February 2010 started mild-ish (compared to January!), with the snow starting to disappear, and I was at last able to get to some of my favourite , remote, wild places. However, it was a bit of a false dawn, as the month ended with more heavy snowfall & sub zero temperatures which , again, caused problems getting around, though the lengthening days were very welcome.

Wildlife highlights included:

A dawn encounter with an Otter on the Spey, an enjoyable & memorable experience, which made the early start worthwhile!

Several after - dark sightings of the elusive & very sought - after Pine Marten at a local baited site, though their arrival time was very variable, sometimes within 15 minutes of arriving, at other times after 2 hours+ of waiting, with the occasional 'no-show', just to keep me on my toes!

Decent views of up to 7 male Black grouse at a local 'lek' site, their behaviour becoming noticeably more aggressive (& noisier!) towards each other, as the breeding season draws nearer.

Similarly, the Red Grouse on local moorland have begun to display, the bright red 'eyebrows' of the males now showing well, as they utter their guttural, cackling calls from a prominent perch in the heather.

Snow Buntings were seen regularly at favourite spots in the Cairngorm Mountains, though sightings were very subject to disturbance by the thousands of snowsports enthusiasts on the nearby slopes.

Also on the snowy local mountains, we managed a few sightings of beautiful winter-white Ptarmigan, with a stealthy approach allowing some good close-up views.

Mountain Hares also featured on hill-walks, with their cute, fluffy appearance not diminishing our respect for them as they 'tough it out' in the Arctic conditions - these guys are very hardy! (see pic - courtesy of Greg Morgan)

The first Waxwings of the year were seen in the area, beautiful visitors from colder climes further North, though not yet in the large numbers of recent winters.

Dippers were seen to be displaying on local rivers, their comical bobbing, wing-waggling dances were very entertaining, and their song is about the only one to be heard at this time of year.

Redpoll was added to my 2010 'garden-list' as several uncommon (in gardens) species, joined the dozens of more common birds in taking advantage of the food & water I provide for them.

A happy new year to all our readers - wishing you a wildlife filled 2010!

January 2010 will probably be remembered more for the extreme weather we experienced than for the wildlife sightings. We had our coldest & snowiest January since records began, with the snow measured in feet rather than inches, and temperatures seemingly permanently below zero, this made getting to remote areas for wildlife watching almost impossible, so most watching was done from roadside verges, though we did get a gradual thaw towards the end of the month.

Wildlife highlights included:

Several sightings of pure white Stoats chasing rabbits, and some being spotted eating roadkill.

More 'countryside' birds being seen in my garden, with Pheasant being added to to the list of other garden rarities such as Brambling, Yellowhammer and Bullfinch.

Dippers were heard to be singing from exposed rocks along the River Spey, they are about the only species that make the effort at this time of year.

Huge flocks of mixed Buntings & Finches were noted on farmland, taking advantage of extra food put out for cattle.

Several after-dark sightings of Pine Marten from a baited site, always a treat, as it is one of Britain's rarest and hardest to see mammals.

The Moray coast played host to a number of rare species throughout the month, namely, Little Bunting, King Eider, Smew, & Iceland & Glaucous Gulls.

December 2009 started cold , then got colder still!, with temperatures as low as -16c and lots of snow at the end of the month - great for snowsports enthusiasts & very picturesque - but not great for getting around! The days are very short up here in December, with barely 7 hours of daylight. There is however, still plenty of wildlife to see, for those hardy enough to venture out. Bird day- lists remain in the 30's, and mammal list were steady at 5-9 depending on our luck.

Wildlife highlights included:

One 'plus' of the severe winter weather is that, as natural food becomes scarce, it tends to drive less common bird species into the gardens of those who put food (& water) out for them - so far I have had visits from 'garden rarities' such as Yellowhammers, Bullfinches, Redwings, Fieldfares & Bramblings (see pic). Numbers of more common garden visitors are also greatly increased and I think that it is really important for as many of us as possible to help our garden birds during the winter.

Local speciality bird species such as Dipper, Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Red Deer , Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare etc continued to show well.

Winter wildfowl such as Whooper Swans, Greylag Geese, Teal, Wigeon etc showed well on local lochs & rivers early in the month, but the 'big freeze' at the end of the month saw them become harder to find.

Large mixed flocks of assorted finches & buntings were noted feeding in fields, taking advantage of the food put out for cattle and game birds.

Raptor sighting are easier and more numerous at this time of year, probably because they only have a limited amount of time for daylight hunting, especially when compared to mid-summer, when they have 20+ hours of opportunity.

A very close encounter with a marauding Sparrowhawk, which tried to catch a Chaffinch off my birdfeeding table whilst I was filling up a nearby feeder.

November 2009 started very mild, but ended very wintry with sub-zero temperatures and the first 'proper' snowfall on the Cairngorm Mountains. The days are getting much shorter now, with only around 8 hours of daylight. With most of the winter visitor birds now here, bird day lists are usually between 30 & 40, with mammal day lists steady at between 5 & 9.

Wildlife highlights included:

A spectacular invasion of our area by record numbers of Fieldfares, with some flocks over a thousand strong, and with good numbers of Redwings as well, it was not uncommon to see berry bushes literally covered in these attractive winter thrushes.

The discovery in our area of 2 locally rare birds - a Great Grey Shrike (or 'butcher bird '- notorious for it's habit of storing it's prey of small birds, mammals & invertebrates on spiky bushes or barbed wire fences) which frequented a local airfield for several weeks, & a Black Redstart (a small robin-like bird with a lovely orange tail which it regularly 'shivers' ,a bird more usually found in urban or mountain environments much further south) which took a liking to a small local farm (see pic.)

Regular sightings of resident 'specialities' such as Dipper, Red Grouse , Red Deer, Red Squirrel.

Good sightings of increasing numbers of male Black Grouse near traditional 'lek' sites.

Decent views of Whooper Swans & winter wildfowl on our local lochs.

Some of my favourite local wildlife watching spots being featured on BBC1's excellent Autumnwatch TV programme, with presenters Chris Packham & Kate Humble showing such 'local specialities' as Crested Tit, Ptarmigan, Pine Marten & Mountain Hare amidst a beautiful snowy mountain backdrop.

October 2009 started cold, with frosts & even a light dusting of snow on the Cairngorms but, rather oddly, ended very mild with unseasonably warm temperatures. The days are shortening now, but by way of compensation, the trees are a glowing blaze of Autumn colours. Winter migration into the area is noticeably picking up now and bird day-lists are now into the 30's & 40's with mammal day-lists steady at 5-9.

Wildlife highlights included:

Amazing views of a Golden Eagle menacingly descending a steep upland slope at speed with it's huge talons outstretched, trying to harass a female Red Deer into fleeing, presumably in the hope it would fall - a magnificent wildlife spectacle!

The Red Deer rut is in full swing in October, and we witnessed many of the 'soap opera' moments - the posturing,... the romance,... the friction,... the aggression,... the winners ...& the losers.... one of British nature's must see events!

Decent dawn views of an Otter on the Spey, always the most sought - after mammal on my safaris, & making the early get-up worthwhile!

A memorable close encounter with 5 Red Squirrels at once feeding just a few feet away from us, so close that we could actually hear them grunting & squeaking to each other!

Seeing our first 'Winter Thrushes' - the Redwings were first to arrive, often betraying their presence with their thin 'seep-seep' calls & the Fieldfares arrived later in the month, and not surprisingly, our Rowan berries are disappearing rapidly!

Super views of a Crested Tit coming to a bird-feeder - not a common occurrence, and a rare chance for my clients to get a 'proper' look at one - rather than the fleeting glimpses we usually get in the forests!

Wildfowl numbers are increasing on our local lochs, with Teal, Wigeon & Whooper Swans being seen regularly.

September 2009 started with some pleasant autumnal sunshine but ended with a more wintry feel, with night time temperatures dropping noticeably, and the days getting shorter. By the middle of the month the last of the summer visiting birds had departed, but by way of compensation, the first winter visiting birds were beginning to arrive, and with the heather at its vivid purple best and the Rowan trees full of shiny red berries Speyside is a very attractive place to be.

Wildlife highlights included:

Bird day-lists dropped down into the 30's & 40's but resident local speciality birds such as Dipper, Goldeneye, Red Grouse, Crested Tit etc continued to show well.

Mammal day-lists remained steady at 6-9 with local specialities such as Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Mountain Hare, Mountain Goat etc being seen regularly.

Our first sightings of winter visiting birds, mainly large flocks of Greylag Geese (see pic), though a few early Brent Geese & Whooper Swans were reported too.

Good views of Black Grouse, our first since late spring, as, with breeding season now over, their numbers increased near their traditional 'lek' sites.

The Red Deer stags became noticeably more aggressive as the October 'rut' approached, with their loud, belching roars echoing around the hills.

At the end of the month I took a break to visit relatives & friends in Surrey & Hampshire, but managed to sneak in a bit of bird watching, which produced a number of 'year-ticks' for me such as Dartford Warbler, Bearded Tit & Little Egret - species that are not, or are only rarely found this far North.

August 2009 was very changeable weather-wise, with a noticeably autumnal feel towards the end of the month as the days grew shorter and dawn & dusk temperatures began to drop down into single figures.

With most of the migratory birds now departing the area, bird day-lists dropped down into the 50's or 40's but mammal day-lists remained steady at 6-9.

Wildlife highlights included:

Most of the local speciality birds (Red-Throated & Black-Throated Divers, Slavonian Grebe, Osprey, Dipper, Red Grouse, Crested Tit, Crossbill etc) continued to show in the first half of the month, though some of the Summer visitors had vacated the area by the end of the month.

An amazing (& incredibly rare!) close encounter with a female Capercaillie, which, to the delight of my guests!, walked slowly across the road in front of my safari vehicle, stood & posed on the verge for a few seconds, before melting away into the forest - a truly magic moment!

A brief glimpse of a beautiful Kingfisher on the River Spey - a very rare bird in this area.

Watching the young Ospreys coping with being left to fend for themselves after both parent birds departed mid-month.

More sightings of Stoats (sometimes whole families) chasing Rabbits.

Regular sightings of a real local speciality butterfly - the Scotch Argus.

Large numbers of Hirundines (Martins & Swallows) - seen gathering on wires ready for migration South, see pic.