Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all our readers! I hope that you all have a wildlife-filled 2013. December 2012 started with very wintry weather, plenty of snow and temperatures as low as minus 10. However, it gradually became slightly milder mid-month and actually ended unseasonably mild for mid-winter. Although the days are at their shortest now, with only around 8 hours of daylight, the absence of any really extreme weather allowed us to enjoy some good safari sightings.
Bird day-lists averaged 30-40 species, whilst mammal day-lists varied between 6 and 9.

Wildlife highlights included:

The superb spectacle of 3 Golden Eagles seen soaring together, enjoying the last few  'thermals' in a secluded upland glen, just before the sun dropped over the horizon - a great way to end a safari!

Other raptors were seen regularly too, with Buzzard, Peregrine, Kestrel, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk and Merlin all seen at some point.

Good sized flocks of Waxwings  (see pic) were seen intermittently, giving reasonable photo opportunities, though the berries are now dwindling rapidly.....

Crested Tits continued to come to my Caledonian forest feeding areas quite regularly, especially on the colder days, when presumably natural food is harder to come by...

Cock Black Grouse were seen regularly at favourite sites at dawn, with up to 5 birds interacting and occasionally displaying, as 'lekking' season approaches...

Cock red Grouse also became easier to see , with much calling from prominent points on our local moorlands, as they began to establish territorial rights...

Snow Buntings were seen at lower than normal levels when the snow came, with up to 20 being spotted at various mountain-side sites.

Crossbills were also spotted on a few occasions , though, frustratingly, usually only as fly-overs, identified by their sharp 'glip-glip' calls.

The very cold snap also brought some interesting visitors to garden feeding stations,  with Bramblings, Yellowhammers and Redpolls (see pic) all being reported.

Whooper Swans (see pic) were seen in good numbers on local lochs and rivers, along with other winter wildfowl such as Wigeon and Teal.

Mammals spotted regularly included Roe Deer, Red Deer, Reindeer, Rabbit, Brown Hare, Mountain Hare and Mountain Goat, with the occasional Stoat putting in an appearance.

A few Salmon were still lingering in our local rivers, many of them showing 'battle-scars' from the rigours of their upstream journey and spawning.

So, to sum up, 2012 was a great year for wildlife-watching in the Cairngorms National Park, and will be a hard act to follow - but I am sure I will enjoy trying!

November 2012 was a generally cold month with regular frosts and light snowfall on the mountain tops and an occasional light dusting at lower levels, with, thankfully, no extreme weather meaning that all of my favourite remote safari sites remained accessible. The days are now shorter than the nights, but with more winter-visiting birds arriving throughout the month, and most of our 'local speciality' species still showing well, bird day lists were usually around the 40 mark, with mammal day-lists steady at 6-9 depending on our luck.

Wildlife highlights included:

Spawning Salmon. It was amazing to see these beautifully marked and often very large fish battling their way up through incredibly fast, shallow water to breed at the very spot that they themselves were spawned several years previously. They were so pre-occupied with the urge to reproduce that they seemed totally unaware of our presence, allowing us to get some superb photos and video. (thanks for the pic Garry! )

A White - Tailed Eagle was seen on several occasions in an upland glen , often near the river where we were viewing the spawning Salmon - not a coincidence methinks! Sightings of these huge raptors with their 8 foot wingspan are quite rare inland and as well as impressing myself and my safari clients, this 'flying barn door' attracted some aggressive responses from the 'local' raptors, with us witnessing it being harassed by everything from Kestrel up to Golden Eagle - super stuff! (see pic courtesy of Nigel Wedge)

Raptors in general were seen very well and  regularly this month , with one of my safari parties viewing 7 different species (Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Buzzard, Red Kite, Golden Eagle, White-Tailed Eagle)  in 1 hour in one memorable visit to a favourite site - cracking entertainment!

The Red Deer rut continued on into early November, though the roaring & chasing around was noticeably less aggressive than in  October, and was pretty much all over by around the 10th of the month, with territorial and mating rights seemingly all sorted by then...

Crested Tits became much less difficult to see than normal, with my Caledonian forest  feeding areas producing some superb close-up views and photo opportunities of these very rare 'local specialities' - though we sometimes had to be patient as they were hugely outnumbered by the much more common (and incredibly tame!)  Coal Tits (see pic courtesy of Nigel Wedge)

Black Grouse  were seen regularly at suitable sites at dawn, with up to 4 cock birds showing well and even occasionally displaying.

Waxwings flooded into our area early in the month, with flocks of up to a hundred of these beautiful   'viking invaders' adding a splash of colour to the wintry backdrop as they pillaged the berries from our trees and bushes, their confiding nature often  allowing decent photo opportunities (see pic)

Dippers were seen at both river and loch sites engaging in territorial disputes, with much chasing and sometimes actual fighting being witnessed, with  their pre-occupied behaviour allowing closer than normal views and photo opportunities (see pic courtesy of Nigel Wedge)

Winter visiting birds increased in number, with us getting good views of Whooper Swans, Greylag Geese, Redwings and Fieldfares in good numbers.

Other 'local speciality' birds seen regularly included Red Grouse and Crossbills, and the occasional Snow Bunting was seen around the Cairngorms Ski Centre.

Mammals were well represented, with 'local specialities' such as Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Mountain Goat and Mountain Hare all being sighted regularly, with one brief glimpse of an Otter at dawn on a local loch.

To sum up - November is rapidly becoming one of my favourite safari months, and is also proving popular with my wildlife photographer clients, as many iconic species are easiest to see and photograph at this time , and the low sun and cold air produce the opportunity for sharper and more interesting pictures, whilst the weather is usually not too wild and wintry to cope with.

October 2012 was a generally dry month, though it was noticeably colder than September, and with several frosts and regular snow showers turning the hilltops white, it is fair to say that winter has now hit the Highlands. Though the days are shortening , there is still plenty to see, with the hills and forests a blaze of beautiful autumnal colours, the  Red Deer rut in full swing and winter visiting birds flooding in from further north. Bird day-lists crept up into the high 30's or low 40's, and mammal day-lists ranged between 5 and 9 depending on our luck.

Wildlife highlights included:

The Red Deer rut is surely the highlight of every October in upland areas - with the magnificent fully-antlered Stags battling for domination over their rivals for the right to mate with the hinds as they come into season, with much roaring , chasing and often actual clashing surely making it one of British wildlife's must-see spectacles! (see pic)

Incoming winter-visiting birds: First the Redwings signalling their arrival with their thin 'seep-seep' calls overhead, then the Whooper Swans appeared on local lochs with much loud 'trumpeting', then the Fieldfares , with their harsh 'chack chack chacks', and many 'grey' Geese of several species.

Towards the end of the month some rarer winter visiting birds in the form of a Great Grey Shrike and a few small flocks of Waxwings were also reported in our area.

Golden Eagles were seen regularly in upland glens, and with shorter days allowing less hunting time, we actually have more and better sightings of these huge, magnificent raptors in winter than in summer, with dry days after a rainy spell particularly reliable.

Crested Tits began to come more regularly to forest feeding stations, making decent sightings a lot easier than trying to pick them out in amongst  the fast-moving mixed species flocks in the forests!

Salmon were spotted making their way up our local rivers towards the spawning grounds in the shallower upper reaches, with the odd flash of a dorsal or tail fin and occasional splash betraying their presence.

Black Grouse were seen at dawn, with up to 4 cock birds being seen, and occasionally even displaying!

Other 'local speciality' bird  species seen  regularly included Red Grouse, Dipper, Goldeneye and the occasional Crossbill.

Many mammal species were seen throughout the month, including 'local specialities' such as Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer,  Mountain Goat and Mountain Hare along with Rabbit, Brown Hare, Stoat, and Bank Vole.

September 2012 started unseasonably cold, with overnight frosts and even a light dusting of snow on the higher tops, but soon turned milder, and the rest of the month was again quite changeable. The days are getting noticeably shorter now, and the mornings and evenings cooler, and we are undoubtedly into Autumn. A few summer migrant birds lingered in the area until late in the month, but the vast majority had headed South by mid-month. With the Winter visiting birds yet to arrive, our bird day-lists are probably at their lowest in late September at around the 30's, though mammal day-lists remained strong at 6-9 depending on our luck. I took advantage of this slight lull in activity to take a trip South to visit my relatives and friends in South-East England, so my report may be a little shorter than usual.

Wildlife highlights included:

Regular dawn sightings of Capercaillie taking grit from secluded forest tracks, though a stealthy approach is required, as they seem to spook very easily.

Up to 4 male Black Grouse were seen at dawn at a  traditional upland 'lek' site on colder mornings, though they never lingered for more than an hour after first light.

Good views of a female  Hen Harrier hunting  over a managed Red Grouse moor - an enjoyable, but sadly very rare sight........

Crested Tits were seen regularly as part of mixed winter flocks in our local Caledonian forest, and we were also fortunate enough to see a couple coming to feeders at several favoured sites.

Golden Eagles were sighted regularly in suitable upland habitat, especially on the first sunnier day after a couple of rainy ones.

Red Grouse were seen reasonably frequently on the moors, though they are noticeably more wary of Humans since the 'shooting season' started.....

Dippers on our local rivers were seen to be getting very territorial, with much chasing and fighting occurring, especially at first light.

Red Deer stags started to show some preparations for the upcoming 'rut' with a few of the larger animals seen sharpening their antlers and pawing at the ground, and some 'roaring' aggressively.

Our local speciality mammals showed well throughout the month, with regular sightings of Red Deer, Red Squirrels, Mountain Goats and Mountain Hare.

Incoming wildfowl were also noted as the month wore on , with Wigeon & Teal being seen on local lochs.

My trip down south gave me the opportunity to see some species not found this far north - such as Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Marsh Tit amongst others....

August 2012 started a bit changeable weather-wise but mid month we enjoyed some proper summer weather with a week of warm, sunny days (at last!), though by the end of the month there was a distinctly autumnal feel to the air, with temperatures dropping and the days becoming noticeably shorter.  With the heather now at it's vibrant , purple best and with the Rowan berries now bright red, the area is arguably at it's scenic best. With many of the summer visiting birds departing the area for warmer climes, bird species day-lists dropped down into the 40's or even 30's towards the end of the month, though mammal lists remained steady at 6-9.

Wildlife highlights included:

Ospreys plunge-diving for fish! Although the majority of adult birds depart for Africa by mid-month, we were still lucky enough to witness  juvenile birds  showing us this magnificent wildlife spectacle right up to the very end of the month.

Incredible views of a Golden Eagle chasing a herd of over 100 Red Deer Hinds along a steep ridge before (unsuccessfully) attempting to pursue it's selected victim into tumbling to it's death  - seeing the terrified Deer rear up to try and fend off the attacker, which had it's wings spread wide and talons outstretched, was a superb wildlife moment thoroughly enjoyed by myself and my lucky safari clients!

Decent views of our 'mountain' species - Ptarmigan in good numbers  and a few  Snow Bunting could be found reasonably easily up on the high tops (when the weather was decent enough!) , though the Dotterel appeared to have gone by early August...

One (and sometimes two) Hobbies were spotted hawking for dragonflies over one of our local lochans on a number of occasions, their dashing flight and long, pointed backswept wings giving them the appearance of giant Swifts, and causing panic amongst the remaining Hirundines - magic! - and a rare bird this far north!

Dawn trips to suitable forest and moorland areas produced a few 'bonus' sightings of Capercaillie and Black Grouse for my delighted safari clients , though it should be noted that these species are generally pretty difficult to see in late summer...

Purple poo! The late summer Blaeberry bonanza is taken advantage of by many birds and animals, and walks along quiet forest tracks gave us sightings of colourful droppings produced by Roe Deer, Red Squirrel, Capercaillie and Pine Marten among others.

Local speciality bird species seen included Slavonian Grebe, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver (up to mid month only), with Osprey, Crested Tit , Crossbill, Red Grouse  and Golden Eagle seen fairly regularly throughout the month, though sightings of Capercaillie and Black Grouse were less frequent and usually at dawn only.

Our local speciality mammals proved pretty reliable, with regular good views of Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer and  Mountain Goat, though the Mountain Hares were less easy to find.... add these  to the more common species such as Rabbit, Brown hare and Roe Deer (see pic), with the occasional sighting of Stoats, Weasels, Bank Voles etc and it was not uncommon for our mammal 'day-list' to be approaching double-figures.

August is a big month for wader migration, and small flocks of various species were often heard (especially at night) and sometimes seen overhead, including one group of 4 Greenshanks over a local loch.

Mixed 'winter' flocks of various Tits, Finches, Goldcrests and Treecreepers were noticed to be growing as the month progressed, though picking out the much sought - after Crested Tits required a certain amount of fieldcraft and a lot of patience!

The Moray Firth Dolphins continued to delight - with the 'hot spot' at Chanonry Point on the Black Isle providing reliably regular sightings, sometimes distant, but occasionally amazingly close! - though only at certain states of the tide....

So, although August is often considered to be a bit of a 'quiet' month for wildlife-watching by some - I think that is far from the case, in this area at least!

July 2012 was, in tune with the rest of the UK, yet another very unsettled month weather-wise. However, with the days still long and with plenty of wildlife to see, this area is still well worth a visit.
Just about every locally breeding bird species has well grown young by now , and along with our regular mammals, we now have our best chance of also seeing a good selection of Butterflies.
Bird species day-lists dropped a little, into the 50's as our wader species left the area for their Autumn coastal territories, whilst mammal day-lists varied between 6 and 9 depending on our luck.

Wildlife highlights included:

A very rare,  and  very welcome, dawn (daylight!)  sighting of a normally very nocturnal Pine Marten on the edge of a local forest - and to make sure we were certain of what we had seen, it actually showed itself a second time a few minutes later - great stuff!

Dawn in a local Caledonian Forest also gave us super, if brief,  views of a female Capercaillie with 2 chicks - great to see, and very encouraging to see evidence of breeding success for what is one of our rarest and most threatened species.

Our local Ospreys continued to entertain us, with most nests now having hungry young able to fly and learning  to fish, July is one of the best months to witness the 'must-see' spectacle of Osprey 'plunge-diving' for fish on our local lochs and rivers, before carrying off their prize like a torpedo (see pic courtesy of Malcolm Fincham)

Local speciality species seen well this month included Dipper, Slavonian Grebe, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Osprey, Crested Tit, Crossbill, Red Grouse,  Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Mountain Goat, Mountain Hare, with the occasional Golden Eagle sighting, though Black Grouse were very elusive.

July is the last month to offer a good chance of seeing the 'mountain bird' species, and a walk up to the quieter areas around the summits gave good views of Ptarmigan , Dotterel and a solitary Snow Bunting - though suitable days weather-wise were very few and far between....

The Moray Firth Dolphins are a fantastic wildlife spectacle, and a visit , on a rising tide, to Chanonry Point on the Black Isle gave us super views of these charismatic creatures feeding at quite close range, putting a smile on the faces of the watching crowds.

Our local Roe Deer were noted to be rutting this month, with much 'barking' from the Bucks as they chased the Does around, especially at first light.

Stoats were spotted on a number of occasions, often chasing young rabbits, and occasionally feeding on road-kill.

Butterflies are at their most abundant at this time, and most of the common species were seen, with a few sightings of our local speciality - the Scotch Argus (see pic)

June 2012 was another very changeable month weather-wise, with just about every type of weather (except for snow, thankfully!) experienced at some stage - sadly, not ideal for birds trying to feed newly hatched or recently fledged young.......though on a more positive note, with the days at their longest now,this far north there is almost 24 hours a day wildlife-watching available to those with the stamina to enjoy it! Bird day-lists are at their highest now , with mid-high 60's not uncommon, with mammal lists steady at 6-9.....It should be noted though, that to see the 'dawn' species now requires an extremely early start, and the nocturnal species (such as Pine Marten) become very tricky!

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality species frequently  seen well this month included Dipper, Osprey, Ring Ouzel, Slavonian Grebe, Red Grouse, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Crossbill, and, unusually for June, Capercaillie & Black Grouse....

In fact,  Capercaillie & Black Grouse were still noted to be in 'lekking' mode - the first time I can recall it extending well into June, presumably, the fact that the weather felt more like it would in April/May was the reason...but, whatever the reason, they were a worthy reward for our early starts!

Red Grouse, mostly in large family parties,  were seen regularly, though they are much quieter and less obvious now, as  they creep stealthily through the deep heather...

Crested Tits finally became easier to see, with many family groups being spotted in our local Caledonian Forests. Learning to recognise  their distinctive chuckling trills being by far the best way of locating them...

Ospreys were frequently seen fishing, plunge-diving  into local lochs, and with most of the parents having hungry young to feed, and 8 or more fish per day being needed, mid-summer is the best time to witness this amazing spectacle!

Crossbills were seen frequently, and on several occasions we actually had prolonged views of them through the scope feeding on Pine cones  - instead of the usual brief  fly-over -  not a frequent occurrence - as any safari guide will tell you!

Ring Ouzels were seen collecting beakfuls of insects and worms in suitable upland habitat,  before flying into the thick undergrowth  - I suspect we may see youngsters soon....

Cuckoos were again seen (and heard calling)  frequently, including one female seen emerging from a Meadow Pipit nest at very close range!

Mountain-top birds: June is probably our best month for seeing  Ptarmigan and Dotterel (and the less reliable  Snow Bunting ), and so it proved, with decent views being achieved, though it should be stressed that this inhospitable and potentially dangerous environment should only be visited in very good weather conditions and with appropriate clothing and equipment....

Fledglings! Many more species now have young, including Dipper, Crested Tit, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Redstarts and our local pair of Black-Throated Divers (see pic courtesy of Tim Neale) - though sadly,  our local Slavonian Grebes do not seem to have bred successfully... again, despite several attempts.....

Local speciality mammals: It is easy for someone like myself to take Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Mountain Hare and Mountain Goat for granted - but it is always brought home to me how relatively rare outside of upland areas these are, when I see the smiling faces of my safari clients as they get to see them for the first time.... especially on one occasion when we witnessed the Mountain Goats climb quite high into trees to get to the tasty higher leaves! (see pic)

Brown Hares were seen 'boxing' early this month! Again, much later than usual....

Pole-dancing Stoat! Mid-month we enjoyed an incredible close encounter with a Stoat that ran across a track in front of us, and then proceeded to wrap itself round a nearby sapling support stick in an attempt to hide from us, but it couldn't resist constantly changing it's position in order to peep round at us -  just like a pole-dancer (so I am told!) - great stuff!

Butterflies: Most of our common species are now (finally!) on the wing , and I don't know whether it is just me... but we seem to see a lot more Orange Tips than we used to....

Mull lured me over again! Please forgive me - for I am too weak to resist the temptation! A mid-month day-trip producing reasonable sightings of Golden Eagle & Sea Eagle, and some really nice views of a gorgeous male Hen Harrier, along with many more common coastal species....