flycatcher



Male Redstart







On the rivers...




A small local river


Dipper sightings were a bit 'random' this month, with the youngsters now independent, and the adult birds seemingly quite mobile up and down the rivers. On some days, despite our best efforts,  we saw none, and on other days we saw one or more on each river we visited! Which just goes to show that although local knowledge and experience are important, nothing is ever guaranteed, and sometimes you need a bit of luck too......




Young Dipper



Adult Dipper





Families of Goosanders were also seen on local rivers on a few occasions...


Goosanders


Families of Grey Wagtails, and a few lingering Common Sandpipers were also seen on local rivers this month....




Grey Wagtail





Common Sandpiper






Up in the glens:



A picturesque local glen



Eagles are probably hardest to see in mid-summer (in this area at least), as the birds are still concentrating on fledging their young, and have so many hours of daylight in which to hunt, meaning that the likelihood of us just happening to be in the right place at the right time only happens rarely,  and sadly, but true to form, we only managed a couple of distant Golden Eagle and White -Tailed Eagle sightings this month,  ......but if previous years are anything to go by, things should improve in the coming weeks as the youngsters take to the wing for the first time....


Golden Eagle


White Tailed Eagle



Other birds of prey seen reasonably regularly on my safaris this month included Osprey, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Red Kite.........



Kestrel



Red Kite by Koullis Patsalis



Common Buzzard





Up in the mountains....


The Cairngorm Mountains



July is 'last chance saloon' for seeing all 3 of our mountain top species ( Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting and Dotterel) in one trip, as the Dotterel often depart in early August , but being pretty busy with safaris, and with no sightings reported to tempt me, I didn't venture up myself...so I have included some photos from July in previous years, to show what is (or maybe was) possible ....


Snow Bunting - Photo from July 2017


Juvenile Dotterel - Photo from July 2017



Ptarmigan family - Photo from July 2019



At slightly lower levels, but generally still above 1,500ft/450m,  Ring Ouzels can sometimes be seen in their upland and mountainside habitat, especially early in the day before human disturbance, though when compared to April , May and June, they are now  definitely harder to find, as most are no longer be singing or calling, and I failed to see or hear any after mid-month, so they may have already started their southerly migration....



Female Ring Ouzel



Male Ring Ouzel








On the marshes:



RSPB Insh Marshes



Although wader numbers on our local marshes are definitely reducing post-breeding as they return to the coast, we still managed a few views of Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Curlew, along with the resident Grey Herons and Greylag Geese.....and a few Sedge Warblers, Stonechats and Reed Buntings were also noted.... though raptor sightings were a bit elusive - well, for me anyway.....but other birders reported seeing Marsh Harrier and Hen Harrier, as well as the other more common raptors....


Greylag Geese


Oystercatcher


Curlew





On local farmland...




Typical local farmland



Although wader numbers on local farmland are definitely reducing post-breeding as they return to the coast, we still managed a few views of families of Lapwing, Curlew and Oystercatcher.....



Curlew




Adult Lapwing by Rod Watson - Photo from July 2019






In local gardens/At local feeding stations:



My garden on the outskirts of Aviemore


Family groups of common garden birds like House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal tit,  Siskins and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, were seen using my garden and other local feeding stations this month, while the sliced apples on my lawn also attracted a few Blackbirds....




Chaffinches by Koullis Patsalis



Greenfinches



Great Spotted Woodpecker by Koullis Patsalis



Male Siskin






A few more summer visiting migrant birds:





Willow Warbler



Spotted Flycatcher




Barn Swallow



Male Northern Wheatear









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




Greylag Geese




Mistle Thrush




Male Stonechat




Juvenile Robin






Grey Heron






Meadow Pipit by Koullis Patsalis





Great Spotted Woodpecker by Koullis Patsalis







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

Singing Quail were reported daily from various sites throughout the month, as were juvenile Cuckoos, a Hobby was reported over Grantown on the 14th,  2 Shovellers, a Hen Harrier, a Greenshank and a Dunlin were all reported at Insh Marshes on the 15th, a Nuthatch was seen at Nethybridge on the 19th, an organised 'raptor-count' in the Monadhliath Mountains on the 20th produced sightings of 4 Peregrines , 1 Merlin, 3 White Tailed Eagles, 1 Golden Eagle, 2 Ospreys and 1 Sparrowhawk,  a family of Red Breasted Mergansers was reported at Lochindorb on the 23rd, and a Greenshank at Loch insh on the 31st....






Adventures 'out of area' 


The Moray coast is only about an hour drive north of Aviemore, and although I didn't manage a Moray coast trip myself this month, visits to favourite reserves, lochs, bays and harbours usually give good views of a selection of waders, auks, gulls, wildlfowl, seaducks, terns and gulls etc....





Lossiemouth East Beach and lagoon




Shelduck family



Common Tern




Common Scoters by Steve Nicklin




Gannet by Steve Nicklin






Whilst on and around the sea cliffs and stacks, nesting birds include: Shag, Cormorant, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Gannet, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, and we usually also see a few of the less common Black Guillemots,.....




Moray Coast sea cliffs



Razorbill



Common Guillemots by Steve Nicklin



Fulmars by Steve Nicklin






Whilst the Moray Coast farmland and hedgerows also give you a chance of seeing birds such as  Skylark, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Curlew, Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting, and Tree Sparrow.....





Moray Coast farmland and hedgerow



Linnet


Yellowhammer





The freshwater lochs and nature reserves just inland from the Moray Coast, though 'quieter' than in autumn/winter,  can still be productive too....


RSPB Loch Spynie


Red Breasted Merganser family


Male Tufted Duck




May, June, July and the first half of August are the best months in which to visit a coastal seabird colony, as the birds are out at sea for the rest of the year, and the 13th saw us take a very scenic drive up to Assynt on the north-west coast (see pic below), then on a pre-arranged boat excursions to the SWT's wonderfully remote and beautiful  Handa Island.




A picturesque loch south of Ullapool



Red Throated Divers and Black-Throated Divers were seen on lochans en route, and  Ringed Plovers, Wheatears,  and Common Sandpipers  were seen feeding around Tarbet Harbour car park, and even the short ferry crossing gave us super close-up views of Arctic Terns, Seals, and Common Guillemot  and once on the island,  we went on to see Common Eiders,  more Red-Throated Divers on a remote lochan and  around the shoreline, and Snipe,  Wheatears, Skylarks, Arctic Skuas and Great Skuas nesting on the moors. 




Tarbet Harbour


Black Throated Diver




Red Throated Divers




Arctic Skua (light phase)






Arctic Skua (dark phase) by Steve Nicklin




Great Skua by Steve Nicklin




Great Skua





Once at the impressively high (350ft+) cliffs and coastal stacks, we were treated to the unique sights, sounds (and smells!) of a seabird city, with good numbers of  Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots  and yes, plenty of everybody's favourite - Puffins!




Handa Island sea cliffs



Kittiwakes


Common Guillemots


Razorbills


Puffin


Puffin




Puffin by Steve Nicklin







July 2026 mammal sightings in more detail:



Red Squirrel was probably voted 'mammal of the day' most frequently by my safari clients this month (often with close competition from Hamish and Dougal - see below) , with many of them excited to see these charismatic and undeniably cute little animals for the first time, and bringing home to me the fact that, although I am lucky to see them regularly here, they are now very difficult to see in most of the UK, being confined mainly to the northern Scottish Highlands, with just a few small localised populations remaining in other areas...


Red Squirrel


Red Squirrel by Koullis Patsalis




Similarly, another iconic 'Highland speciality',Red Deer were seen reasonably regularly in local upland glens, usually in large same-sex herds, the stags, many with antlers 'in velvet',  happily feeding and seemingly relaxing, and the hinds with their fast-growing young always nearby ....



Red Deer Stags





Red Deer hinds with youngsters






We struggled a little for sightings of another scarce and very localised mammal, the feral Mountain Goat this month....interesting animals,  that seem to like remote upland areas, and come in a wide variety of colours, from white, through grey and brown to black, or sometimes a mixture of all of these, with just a couple of long-distance sightings managed....




Feral Mountain Goats





Though Roe Deer are actually quite common and widespread across the UK, their shy, nervous disposition means that they are more frequently found in quieter, less disturbed places, especially at dawn and dusk, meaning that most members of the general public rarely encounter them...but we saw them on a good number of occasions, especially if we made a reasonably early start...




Roe Deer





The same could also be said of Brown Hares, another crepuscular species, with most of our sightings coming early in the day before too much human disturbance, and generally on the more remote and secluded areas of open farmland...


Brown Hares



Mountain Hares too are actually pretty tricky to find, certainly outside of the winter months, especially in their 'summer camouflage' coats of mottled brown and grey,  and we only managed a couple of brief sightings this month....



Mountain Hare



Black Water Voles  - a different 'race' to the brown water Voles found in England and Wales - are  present on our local waterways, and we were lucky enough to see them on a couple of occasion this month, though they are not usually easy to spot...... 





Black Water Vole






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....


Our favourite ginger Hairy Highland Coo's - Hamish and Dougal - are proving to be very popular with my safari clients....


Hamish and Dougal - Photo by Koullis Patsalis



Carrot time for Hamish and Dougal







Marine mammals:


The nearby Moray coast , Black Isle and Aberdeenshire Coast are pretty reliable for sightings of Seals, with a decent chance of Harbour Porpoise and Dolphins, and even a slim chance of Whales....




Seals





Bottlenose Dolphins at the Moray Coast - Library pic








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.


Beavers have been released on some of our quieter local lochs in recent years, and like Otters, are mainly only active during darkness, however, they can occasionally be seen at dawn and dusk, by those patient enough to sit and wait, but they are easily spooked , and are definitely not easy to get a glimpse of....


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.


However....Amazingly on a day-trip to the west coast on the 14th, I was incredibly fortunate to see a Pine Marten walking along a stone wall  on the early-morning drive there, and perhaps even more ridiculous, I had a Wildcat run across the road on the evening drive home to Aviemore! Unbelievable stuff!








Other wildlife:



Midsummer is peak time for butterflies and wild flowers in this area, and a typical July given some sunny and calm days, usually sees us enjoying sightings of  Comma,  Red Admiral, Peacock. Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary,  Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue and Orange Tip among others, with the local speciality Scotch Argus possible from late July...and a splendid range of wild flowers including  several types of Orchids....and our local Wood Ants are now very active....




Heath Spotted Orchid



Small Tortoiseshell



Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary by Bob Smith




Common Blue





Northern Brown Argus by Bob Smith




Scotch Argus by Koullis Patsalis








Wood Ant nest





Midsummer is the best time to see Atlantic Salmon leaping on Highland rivers, on their way upstream to the spawning grounds, and, if the water level is right,  visits to known 'hot-spots' can be very entertaining....




Leaping Atlantic Salmon





News:

I am very pleased to announce that Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris has recently been awarded - for the fifth consecutive year -  a Travellers' Choice accreditation certificate from Trip Advisor, for being ranked in the top 10% of visitor attractions worldwide, based on customer reviews and feedback.


Trip Advisor award


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 advised, 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 :)



My current safari vehicle is a 2019 Land Rover Discovery5 HSE LUX 7-seater, and this has, along with excellent off-road and all-weather ability, heated/cooled front and rear seats, and all the usual luxuries such as multiple charging points,  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....


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


https://cairngorms.co.uk/documents/fire-management-byelaw-owner-guidance


As you may have seen on the TV news, we have had a serious wildfire burning for the entire second half of the month on moorland and in Caledonian forest between Cairngorm Mountain across to Nethybridge and beyond, leading to the evacuation of some local residents. This fire has caused considerable damage to some very special habitats, but at the time of writing this, thanks to the magnificent efforts of  many emergency workers, farmers, gamekeepers and volunteers, and some recent very helpful rainfall, it now, finally, seems to be under control....


Visible smoke from the wildfire




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 although COVID-19 no longer appears to be a serious problem, we usually have very little interaction with other people anyway, as most of my clients seem happy to 'lose the crowds', and this is something that I intend to continue.




Rosebay Willowherb or 'Fireweed' 






Summary:

Although the bird breeding season is almost over and the birds are much 'quieter' than in springtime (April-June), July is still a pretty decent month to see a good selection of birds, animals and butterflies in this area, with no need for a really early start (6am-8am is fine) and it's also good for a mountain-top adventure, or a trip to a seabird colony with (usually) fairly good weather, and all still with plenty of daylight hours....


I must confess though, that I always tend to feel just a little sad at the end of every July , as I know that many of our iconic summer visiting birds like Osprey, Slavonian Grebe, Ring Ouzel and the Divers, are soon to vacate our area and fly south to warmer climes, or out to the coast  as summer turns to early autumn next month, so I try to savour every sighting of these species....






Purple Thistles




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 almost 450 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.htm


An idyllic scene at a local moorland loch





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 for a whole year from date of purchase........







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