Highland Wildlife & Birdwatch Safaris

October 2026

October 2026 was fairly calm weather-wise for the first three weeks, and although it was quite changeable, no extreme conditions were experienced, making it pretty good for wildlife watching. However....the month ended with the first proper frosts and snow on the mountains, followed by two named storms that brought us heavy rain and very high winds for a few days, causing localised flooding and a few fallen trees etc, so it was a case of picking the best days to get out and about during the last week...

Temperatures ranged between a chilly -3c, with  snow on the higher tops,  and an unseasonably mild 15c, with lots of cloudy days, a few sunny ones, and although we had a few rainy days, overall it was drier than average, so actually pretty decent for wildlife-watching, however,  any prospective future October visitors would be wise keep an eye on the weather forecasts, and pack a good variety of clothing, just in case, as it is usually a very 'changeable' month....

Though the days are certainly shortening now, we still have around 10 hours (7am-5pm approx) of usable daylight, and the Highland scenery is still ablaze with glorious autumn colours, with most of the leaves still clinging on, the ferns a picture in copper, and many of our berry trees still fully laden.

The autumn rains in the final third of the month helped the local rivers to rise up to their normal levels, allowing the Atlantic salmon to finally reach their spawning grounds in the upper reaches.

October is a really great month to witness visible bird migration in action, with large flocks of Geese, Swans, and Thrush species often witnessed flying noisily overhead, and this influx of winter visitors from colder areas further north, helped full-day safari bird lists increase up into the 30's, (or more if you include a trip to the Moray Coast), whilst mammal day-lists varied between 3 and 7 depending on the start time and number of venues visited, with early starts, as usual, proving to be the most productive...

A typical autumn sunrise 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 October 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 October'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:

Red Grouse, Goldeneye, Goosander and Dipper, we also had several good dawn sightings of Black Grouse, some decent views of Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle, a few Crested Tits were seen, and we had a few fleeting glimpses of Crossbills....

Newly-arrived winter visiting birds were represented by Whooper Swans, several species of 'grey' Geese, and from the first week onwards, good numbers of Redwings, and from mid-month, Fieldfares....

A good variety of sea ducks, geese, waders and wildfowl were seen at the Moray Coast.

Mammal species seen regularly included:

Red Squirrel, Red Deer (rutting ), Roe Deer, Reindeer , Mountain Goat , Brown Hare and Rabbit......with a few sightings of Bank Vole and Wood Mouse at forest feeding stations, and one brief glimpse of a Stoat on the 2nd....

The end of the month also saw us enjoy views of Atlantic Salmon starting to spawn in the upper reaches of our local rivers.

October 2026 bird sightings in more detail:

Up in the glens:

Autumn in a local u-shaped glacial valley

Golden Eagle is truly an iconic bird of the Scottish Highlands, and one that always seems to be on the 'wish-list' of my safari clients, and our regular visits to my favourite upland glens paid off on a good number of occasions this month, with some pleasingly frequent and often decent sightings of these hugely impressive creatures, sometimes hunting ,  occasionally in aerial combat with other raptors or Ravens, or sometimes just soaring around....and, with a few pairs now breeding locally, we also saw the even larger White-Tailed Eagle on a good number of occasions....

Juvenile Golden Eagle by Lili Morgan

Golden Eagle by Jan Shields

Golden Eagle by Jan Shields

Young White Tailed Eagle

White Tailed Eagle

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 views of Merlin and Goshawk too....

Merlin

Sparrowhawk

Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon - Photo from October 2018

Common Buzzard

Red Kite

Up on the moors....

A local upland heather moorland

Red Grouse, though certainly not a 'banker' these days, and still largely in family groups, were occasionally obliging, and by using my vehicle as a 'mobile hide', we  achieved  a few decent close-up views and photo opportunities.. and later in the month, a few of the more 'frisky' cock birds appeared to be getting a little aggressive and territorial in their behaviour....

A typical view of Red Grouse in the heather by Matt Morgan

A Red Grouse showing off it's rarely seen winter white leg feathers - By Matt Morgan

Male Red Grouse by Matt Morgan

Male Red Grouse close-up by Jan Shields

Visits to Black Grouse leks were a little less predictable however, with results varying from none showing at all on some occasions, to 7 displaying males on one memorable frosty morning...with seemingly no reliable pattern emerging yet. .

Male Black Grouse by Jan Shields

Black Grouse by Jan Shields

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, and although we didn't see any Eagles on local moorlands this month, we did see Merlin, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Goshawk .....

Merlin by Jan Shields

Red Kite

Common Buzzard

In the Caledonian pine forests...

A local Caledonian pine forest

Crested Tits, having been typically 'uncooperative' and elusive through the spring and  summer months, started to become more regular visitors to forest feeding stations, especially soon after dawn on the colder days, and we were fortunate enough to enjoy a few decent and sometimes  close views of this true 'local speciality'  as well as a couple of more random sightings of them in mixed winter flocks on our forest walks...

Crested Tit

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, Crossbills, sadly, but rather typically, were generally somewhat less obliging , with our views once again usually being restricted to snatched glimpses of birds flying overhead...identified only by their distinctive 'jip- jip' calls....an annoyingly familiar tale...with the exception of the 21st, when a family  perched and fed on pine cones long enough for brief views through my spotting scope, and one very poor photo...

Male Crossbill

A slightly better Crossbill photo - From October 2022

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 lochs..

A picturesque local loch

With the summer-visiting water birds like Osprey, Divers and Slavonian Grebe all departed now, our resident Goldeneyes and Goosanders are now joined by winter-visiting Whooper Swans, Geese, Teal and Wigeon,  alongside the more common species like Grey Heron, Mallard and Tufted Duck....

Whooper Swans by Jan Shields

Female Goldeneye

Female Goosander by Jan Shields

Mallards by Kelli Morgan

On the marshes:

Autumn at RSPB Insh Marshes

Alongside the ever-present Grey Herons, numbers of  newly-arrived Whooper Swans and 'grey' Geese increased throughout the month, raptors such as Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Red Kite, and Hen Harrier were seen regularly, with the occasional Merlin, Goshawk, Marsh Harrier,  Golden Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle also sighted - It should be noted though, that most of our raptor sightings at Insh marshes are at long distance, so, sadly, photo opportunities are rare...

Pink Footed Geese

Greylag Geese

Grey Heron

Up in the mountains....

A sunrise view from Cairngorm Mountain

I didn't venture up into the mountains this month, and I didn't read many reports of local sightings of mountain species.....and although we have managed to find a few Ptarmigan on summit walks in previous October's, I will be honest and say that it is usually pretty quiet for birds up there in autumn...though with snow returning to the hills, it shouldn't be too long before we start seeing Snow Buntings at lower levels....

Ptarmigan - Photo from October 2016

On the rivers...

A picturesque local river

Dipper is a bird absent from large areas of central, southern and eastern Britain, preferring clear, fast-flowing upland rivers over murky, slow-flowing lowland waterways. Fortunately, if you position yourself on a bridge,  they can be a fairly common sighting in this area, often seen swimming and diving to feed, or perching prominently on a rock, and always prove popular with my safari clients.

Dipper

Dipper

With a similar UK distribution to Dipper, Goosander can be tricky to see in much of Britain, but we often see family groups of them in this area, though they can be very wary of humans.

Female Goosander by Kelli Morgan

On local farmland...

Typical local farmland

Although all the waders have gone to overwinter at the coast, 'grey' Geese and Whooper Swans can sometimes be seen on local farmland, and big flocks of winter Thrushes were also noted, along with the more common Pheasants and Red-Legged Partridges....

Red Legged Partridges by Jan Shields

Mistle Thrush by Jan Shields

Male Pheasant by Matt Morgan

Female Pheasant by Matt Morgan

In local gardens/At local feeding stations:

My garden on the outskirts of Aviemore

With natural food becoming more difficult to find as 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, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon,  and Collared Dove all seen...

House Sparrows

Male Chaffinch by Kelli Morgan

Great Tit by Kelli Morgan

Great Spotted Woodpecker by Kelli Morgan

Goldfinch

Starling

Berry-bearing trees and  bushes and garden bird feeding stations are a real magnet for hungry newly-arrived winter visiting birds from further north, with Redwings and Fieldfares  seen locally from mid-month, and we appear to have a lot more berries than last autumn... 

Redwing

Fieldfare - Photo from October 2022

And when the berry supplies run low, I help out the thrush species by putting sliced apples on the lawn...

Female Blackbird

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

A newly arrived Fieldfare

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Stonechat by Jan Shields

Treecreeper

Male Mallards

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

15 Golden Plover and 1 Hen Harrier at Insh Marshes on the 5th, 2 Brent Geese on Loch insh on the 6th, along with numerous reports of Whooper Swans at several local lochs, 3 Shoveler at Loch Insh on the 7th, plus lots of Redwings locally,  2 late Swallows at Drumguish on the 9th, a rare inland sighting of a Manx Shearwater at Loch Insh on the 11th, 30+ late swallows over Insh marshes on the 14th, along with numerous Fieldfare reports, a Ring Ouzel at slochd Summit on the 19th, 4 Jack Snipe and 2 Common Snipe at Drumguish on the 23rd,  rare local sightings of 2 Pintail at Insh Marshes, and 2 Greater Scaup at Loch Garten on the 25th , 2 Gadwall at Insh Marshes, and 5 Bramblings at Strathdearn on the 26th, and following the named storms, a Slavonian Grebe at Insh Marshes on the 27th,  a Grey Phalarope also at Insh Marshes, on the 28th, a Marsh Harrier at Insh Marshes on the 29th, and a male Hen Harrier at Insh Marshes on the 30th.....

Adventures 'out of area' 

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 auks, waders, wildfowl, seaducks, Scoters,  gulls,  a few lingering terns, and recently arrived Pink Footed Geese and Whooper swans.....

The rugged Moray coast

Pink Footed Geese migrating here from further north

Red Breasted Merganser

Oystercatchers

Curlew

Wigeon

Common Eiders

Turnstone

Rock Pipit

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 newly-arrived Pink-Footed Geese and Whooper Swans...

Moray farmland and hedgerow

Pink Footed Geese

Linnets

Whooper Swans

Tree Sparrows

The freshwater lochs and nature reserves just inland from the Moray Coast can be productive too....

The view from the hide at RSPB Loch Spynie

Tufted Ducks

Mute Swans

Moorhen

Newly arrived Whooper swans

Little Grebe

October 2026 mammal sightings in more detail:

'Mammal of the month' for October just has to be the 'Monarch of the glen', the  Red Deer,  with their spectacular annual 'rut' providing my safari clients with some superb entertainment - the fully antlered stags 'bolving' roars echoing through the glens, as they spend much of the month  posturing , fighting off rivals and attempting to mate with as many of their 'harem' of hinds as possible - surely one of British nature's 'must-see' experiences? Please be aware though, that we can usually only view the rut from a fair distance away, so photography opportunities are usually limited....

A Red Deer Stag (far right) and his impressive 'harem' of hinds

Red Deer Stag by Jan Shields

Red Deer Stag with his 'harem' of hinds

In the Caledonian forests, our Red Squirrels never failed to charm and entertain, with their cute looks, acrobatic leaping from tree to tree , reliable use of peanut feeders, gathering of drey materials and chasing off of rivals, and of course, with them being largely absent from most of the UK now, many of my UK-based safari clients were seeing them for the first time....

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

Feral Mountain Goats are mainly restricted to a few remote upland areas of the UK, and we are fortunate to have them locally in a few quiet glens,  and although they proved to be a bit elusive this month... a few of my safari clients got to see them for the first time while out with me....

Feral Mountain Goats

Our local Mountain Hares - Britain's only native lagomorph - though still mainly in their browny-grey summer coats are gradually turning whiter from their feet upwards as autumn progresses, in preparation for the snow to come, though actual sightings of them were not forthcoming this month... but that is not unusual during the 'milder' months..things should hopefully improve next month as things turn more wintry...

Roe Deer, although relatively common in most of the UK, can actually be quite tricky to see due to their naturally 'nervous' nature, and the fact that they can be very 'crepuscular'  - being more active at dawn and dusk...but we did manage a few daytime sightings on quiet farmland , marshland and woodland edges this month..

Roe Deer

Brown Hares, similarly to the Roe Deer, can be very nervous and  'crepuscular' in nature, and most of our best sightings happen in the first hour of daylight, and that proved to be the case again this month, though the light was often too poor for decent photos...

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.

Reindeer

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 by Kelli Morgan

Carrot time for Hamish and Dougal usually means smiles all round!

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....

A very contented looking Grey Seal

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:

Mid October-early December is usually the time of year to see our Atlantic Salmon spawning. These remarkable and often very large fish spawn in the shallow waters in the upper reaches of our rivers, at the very spot where they themselves were hatched several years before, having originally spent 2-3 years in the river, then another 2-3 years feeding, growing and maturing out in the mid Atlantic, before undertaking a perilous journey many miles upriver, often involving avoiding poachers, anglers and predators and negotiating high falls and rapids on the way ,  an amazing migration story! However, sightings are very reliant on the rivers water levels - too little water and the Salmon cannot access the upper reaches - too much water, and they can get there... but we can't see them....and unfortunately, with the regular rain and accompanying high water levels, that was the case for much of the second half of this month.....

Spawning Atlantic Salmon

Autumn on a local upland heather moorland

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

Another typical local autumn scene

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.

An autumnal scene from the upper River Spey

Summary:

Well, aided by the reasonable weather conditions - with the exception of the two very unhelpful named storms in the final week!! - the beautiful autumn colours, the influx of winter-visiting birds from further north, the increase in raptor sightings, the spawning Salmon and the Red Deer rut, October 2026 turned out to be a pleasingly busy, and very enjoyable month for wildlife-watching in this area, with a good selection of local specialitiy birds and animals seen in a variety of scenic habitats, lots of carrots fed to hamish and Dougal, lots of fun had, lots of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and shortbread enjoyed, and lots of safari clients, some valued regulars, and some first-timers,  from all over the UK, and all round the world going home with happy memories of their visit to the special and varied habitats of the Cairngorms National park...

Nice autumn colours in a local birch wood

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 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

October usually sees the first snow of the autumn on the Cairngorm Mountains

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........