August 2026
August 2026 started cool and calm in this area, week two was warmer and sunnier, with temperatures reaching the mid 20's for a few days, before the month ended with a couple of weeks of unsettled weather, with a mix of conditions being experienced, and a definite hint of autumn in the air....
With daytime temperatures ranging from 4c at dawn to 27c by midday and seemingly no two days the same, a layered approach to clothing and a waterproof/windproof jacket on stand-by is recommended. in August.
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 (7-8 hours) 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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| A picturesque August scene at a local loch |
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, and sometimes further afield, 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.
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, Red Grouse, Goldeneye and Goosander, and they are definitely the most reliable local speciality species in August...
Red-Throated Diver , Black-throated Diver, and Slavonian Grebe, all with young, were seen a few times early on, though sightings tailed-off from mid-month....
Crested Tit and Crossbill sightings were a bit brief, random and infrequent, though we did manage to see both species at least a couple of times....
Dippers proved frustratingly elusive this month, with just a few brief views...
White Tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle sightings increased a little, with several sightings of both species this month...though we are still yet to see any of their newly-fledged youngsters ....
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 Black water Vole, ....and typically for this time of year, we failed to see a Mountain Hare at all this month...
August 2026 bird sightings in more detail:
On the lochs..
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| Nice reflections at 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 last week, 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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| Ospreys by Felicia and Fabian Schliebs |
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| Adult Osprey |
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| Young Osprey |
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| Adult Osprey |
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 occasionally until near the end of the month, when they presumably departed for the coast, where they will stay until next spring....
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| Feeding time for a young Black Throated Diver |
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| Adult Black Throated Diver |
Our local Red-Throated Divers were seen occasionally until near the end of the 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.....where they will remain until next spring...
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Young Red Throated Diver |
Slavonian Grebes, now a VERY rare breeding bird in the UK, have usually bred and departed inland areas by mid August, but one local pair appear to have had to require a second attempt at nesting after their first nest failed, and it was heartwarming to see a newly-fledged little 'humbug' chick with the parent birds from mid-month...
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| Slavonian Grebe with chick |
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 feeding together throughout the month....
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| Goldeneyes |
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| Purple heather on a local moorland |
Red Grouse, still in family groups, were seen a few times on local upland moorlands, though they were not totally reliable, and, similarly to last year, with brood sizes being smaller than normal, and the devastation, and inevitable loss of some birds caused by the local wildfires last summer, it would appear that some local estates have either delayed or cancelled shooting again this year.....
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| A typical view of a female Red Grouse |
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| Male Red Grouse |
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| A female Red Grouse in the purple heather by Ashleigh Turner - Photo from August 2020 |
In the Caledonian pine forests...
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| Nice morning light in a local Caledonian pine 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 some 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 - like we did on the 17th - though this is not a common occurrence outside of the winter months...
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| Crested Tit |
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....
Still in the forests, Crossbill 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 scope or photo opportunities this month...
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| Female Crossbill - Photo from August 2020 |
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| Male Crossbill - Photo from August 2020 |
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:
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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 made up of various tits and finches , a few lingering Willow Warblers, and a few Treecreepers and Goldcrests.
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| Willow Warbler |
On the rivers...
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| A picturesque local stretch of the River Spey |
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 at this time of year......
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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 |
Although our Common Sandpipers have mostly now migrated south, we still saw families of Grey wagtails on local rivers....
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| A young Grey Wagtail |
Up in the glens:
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| Heather covered hills in a local valley |
Birds of prey are always popular with my safari clients, and although we are still to reach 'peak' time (Oct-Jan), sightings definitely increased this month, especially in the second half, with visits to favourite local glens and moors producing rreasonably regular encounters with Kestrel, Common Buzzard, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, and Peregrine Falcon, often in family groups, and pleasingly, we also managed a few views of White Tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle....
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| Peregrine Falcon |
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| Red Kite |
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| Common Buzzard |
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| Sub-adult Golden Eagle |
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| White Tailed Eagle |
Up in the mountains....
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| August in the Cairngorm Mountains |
Being busy with safaris, I didn't have time to take a walk up to the mountain tops this month, but to be honest, I'm not sure I missed much, as it would appear that although a few Snow Buntings were reported, Ptarmigan and Dotterel were apparently generally very elusive, and our Ring Ouzels appear to have already departed...
On the marshes:
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| RSPB Insh Marshes |
I only managed one brief visit to Insh Marshes this month, and to be honest, with most of the waders gone now, it seemed a a little quiet for bird activity, with just a few Grey Herons and the resident Canada Geese and Greylag Geese noted, but more regular visiting local birders did report raptors such as Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Common Buzzard and Red Kite hunting over the marshes, with the occasional Merlin and Goshawk spotted, and Eagles of both species seen over adjacent mountaintops.....
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| Grey Heron |
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| Young Lapwing |
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| Typical local farmland - Photo from August 2025 by Danna Van Daal |
Sadly, our local farmland is always a little 'quiet' for birds 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 lingering Lapwing or Oystercatcher....along with a few Greylag Geese and the resident Pheasants and Red Legged Partridges of course.....
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Pheasants by Alexander Van Andel |
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| Red Legged Partridges |
In local gardens/At local feeding stations:
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| August in my garden on the outskirts of Aviemore |
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| Young blackbird enjoying my garden rowan berries |
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| Young Robin |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Collared Dove |
A few lingering summer visiting migrant birds:
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| House Martins |
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| Wheatear |
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| Whinchat |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Barn Swallow |
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| A young Stonechat |
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| Male Chaffinch |
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| Meadow Pipit |
Other good/scarce birds seen/reported locally this month included:
7 Quail were reported singing near Dulnain Bridge on the 6th, 3 Goshawks and a Hen Harrier were at Insh marshes on the 9th, a juvenile Snow Bunting was recorded on the Cairngorm plateau on the 14th, a juvenile Marsh Harrier was reported at Insh marshes on the 14th, with an adult Marsh Harrier there on the 15th. Insh Marshes also produced a very early Whooper Swan on the 22nd and 23rd, and on the 31st a Merlin, an Osprey, a Red Kite, a Hen Harrier were all reported there, plus distant views of 2 White tailed Eagles and 2 Golden Eaglesover the nearby hills....
Adventures 'out of area'
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| Lossiemouth East Beach and lagoon on the Moray Coast |
The Moray coast is only about a one hour drive north of Aviemore, and although I didn't manage a trip myself this month, from previous experience, although it is very late in the breeding season, trips to favourite reserves, sea cliffs, lochs, bays and harbours can still give good views of birds such as Razorbill, Common Guillemot, Black Guillemot, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Shag, Gannet, Greylag Geese, Black-Tailed Godwit, Bar-Tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Curlew, Eiders, Common Tern , Arctic Tern, Sandwich tern and Red-Throated and Great Northern Divers, with the chance of rare/scarce birds such as Tree Sparrow , Grey Partridge, and rare gulls.....and seawatchers also reported several species of Shearwaters and Petrels.....
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| Lapwings |
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| Arctic Skua |
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| Common Redshanks |
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| Gannet |
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| Sandwich Tern by Steve Nicklin - Photo from August 2023 |
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| Sanderling by Steve Nicklin - Photo from August 2023 |
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| Turnstone by Steve Nicklin - Photo from August 2023 |
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.....
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| Moray Coast farmland and hedgerow |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Linnet |
The freshwater lochs and nature reserves just inland from the Moray Coast, though 'quieter' than in autumn/winter, can still be productive too....
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| RSPB Loch Spynie |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Tufted Ducks |
August 2026 mammal sightings in more detail:
With bird sightings inland '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 by Ellie Nellison |
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 hinds - Photo from August 2018 |
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| Red Deer stags - Photo from August 2018 |
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 although they proved to be a bit elusive, a few 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 - Photo from August 2017 |
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 |
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 .....
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| Mountain Hare - Photo from August 2018 |
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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| Brown Hare |
Reindeer were once native to this area, and since the mid-1950's, when they were reintroduced, we have had the UK's only free-roaming examples living on moorland around Cairngorm Mountain.
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| Reindeer |
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| 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....
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| Hamish and Dougal looking peckish! |
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| Carrot time for Hamish and Dougal |
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| Seals |
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| Bottlenose Dolphins |
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.
Other wildlife:
On the calmer, sunnier days, we managed sightings of some of the more common late summer butterfly species , who have now been joined by our 'star' local species, an August speciality, the Scotch Argus....
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| Dark Green Fritillary |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Scotch Argus by Alexander Van Andel |
Mid-late summer 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....
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| Leaping Atlantic Salmon |
Our local Wood Ants are still active on the warmer days...
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| Wood Ants nest |
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.
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| 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 :)
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
https://cairngorms.co.uk/documents/fire-management-byelaw-owner-guidance
As you may have seen on the TV news, we had a serious wildfire burning for the entire second half of July and the early part of this 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 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 out above the ground, though the underground peat is likely to remain hot for some time....
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| Lochindorb Castle by Emilie Lalanne |
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.
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| Fly Agaric - August sees the first fungi appear here |
Summary:
So, although maybe not the best month for the hard-core birder, 'twitcher' or photographer to visit, due to the limited number of bird species around, 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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| Rosebay Willowherb in full bloom |
Reviews:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186537-d3335134-Reviews-
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| Tea-break time! Photo by Felicia and Fabian Schliebs |
Gift Certificates:
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| Safari gift voucher |
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