Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris

September 2026

September 2026 was most definitely 'changeable' weather-wise in this area, with seemingly no two consecutive days the same, but thankfully, although there was definitely an autumnal feel, no extreme conditions were experienced either.

Temperatures ranged considerably, with 20c reached on a few of the sunnier days early/mid-month, but it is noticeably cooler at dawn and dusk now though, and it actually felt quite chilly on some of the wetter and windier days, and the first frosts of the autumn were experienced early in the morning on a few occasions. So my advice for anyone planning a September visit, would be to keep an eye on the weather forecast, and be prepared to bring a variety of clothes to suit potentially quite changeable conditions...

The days are shortening noticeably now though, with only around 12 hours (7am-7pm) of usable daylight , but by way of consolation, the heather is still a lovely purple in places, many trees are full of colourful berries, and some of the leaves and ferns are now morphing into their attractive autumnal hues.....

Being a bit of a 'change-over' month, with just about all the summer visiting bird species gone by mid-month, and the first of the winter visiting bird species only just arriving in the second half of the month, full-day (6-7 hours) local safari bird lists dropped down to their lowest levels of the year (in the 30's), though this could be upped considerably by a trip to the nearby Moray coast, whilst mammal day lists varied between 3 and 7 species, depending on the time of our start and the number of different habitats visited, with early starts usually proving to be more fruitful...

After 5 busy months of 'peak-season' safaris, I took some time off mid month to visit relatives, chill-out and 're-charge my batteries'  so my report will be a little shorter than usual this time.....

An autumnal scene in the Cairngorms National park

To give you an idea of what you may realistically hope to see if you are considering a future September 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 September'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, (very early in the month only), Dipper, Red Grouse, Goosander and Goldeneye, we also had several good sightings of Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle, a few brief views of Crested Tit,  a couple of glimpses of Crossbill, and even a few very unexpected and unseasonal dawn views of up to 6 Black Grouse! 

Mammal species seen regularly included:

Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer, Roe Deer, Mountain Goat  and Rabbit......with just a couple of early morning glimpses of Brown Hare ... it should be noted that Mountain Hares are still really tricky to see in September, but should become a little easier as they begin to morph into their white coats in the weeks to come...and we had one quick flash of a Stoat ....

September 2026 bird sightings in more detail:

Up in the glens:

A local u-shaped glacial valley

Golden Eagles are more commonly seen on my safaris during the shorter days of autumn and winter, when they have less hours of daylight in which to hunt, and all of the family are actively flying - it takes several months from hatching before the young can fly competently - but we actually had a reasonable 'strike-rate' on my safaris this month, with a favourite upland glen giving us decent sightings on several occasions,  and more importantly lots of my clients a much sought-after 'life-tick' of an iconic Highland speciality....and although we only had a couple of views of White-Tailed Eagle this month, I would expect some more sightings of them next month as one of their favourite food sources,  the Atlantic Salmon, should start to spawn in the shallow upper reaches of our rivers soon..

Young Golden Eagle

Young Golden Eagle getting mobbed by Ravens - Photo by Alfie Morgan from Sept 2025

White Tailed Eagle by Steve Nicklin

White Tailed Eagle by Bob Smith

In fact, raptor sightings in general were noticeably more frequent than in the spring and summer months, with us also regularly seeing Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Common Buzzard and Red Kite , often in family groups....and we also managed a couple of sightings of  Goshawk and Merlin...

Peregrine Falcon - Photo from September 2021

Kestrel

Red Kite

Common Buzzard

On the lochs..

Early autumn at a picturesque local loch - Photo by Susan Smith 

A few of our local juvenile Ospreys lingered around their now redundant nest sites and local lochs and rivers but only for the first week of the month, giving us our last chance to admire these attractive and impressive raptors and their fishing skills, though it should be noted that seeing them was a bit 'hit and miss'....and sadly, we won't see them any more now, until they return in the spring. It always amazes me to think that these young birds will attempt to undertake a 5,000 odd mile migration to west Africa alone and unassisted by their parents at the tender age of just 3 months!!

Young Osprey - Photo by Chris Williams from early September 2021

Goldeneyes and Goosanders were seen regularly though, occasionally in large family groups, though it should be noted that the males are still in their brown-grey 'eclipse' plumage which is very similar to that of the females and youngsters...so you will have to wait a while to enjoy them in their dapper breeding plumage...

Goldeneyes

Goosanders

The last week of the month saw us get our first views this autumn of 'incoming' migrants , in the form of a few Whooper Swans, and Pink-Footed Geese, though a photo eluded me, and next month will see the main influx.....

Up on the moors....

A local upland heather moorland

Red Grouse , despite their excellent camouflage, were seen on a few occasions on our local upland moors, mostly still in family groups, and they continued to entertain my safari clients with their often very confiding nature (as long as you stay in your vehicle) ...

Female Red Grouse

Male Red Grouse by Bob Smith

As I mentioned earlier, we also had a few very unseasonal (we usually only see them between November/December and late May) views of up to 6 displaying  Black Grouse on early morning visits to local moorlands....though they were not reliable, and only showed on a few occasions....

Displaying Black Grouse

Most of the birds of prey that we see in the glens, can sometimes be seen hunting over the moors too, as well as the occasional more typical moorland raptor species like  Merlin, Hen Harrier and Short-Eared Owl, we also sometimes see Merlin, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Goshawk .....and on the 28th, we got very lucky with sightings of both Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle...

Distant Goshawk - Photo from September 2015

Red Kite

Common Buzzard

In the Caledonian pine forests...

A local Caledonian Pine Forest

Crested Tit is always high on my safari clients 'wish-lists', with it being a UK rarity and Speyside speciality, and it should be noted that they can be a difficult bird to see in spring and summer,  but although they are now mainly to be found in mixed flocks roaming around the Caledonian pine forests, and can be tricky to pick out, it can sometimes be possible to get a few decent views of them at feeding stations, especially soon after first light on the colder mornings in the latter part of the month...and they should become a little more reliable in the coming weeks...

Crested Tit

Crested Tit by Freddie Oxley - Photo from September 2020

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, despite my best efforts, most of our Crossbills sightings were of the rather frustrating 'fly-over' variety, with them only being identified by their characteristic 'jip' 'jip' calls as they flew overhead between different parts of the forests.......

Crossbills - Photo from September 2021

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.sco

On the rivers...

The upper River Spey near it's source 

As is usual at this time of year, Dipper sightings were still a little 'random' this month, as the birds seemed to range far and wide but later in the month we witnessed some more 'territorial' behaviour (loud singing and aggressive posturing) early in the morning,  near to some of their favourite nesting bridges....

Dipper

We occasionally saw families of Goosanders on local rivers too, though it should be noted that they are usually very nervous and often fly off when they notice us...

Goosander

  

A few Grey Wagtails were also noted on local rivers in the first half of this month, though they typically move away from this area once the cold weather arrives and insect availability abundance reduces...

Grey Wagtail

Up in the mountains....

An atmospheric scene in the Cairngorm Mountains

I didn't venture up into the mountains beyond the ski centre car park this month, and I didn't read many reports of local sightings of mountain species.....and I will be honest and say that, from previous experience,  it is usually pretty quiet for birds up there in September....though with snow returning to the hills soon, it shouldn't be too long before we start seeing Snow Buntings at lower levels....

On the marshes:

Early autumn at RSPB Insh Marshes

I only managed one brief visit this month, and my sightings were mostly restricted to the 'usual suspects' like the resident Grey Herons and Greylag Geese.....

Greylag Geese

Grey Heron

The first of the incoming winter migrants - Whooper Swans, and 'grey' geese were noted in small numbers from late-month, though a photo eluded me, and next month should see many more arrive....

On local farmland...

Typical local farmland

Towards the end of the month, the first arrivals  of incoming winter migrants such as Mistle Thrushes, Whooper Swans ,  Greylag Geese and Pink-Footed Geese were seen feeding on local farmland....

Greylag Geese

Pheasants and Red-Legged Partridges were seen regularly on local farmland too...

Red Legged Partridges

Male Pheasant

In local gardens/At local feeding stations:

My garden on the outskirts of Aviemore

With natural food becoming more difficult to find as summer ended and autumn arrived, I noticed an increase in the variety and numbers of birds visiting my garden feeding station and other forest feeding stations this month, with Siskin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, House Sparrow, Dunnock,  Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Starling, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon,  and Collared Dove all seen...

House Sparrows

Siskin

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Blue Tit

And of course, the increase in bird activity in my garden attracted regular visits from Sparrowhawks... 

Female Sparrowhawk

A few lingering summer visiting migrant birds:

Barn Swallows

Northern Wheatear

Spotted Flycatcher by Ron Mitchell

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

Grey Heron

Male Stonechat

Male Chaffinch

  

Mistle Thrush by Ron Mitchell

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

2 late Swifts over Aviemore on the 1st, a Honey Buzzard over Nethybridge on the 8th, a late singing Chiffchaff at Nethybridge on the 20th, a late inland Curlew at Insh Marshes on the 21st, and a probable 'tristis' sub-species Chiffchaff at Ardgeal, Kincraig on the 28th....

Adventures 'out of area' 

Spey Bay on the Moray Coast

The nearby Moray Coast is always worth a visit, especially in autumn and winter, and although I didn't manage a trip myself this month, a visit at this time of year should give a good selection of auks, waders, wildfowl, seaducks, gulls, a few lingering Ospreys and terns, a few newly arrived Pink Footed Geese and Whooper Swans, and one or two Skuas, with the chance of passing Shearwaters.....

Common Guillemots

Turnstone

Dunlins, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones by Steve Nicklin

Curlew

Oystercatcher

Sanderlings by Steve Nicklin

September is a great month to take a boat trip off the coasts of Scotland in search of 'pelagic' bird species such as Gannets, Auks, Skuas , Petrels and Shearwaters too...

Manx Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater by Steve Nicklin

Arctic Skua by Steve Nicklin

Great Skua by Steve Nicklin

Gannet 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.....and a few newly-arrived Pink-Footed Geese and Whooper Swans...

Moray Coast farmland and hedgerow

Pink Footed Goose

Yellowhammer

The freshwater lochs and nature reserves just inland from the Moray Coast, though not yet at their autumn/winter 'peak' for birds, can still be productive too....

The view from the hide at RSPB Loch Spynie

Little Grebe

Newly arrived Whooper Swans - Photo from late September 2020

Goldeneyes

September 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 fortunate to have such a good selection to go for in this area....

Despite stiff competition from Hamish and Dougal, and the Red Deer,  (see below), the 'mammal of the day' award was still often won by the cute and ever popular Red Squirrel - with many of my safari clients seeing these very characterful and attractive 'Highland speciality' animals for the first time, usually at feeding stations, but occasionally on walks/drives through forests too...

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

Although there is often little indication of it approaching, the end of September, and the first 'proper' frosts, usually sees the start of the Red Deer rut, with the previously quite sociable stags beginning to 'check-out' and assemble their 'harems' of 'in season' hinds, sharpen up the tips of their antlers on rocks and trees, and partake in a little light 'sparring' with likely rivals, often accompanied by a tremendous 'roaring' called bolving, which echoes round the glens... a marvelously atmospheric spectacle, which is sure to increase in intensity next month...

Red Deer Stags

Red Deer Hinds - Photo from September 2016

Red Deer Stags by Ron Mitchell

Still up in the glens, our Mountain Hares, though still in their browny-grey summer coats, are about to turn whiter from their feet upwards as autumn progresses, in preparation for the snow to come, though I don't actually recall us seeing one this month... but that is not unusual outside of the winter months..

Our local Feral Mountain Goats were seen on  a number of occasions this month, usually at long distance, except for one occasion when they were seen feeding close to a quiet rural road....

Feral Mountain Goats

Brown Hares were seen occasionally, but as usual, most of our sightings were early in the morning, and in poor light

Brown Hare by Bob Smith

Although not as physically impressive as their larger Red cousins, and having a much more nervous disposition,  Roe Deer are probably more often described as cute - like Bambi even, but they always prove popular with my safari clients, and we were fortunate enough to see them on several occasions this month, especially soon after dawn, or in remote, quiet areas...

Roe Deer

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.

Reindeer

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, and rarely pose long enough for a photo....

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

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....

Grey Seals

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:

The warmer days this month saw us enjoy our last sightings this year of a few butterflies, including (early in the month) our local speciality Scotch Argus....

Scotch Argus

Fox Moth Caterpillar

Red Admiral

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....

Leaping Atlantic Salmon

Our local Wood Ants are still active on the warmer days...

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.

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

NatureScot (outdooraccess-scotland.scot)

Can Nature Help Health? | Nature Prescriptions - YouTube

Scotland, Yours to Enjoy. Responsibly. - YouTube

Cairngorms National Park Authority

Highland Wildlife Park

Avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Positive prescriptions | The RSPB

www.scotlandbigpicture.com

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

Nice early autumn colours in a local birch wood

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.

A misty autumnal dawn at a local loch

Summary:

Being a bit of an 'in-between month', with a limited number of bird species possible inland, in all honesty it's probably not the best month for the hard-core birder, year-lister or 'twitcher' to visit, but September in the Cairngorms National Park would still appear to have plenty to offer the more casual or beginner nature-watcher or those looking for a less intense or 'taster' Highland wildlife safari experience, with the chance of a migrating 'rarity' turning up, a better likelihood of seeing birds of prey and Crested Tit than in the spring and summer, less tourists around to cause disturbance, and no really early starts needed, in arguably, one of the most colourfully scenic months of the year...and similarly to last year, I will admit to being pleasantly surprised at how well we did for sightings, maybe September is actually 'growing on me' .....

September is your last chance to see the purple heather, until next July

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

Fly Agaric - Autumn is fungus time.

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........