May started with a prolonged period of high pressure, Southerly winds and fine weather helping the late-arriving migrant birds such as Swifts, Spotted Flycatchers and Hobbies to make their journey here.

Wildlife highlights included:

A trip to the Moray Coast near Inverness gave us nice views of Dolphins, Porpoises and Seals, with a supporting cast of various Gulls,Terns & Waders, Gannets, Guillemots, Eiders, Long-Tailed Ducks etc.

Closer to home, we have had:

Regular dawn sightings of Capercaillie, mainly at the RSPB Loch Garten hide, though we also managed to see a few taking grit from forest tracks whilst driving between venues.

Good views of Black Grouse 'lekking' (see pic) , making the early starts and stealthy approaches worthwhile!

Most of our local Ospreys are now paired-up with the females on eggs and the males dutifully supplying them with regular fish deliveries.

Regular sightings of both Red-Throated Divers & Black-Throated Divers on local lochs, both species looking very dapper in their smart Summer plumage.

Slavonian Grebes being seen nest-building in sedge beds on secluded local lochans, their amazing golden 'ear-tufts' seemingly glowing in the Spring sunshine.

Occasional sightings of family parties of Crossbills, the pale, streaky youngsters being outshone by the bright brick-red & green-yellow parent birds.

Early April saw the wintry conditions continue, and with no helpful Southerly winds migrant birds remained a little thin on the ground, and most of the Winter visitors remained.

The end of the month however, saw warmer sunnier weather arrive, bringing with it more of the expected Summer visitors.

Bird day-lists started to beat the 50 mark for the first time this year and mammal day-lists were between 6 & 9 depending on our luck!

April highlights included:

Regular sightings of Capercaillie at the RSPB Loch Garten reserve after the 7th as the annual 'lek' got into full swing.

Ospreys being seen at traditional nesting sites, the females first, shortly followed by the males who earned their conjugal rights by providing regular fish deliveries!

Increasing numbers of the beautiful summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebe on shallow weed-fringed lochs, and we even got to see them perform their amazing mating dance .

Black Grouse in full 'lek' mode, with up to 11 males 'strutting their stuff' in an attempt to impress the attendant females.

The Red Grouse were seen to have 'paired-up' already , with the males, their bright red 'eyebrows' seemingly glowing, very protective of their partners (see pic).

Regular sightings of both Red-Throated & Black-Throated Divers on suitable local lochs

The end of the month saw many more Summer migrants arrive, such as Willow Warblers, Ring Ouzels, Wheatears, Swallows, House Martins & Sand Martins.

March may be regarded as early Spring in many parts of the UK, but it is still very much Winter in this area. Though the lengthening days may hint of what is to come, the sleet, hail , snow & frosts suggest that we are still in Winter's icy grip.





Wildlife highlights included:





Close scrutiny of a wintering Geese flock giving us 3 different species - Greylag, Pink-Footed and Greenland White-Fronted.





Good views of Scottish Crossbills in the Caledonian Pine Forests (see pic).





Pied & Grey Wagtails returning to the area, after their partial Winter migration to milder climes.





Dawn birdsong increasing in both numbers of birds & volume, as the mating instinct kicks in.





Wader numbers increasing along the Spey floodplain - Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Redshanks & Curlews, their calls seemingly filling the air with hope that Winter is nearly over.





The Drake Goldeneyes serenading the females with their amazing display dance which involves cocking their head violently onto their back then pointing their bill skywards whilst croaking loudly - an amazing sight!





Black Grouse numbers increasing at their 'lek' sites, with the males getting noticeably more aggressive and noisy as lekking season draws near.





Red Grouse males becoming more conspicuous on the heather moorland, their guttural "go-back" calls giving away their location, and the males' vivid red 'eyebrows' almost seem to glow as they reach their finest breeding plumage.





A super close-encounter (less than 100 metres away) with a sub-adult Golden Eagle seen hunting along a low ridge at the foot of the Cairngorms one beautiful frosty dawn, an amazing wildlife experience, and for once I was able to get some good video footage, so I can get to relive it over & over again.




Frogs being seen near watery areas for the first time this year.




The final week of March saw the welcome return to Speyside of some of our most popular local specialities, namely Ospreys, Red-Throated Divers and Black-Throated Divers.

February saw a mix of weather conditions with snow, floods, frosts and sunshine all making an appearance and temperatures ranging from -11c to +11c! Though still very much Winter in this area, there were a few early signs of Spring approaching.




Wildlife highlights included:



A memorable close encounter with a juvenile
Golden Eagle, seen hunting along a ridge in a beautiful steep-sided glen.

Great close -up views of an Otter fishing in the River Spey at dawn - meaning the early start and -9.5c temperature were soon forgotten.




Dawn bird-song starting up for the first time for many months.




Lapwings & Oystercatchers being seen returning to their breeding grounds along the River Spey.




Super close-up views of Mountain Hares in upland areas (see pic).




11 Common Cranes remaining in fields near Elgin (see Jan).




Regular sightings of Barn Owls hunting over fields at dawn & dusk.




Excellent close views of a feral Mountain Goat and her very cute newly - born kid.




Cracking views of a pair of Peregrine Falcons displaying over a ruined castle.




A brief glimpse of an almost pure white Stoat running across a road between two fields.




Black grouse numbers increasing at their traditional lek sites on woodland edges.




Red Grouse males becoming noticeably more vocal on the heather moorland.




Nice views of a pair of Scottish Crossbills in the Caledonian pine forest.

January 2008 saw the cold, wintry weather continue, with plenty of snow and low temperatures, and the snowsports centres having their busiest winter for a long time.

Wildlife highlights included:

Great close-up views of Snow Buntings at the Cairngorms Ski car park (see pic) their confiding nature making it quite easy to get some decent pics

Good, extended views of an Otter fishing amongst the kelp at a local coastline, always a wonderful wildlife experience!

A small flock of Waxwings taking advantage of the berry crop in the gardens of a nearby village, their wonderfully colourful plumage lighting up the dull Winter days!

A Ring-Necked Duck & a Wood Duck, both rare birds in these parts, visiting a local loch

A flock of very rare Common Cranes (presumably stopping off for a pit-stop on migration between Africa and Scandinavia?) paying a visit to the nearby Moray Coast, these huge, almost Ostrich-like birds, not surprisingly, drawing a lot of interest from local birders!

One huge mixed finch/bunting flock on local farmland included Reed Buntings, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Bramblings, Yellowhammers and Twites

December saw the weather get colder still, with temperatures dropping as low as -11 in the middle part of the month, and snow remaining on the higher peaks throughout the month.

Wildlife highlights included:

A brief visit from a very rare Sabines Gull to a nearby wetland reserve

Snow Buntings regularly being seen in the Cairngorm Ski Centre car park

Crested Tits began coming to feeders in gardens close to forest edges

Mountain Hares now have their beautiful pure white Winter coats

The Male Black Grouse getting noticeably more frisky on the moors

November saw the first real snows fall on the Cairngorms, suggesting that Autumn has very swiftly turned to Winter! Wildlife highlights have included:

A further increase in the numbers of Whooper Swans appearing on our local lochs, along with
more Winter wildfowl such as Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler & Pochard

The appearance of Redpolls in the (ever-increasing!) mixed Winter flocks seen in the forests

Increasing numbers of reports of Hen Harriers seen over our local marshlands, especially towards dusk, as they gather to roost in the large reedbeds

Several sightings of the (usually!) elusive Woodcock, probing the leaf litter on the edges of the forests

The addition of good numbers of Bramblings to the mixed finch flocks feeding on the stubble fields

A rare (at this time of year) inland sighting, whilst fishing, of a winter-plumaged Red-Throated Diver on a local loch

A brief view of a splendid Male Merlin perched on a farmland fence post, then , in a flash it was gone, fast & low across a field.