April 2013 started off very cold in this area , with the first week seeing severe frosts and temperatures down to minus 15c, the middle part of the month saw more spring-like temperatures, though it was often very windy, but winter returned towards the end of the month, with more snow and frosts. So a very changeable month, with all 4 seasons being experienced, sometimes within the same day!
The days are lengthening nicely now, with around 16 hours of daylight, though it should be noted that to see the dawn species such as Capercaillie and Black Grouse, we needed to be in position soon after 5am....The wintry weather and lack of southerly winds meant that our winter visiting bird species lingered, whilst the expected influx of summer bird species occurred much later than average. The 'crossover' of winter, resident and summer species saw bird day-lists creep up over the 50 mark, while mammal day-lists varied between 6 and 9 species depending on our luck...

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality bird species seen regularly throughout  this month included: Dipper, Goldeneye, Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Crested Tit, Osprey, Golden Eagle, Snow Bunting, and from mid-month, Ring Ouzel, Slavonian Grebe,  Black-Throated Diver and Red-Throated Diver...though Crossbills continued to be elusive....

Several good sightings of Capercaillie displaying and lekking soon after dawn at the RSPB Caper Watch facility at their lovely Abernethy Forest reserve (Open 5:30am-8am April 1- May 19) - this initiative is highly recommended as it not only gives birders a decent chance of seeing Capercaillie, (and Osprey and Crested Tit) but it also stops people potentially disturbing other more sensitive sites....

Our  Black Grouse were seen lekking at dawn on local moors  throughout the month, with the cock birds performing their spectacular aggressive display dances whilst uttering their peculiar bubbling, whooshing calls in an attempt to become the 'alpha male', surely one of Britain's top wildlife spectacles?

Our local Red Grouse also performed well throughout the month, and although these birds do not actually lek , cock birds were certainly seen displaying and chasing off rivals, with their guttural cackling "go-bak go-bak" calls echoing across the moors. (see pic)

Most of our local Osprey nests now have a pair of birds in place, with much mating being noted, and some of the female birds seemingly sitting tight on eggs by the end of the month (see pic). We were also lucky to see 'plunge-diving' occur a couple of times, and a fish being brought to the nest on several occasions - great stuff!

Crested Tits could be seen coming to feeders throughout the month, giving us good photographic opportunities (see pic) whereas, in less wintry conditions they would usually be concentrating on nesting from mid-month, and would then be much more difficult to see.

The snow falling down to lower levels meant that we had the chance to see our local Snow Buntings at very close range in favoured areas, without the tricky hike up to the mountain tops that is usually required at this time of year - a very welcome by-product of the unseasonably wintry weather (see pic).

Golden Eagles were seen reasonably regularly during the month at suitable upland glens, with some of our best sightings being during sunny spells between the squalls and blizzards, though it should be noted that as the days get longer , our chances of Eagle sightings actually decrease, as the birds have more daylight hours during which to hunt...

A drive through a secluded upland moor gave us great views of a lovely ring-tailed Hen Harrier gliding low over the heather mid-month - sadly, a rare sight these days....

Ring Ouzels were seen in upland locations from mid-month, their fluty, high pitched single note call, repeated several times , often announcing their presence.

Our local lochs were frozen during the early part of the month, though within a few days of them thawing , we were pleased to note the arrival of three of the UK's rarest breeding water birds, namely Slavonian Grebe (see pic), Red-Throated Diver and Black-Throated Diver - all beautiful in their own right and much sought-after by keen UK birders.

Welcome additions to our day-lists from mid-month were migrant birds such as Common Sandpiper, Willow Warbler, Swallow, Sand Martin , House Martin and Wheatear....

So to summarise - April 2013 was, despite the changeable weather, a great month for wildlife watching in and around the Cairngorms National Park, and with winter, resident and summer species all possible, and many of them displaying, I would even go so far as to say that April is now probably my favourite month from a safari guide's point of view, and a visit here then is highly recommended!

March 2013 started cold but cloudy and dry in this area, then turned snowy mid-month, returning to very cold and sunny at the end of the month, with record low Easter temperatures , at minus 13c! With no real extremes of weather however, it was a very good month for safaris, and with a few early migrant birds arriving, these , added to our resident species, and lingering winter visitors, helped bird day-lists creep up into the 40's , with mammal lists steady at 6-9 species. The days are stretching out a bit now, and it needs an early (5 or 6 am) start to give you a decent chance of seeing the 'dawn' species such as Capercaillie and Black grouse.

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality bird  species seen regularly included: Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Dipper, Crested Tit, Goldeneye and Golden Eagle, with Black-Throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, and Osprey all being spotted for the first time this year as the month progressed....though Crossbills were hard to come by, with just a couple of views.

Mammals seen during the month included: Roe Deer, Red Deer, Reindeer, Rabbit, Brown Hare, Mountain Hare, Red Squirrel, Mountain Goat, Stoat and Bank Vole.

Though March should still really be considered winter this far north, a proper 'dawn chorus' can be enjoyed now - a very uplifting way to start the day....

Our local 'rogue' Capercaillie continued to show well, often displaying and calling, especially on cold, bright mornings - though it should be noted that as soon as evidence of 'lekking' with other birds was noted in late March - the site was declared 'out of bounds' to visitors until  the end of  May.....

Our local Black Grouse 'leks' saw the numbers of Blackcock increase, and a noticeable ramping-up of their displaying and aggression at first light , as peak 'lekking' season approaches....

...Whilst our local Red Grouse seemed to be continually calling, posturing and defending their territories all day long, making them nice and easy to see and photograph on the moors....(see pic)

Wader species continued to flood into Speyside, with Redshank, Curlew and Golden Plover joining the increasing numbers of Lapwings and Oystercatchers.

The cold weather, and lack of natural food, meant that Crested Tits continued to come to feeding stations in our local Caledonian Forests, giving good photo opportunities (see pic)

Golden Eagles were seen well quite regularly, with one amazing day giving us not one, not two, but three birds flying and displaying, sometimes  together, a fantastic sight! (see pic)

A Goshawk was a good 'year-tick' , in a local forest, this very powerful and agile bird seen hunting through the trees causing much panic amongst the smaller birds!

The Snowy Owl near the summit of Ben Macdui -  the Cairngorms highest peak - continued to attract 'twitchers' - though the very difficult to access location and wintry weather prevented all but the most experienced mountaineer birders from getting anywhere near this much sought-after 'tick'....

A Black-Throated Diver back on territory on March 14th was a very early record (see pic) - though he soon had to vacate the loch as it shortly froze over again....

Our 'winter-white' species ( Ptarmigan, Stoat, Mountain Hare) were all very popular sightings, though their previously pristine white outfits were beginning to change to their mottled spring colours.

Crossbills were generally elusive throughout the month, though we did manage a couple of decent sightings, and it should be noted that being able to identify their calls is very important in detecting these birds...

The last week of the month saw the return to nest sites of some of our Ospreys, including the much-loved 'EJ' at Loch Garten RSPB reserve - a pretty impressive 'first summer migrant' tick for many of my safari clients! (see pic)

We are now entering my favourite time of year as a safari guide, with the winter weather hopefully coming to an end, the days lengthening, and all our breeding species appearing - magic!

February 2013 started very snowy and cold - fairly typical for the time of year, but a large high pressure system soon settled over Scotland, giving us glorious cold but sunny weather for the remainder of the month - perfect safari conditions! The deep snow early in the month gave me the perfect opportunities to test out the off-road and snow abilities of my new 'safari-bus' - a Landrover Discovery - I am pleased (and relieved!) to report that it passed with flying colours (see pic).
The days are lengthening now, and we have almost 12 hours of daylight, and with first light at around 7am, you don't have to get up at 'silly o'clock' in order to see the 'dawn' species.
Bird day-lists are still around 30-40 species, and mammal day-lists varied between 5and 8 species.

Wildlife highlights included:

Our local 'rogue' male Capercaillie started to show at his favourite spot deep in a local Caledonian pine forest, with even the occasional short display! (see pic). I am always careful not to abuse the privilege of getting to see and photograph this magnificent, and sadly very rare creature, by acting responsibly in not visiting the site too often, or for too long, and only with small parties. Sadly, not all of the other people I have met there can say the same......

Male Black Grouse numbers were seen to increase at traditional 'lek' sites, with up to 7 being seen at dawn (see pic), a sure sign that the breeding season is fast approaching....

Although Red Grouse do not 'lek' as such, the cock birds were certainly displaying, calling, and acting very aggressively on our local moors, giving good photo opportunities. (see pic)

Crested Tits continued to show very well, sometimes at very close range,  at my favourite forest feeding sites, again, giving decent photo opportunities to those that are quick enough with their camera, as they can be a very 'flitty' species!

Our local Dippers displayed well early in the month, with much bobbing and singing,  then quietened down a little later on, presumably because they had been successful in securing a mate, and breeding had occurred...

Our 'winter-white' species proved very popular with my safari clients, especially the Mountain Hares (see pic), though as they follow the 'snow-line' as it retreats up the hills, it can be a bit of a trek to try and get a close-up!

Our local Mountain Goats usually give birth around this time of year, and we were lucky enough to see several new-born young with the parent animals, all together now- aaaahhh!

There were several reports of White-Tailed Eagles  being seen along the Spey Valley, especially over Insh Marshes RSPB reserve.

Amazingly, we also had several reports of a Snowy Owl on the highest peaks of the Cairngorm Mountain range for just a couple of days, though the deep snow and very icy paths would have made for a very treacherous adventure for that mega-rare 'tick'!

Our winter visiting bird species continued to show well, with Whooper Swans, (see pic) 'Grey' Geese  and various wildfowl species all being seen locally.

We also noted an increase in the number of waders such as Lapwing and Oystercatcher returning to their inland breeding grounds as the month progressed...

Birdsong is definitely increasing , especially at first light, though it would be exaggerating to call it a proper  'dawn chorus' just yet....

Feeding your 'garden birds' is really important in the cold winter months, especially this far north, though one of my Collared Doves obviously failed to notice an approaching Sparrowhawk and unwittingly ended up on the menu (see pic)

January 2013 started unseasonably mild, but soon reverted to the norm , with the remainder of the month much colder, and snow and ice a regular occurrence. However, the days are definitely lengthening now, and although winter is far from over this far north, an occasional, weak 'dawn chorus' and the 'drumming' of Great Spotted Woodpeckers helps us feel that spring is not too far away.....The poor weather conditions meant that there were very few decent safari opportunities, but we still managed a few good days out.

Bird day-lists were in the 30's whilst mammal day-lists ranged between 5 and 8 depending on our luck.

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality bird  species seen included: Dipper, Crested Tit, Crossbill, Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Snow Bunting, Ptarmigan, Golden eagle, Whooper Swan.

Mammals seen included: Otter, Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Reindeer,  Mountain Hare, Mountain Goat, Brown Hare, Stoat (white), Rabbit, Bank Vole.

Great views of an Otter for nearly 20 minutes at dawn on a local loch, breaking the ice, diving to fish and eventually catching a good sized fish and eating it - a marvellous wildlife spectacle! (see pic)

Dippers singing and displaying on our local rivers and lochs soon after dawn. Many birders may have heard the sharp 'zit' call of these birds, delivered as the fly low along a river , but few will have enjoyed their scratchy, squeaky song performed as they bob and flap their wings in a courtship display. (see pic)

Also seen displaying on our local waters were Goldeneyes, the male birds throwing their heads violently backwards whilst uttering their croaking calls in an attempt to 'woo' the watching females.

Crested Tits continued to show well at my local forest feeding stations. These attractive and charismatic little birds really are a true 'local speciality' , being found in the UK only in Highland Scotland, with Speyside a major stronghold.

With the snow coming down to lower levels, Snow Buntings were seen regularly in and around the Cairngorms Ski Centre, and when natural food is in short supply, they are not slow to take advantage of any tit-bits supplied by humans.

Our 'winter-white' wildlife is always popular at this time of year. Ptarmigan and Mountain Hare (see pic) can usually be found (weather permitting!) in upland areas with a little persistence, whilst Stoat sightings tend to be chance happenings. These three creatures nearly always get an ''aaahhh'' response from my safari clients, but their 'cute' appearance disguises the fact that these are among the UK's hardiest wildlife, toughing out the worst that winter can throw at them.

Black Grouse males were seen at traditional 'lek' sites at dawn on several occasions, though it is not breeding season yet, they were seen displaying, especially on still , frosty mornings.

Red Grouse males too are very active this time of year, with much posturing and loud, guttural calling from the few higher spots in their moorland habitat.

Male Crossbills were seen calling and (unusually) singing from the tops of conifers, they too are early breeders, and the early part of the year can be one of the best times to see them.

Winter is arguably the best time of year for raptor-watching in this area with Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Merlin, Hen Harrier and Short-Eared Owl all being enjoyed, but the real stars of the show are our local Golden Eagles and occasional wandering White-tailed Eagle.

Unusual garden visitors: I was lucky enough to have two colourful Waxwings come into my garden one snowy morning , to pillage the few remaining berries on my Cotoneaster bush - a good garden 'tick'! I have also had a beautiful pale gold 'leucistic' Chaffinch visiting my feeders for several weeks. (see pic)

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.