July 2013 was, and there is no other word for it really, Scorchio!! With barely a cloud in the sky most of the month , and temperatures regularly approaching 30c,  we enjoyed one of the hottest July's on record, and  the usual waterproofs and hats were replaced by short sleeves and baseball caps in near perfect safari weather. Bird species day-lists dropped a little, down  into the 40's , as some of our wader species vacated the upland areas for the coasts, whilst mammal species day-lists varied between 6 and 9. The days have shortened a little,  but we still have over 18 hours of usable daylight, and with the heather starting to turn a gorgeous purple and the wild flowers and Butterflies at their most abundant now, the Cairngorms National Park is a glorious place to be!

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality bird species seen regularly included:
Dipper, Osprey, Slavonian Grebe, Red_Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Red Grouse, Golden Plover and Crested Tit, with occasional sightings of Crossbill and Golden Eagle, with Ring Ouzel, Capercaillie and Black Grouse sadly proving very elusive indeed....

Local speciality mammal species seen regularly included:
Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer and Mountain Goat, with occasional sightings of Stoat, Weasel, Bank Vole, Brown hare and Mountain Hare.....

Our local Ospreys were probably the stars of the show this month, with the adult birds delivering fish regularly throughout the day to the rapidly growing youngsters, who, by mid-month, were fledged, flying and some even occasionally fishing for themselves. So, for photographers wanting to get shots of Ospreys at the nest, flying, plunge-diving and delivering fish, July is the month to visit.....(see pics)

Crested Tits, often with youngsters, continued to visit forest feeding stations in the early mornings, though sightings became less frequent as the month progressed....

Slavonian Grebes were seen on secluded local lochs , with these gorgeous and very rare little birds bringing many a "wow" from my safari clients, though sadly, very little evidence of breeding was noted again....(see pic courtesy of Jon Worthington )

Black-Throated Divers were sighted on suitable upland lochs, looking magnificent in their splendid summer plumage, (see pic courtesy of Jon Worthington), with at least one pair seen teaching a youngster to fish....

Red-Throated Divers too,  were spotted on several occasions on larger lochs, though with lots of tourists around and water sports going on, early mornings gave us the best chances of seeing them, as they are very sensitive to disturbance...

Red Grouse families were seen well on the moors throughout the month, with the youngsters now nearly as large as their parents....

Our local rivers provided plenty of sightings of Dippers, especially near to the bridges where they will have nested...

Golden Eagles were spotted soaring in secluded upland glens on a few occasions, though they seemed to prefer the windier days to the still ones, and sightings were still less reliable than in winter...

Crossbills generally proved to be elusive, though we did manage a few views of families feeding high up in coniferous forests, their 'glip glip 'calls and the sound of cones dropping often betraying their presence...

July is probably one of the best months for seeing the 'mountain' species such as Dotterel, Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting, though it should be noted that they are generally seen at the very tops of the mountains, meaning a fair amount of physical effort, and a reasonable degree of fitness is required...

Our Red Deer tend to be in all male and all female groups at this time of year, and we were lucky enough to find one group of hinds with their very pretty white-spotted young... (see pic)

Roe Deer were frequently heard 'barking' , especially early in the  mornings, a sure sign that their rutting season is now upon us....

Our Red Squirrels seem to have had a good breeding season, and though you can get lucky with sightings by walking through suitable coniferous forest, your best bet is definitely to visit forest feeding stations...

Our local Mountain Goats too, have good numbers of youngsters, and provided good entertainment with their displays of agility and balance on the rocky slopes of upland glens...(see pic)

Most of our Butterfly species are on the wing by now, including our 'local speciality' the attractive Scotch Argus (see pic by Bob Smith)

For the lovers of 'creepy-crawlies', our Wood Ant nests are at their most impressive now, with some standing several feet high and several feet across, and seething with life...(see pic)

So, to summarise, July 2013 was another great month for wildlife-watching in the Cairngorms National Park, no doubt enhanced by the sunny weather, glorious scenery,  purple heather and abundant wild flowers, and with the Moray Firth Dolphins and numerous coastal seabird colonies all just a sensible drive away, Highland Scotland is a super holiday destination for those with a liking for the 'great outdoors'

June 2013 finally saw us get some proper summer weather in this area, with the first half of the month seeing us enjoy plenty of sunshine and light winds, though the second half was a little more changeable, but still not bad from a safari guide's perspective. Our days are at their very longest in June, with near 24 hour wildlife-watching available for those with the stamina to attempt it! It should be noted though, that a 3-4am start is needed if you are to have any chance of seeing the 'dawn' species such as Black Grouse. While the mountain top species such as Ptarmigan, Dotterel and Snow Bunting are probably at their most accessible at this time of year. Bird day-lists were consistently up in the 50's on full-day multi-habitat safaris, with mammals well represented by 6-9 species on most occasions. The wild flowers are at their glorious best now, adding a wonderful splash of colour to our already beautiful scenery, with the first butterflies beginning to show too.

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality bird species seen regularly throughout  this month included: Dipper, Goldeneye, Slavonian Grebe, Red-Throated Diver, Black-Throated Diver, Osprey, Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel and Crested Tit, with Black Grouse only being seen early in the month,  Crossbill and Golden Eagle only being seen occasionally and Capercaillie sadly, notable only by their absence.....

Mammals seen during this month included: Rabbit, Roe Deer, Red Deer, Reindeer, Red Squirrel, Brown Hare, (See pic) Mountain Hare, Mountain Goat and  Bank Vole, with a solitary sighting of the much sought after but rarely seen inland Otter, and even more amazingly, a brief early morning  view of a Scottish Wildcat crossing a forest track!

Black Grouse, uncommonly, continued to 'lek' at dawn at one local site up until the 12th of the month, though they were not seen after this date....

Red Grouse frequently showed well on suitable heather moorland , often in family groups, giving my safari parties excellent photo opportunities...(see pic by Steve Simnett)

Crested Tits, again unusually, were seen at and around favourite forest feeding stations on and off throughout the month, and were even seen to be feeding newly-fledged young from around the 20th onwards...(see pic by Steve Simnett)

Our local Ospreys provided superb entertainment throughout, with plunge-dive fishing, nest-maintenance and fish delivering all seen, and the rapidly growing youngsters beginning to flap their wings in preparation for their maiden flights next month....(see pic)

Dippers were frequently spotted, often whilst  feeding their young on our local rivers, although they are a relatively common bird here, they are missing from large areas of the UK, and are a valued 'year-tick' for birders from those areas.....(see pic by Malcolm Fincham)

Our local Slavonian Grebes produced many a "wow!"from my excited safari clients, I suspect,  not just because of their rarity value, but mainly due to their sheer, gorgeous beauty! (see pic by Steve Simnett)

Ring Ouzels were seen busily collecting beak-fulls of worms from wet grassy areas on upland areas, before flying off and disappearing into the heather, where presumably, their hungry young were  waiting...(see pic my Malcolm Fincham)

Red-Throated Divers showed on local lochs on several occasions,  usually at distance, and  it should be noted that these are best looked for early or late, as they are very easily disturbed by human activities....

Black-Throated Divers too were noted quite frequently on their favourite upland lochs, though long-distance views are the norm, we occasionally get lucky with a good close-up photo opportunity...(see pic by Malcolm Fincham)

Crossbills were, (at last!), seen on several occasions in our local forests, frustratingly, usually flying overhead, but on one occasion, feeding at reasonably close range, allowing me to get a half-decent photo....(see pic)

Our local upland glens produced a few sightings of the magnificent Golden Eagle, including , notably, one rather scruffy looking adult bird with a number of feathers missing, which flew directly over our heads at low altitude on the 27th! It's unkempt appearance did not detract from our enjoyment, though!

Cuckoos  continued to show well in the early part of the month, giving good photo opportunities (see pic by Steve Simnett), though they became much more elusive after mid-month....

A Short-Eared Owl was noted hunting low over a local moorland on the 5th, the afternoon sun showing up it's lovely gold, white and black plumage very nicely...

Hobby is not a common bird in this area, so to get several (albeit brief!) sightings of this dashing hawk catching dragonflies over our local lochs was much appreciated...

Woodcock is a 'crepuscular' bird , most frequently seen at dawn or dusk in silhouette over suitable forest habitat, so a close-up daytime sighting of one feeding at the forest edge in daylight on the 20th was a real bonus!

Fledglings! Just about every bird species now seems to have young, bringing many an "aaaahhh" from my safari clients! (See young Curlew pic by Malcolm Fincham)

The middle of the month saw me take a couple of day-trips with some birding mates over to the west coast - Mull giving us good sightings of both White-Tailed and Golden Eagles, Hen Harrier, Wood Warbler, various seabirds and Seals and Dolphins - whilst our day on the north-west coast around the Ullapool to Durness area saw us enjoy the seabird colonies, including everyone's favourite, the Puffins.

So, to summarise, a hectic but very enjoyable month with decent weather and lots of very enjoyable wildlife-watching - probably the best month of the year for the 'all-rounder' after lots of birds, mammals, butterflies, wild flowers and no snow!

May 2013 can probably best be described as 'changeable' weather-wise in this area, starting off mild but wet and windy, calming down mid-month, with an icy blast and hill snow around the 20th, then a warm spell to finish. The days are really lengthening now, with nearly 20 hours of daylight and a 4am start needed to catch the 'dawn' species such as Capercaillie and Black Grouse. The 'late' spring this year meant that many species of birds were actually still lekking, displaying and singing, making them easier for us to see, when in a 'normal' year they would already be on eggs or even already have fledged young. The winter visiting birds have pretty much all departed now, and by the end of the month the last of the summer visiting birds had arrived, swelling our bird species day-lists up towards 60, whilst mammal day-lists varied between 6 & 9 depending on our luck.

Wildlife highlights included:

Local speciality bird species seen regularly this month included: Dipper, Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Red Grouse, Osprey, Slavonian Grebe, Black-Throated Diver, Red-Throated Diver, Ring Ouzel and Crested Tit, with Capercaillie and Golden Eagle both seen frequently early month.

Dawn views of an Otter on the river Spey on May 1st - not bad for our first mammal seen this month! Especially when you consider that they are almost entirely nocturnal on inland waters.....

Capercaillie were seen well on several occasions at dawn at RSPB Loch Garten's Caper-watch early in the month, including two cock birds actually in combat for mating rights - a cracking reward for the early start! I left our local 'rogue' cock bird well alone throughout the month to ensure that his lekking and  possible mating was not disturbed.....

Our local Black Grouse too, continued lekking throughout May, with bright, frosty mornings being best, and the action only tailing off as the weather warmed up later in the month.

Red Grouse were seen very regularly on our local moors, noticeably though, only the cock birds for most of the month, whilst the females incubated eggs, with the last week of the month giving us our first views of the tiny and very cute newly fledged youngsters.

Our local Ospreys continued to entertain my safari clients, with us witnessing 'plunge-diving',fish deliveries and flights over our heads (see pic) on several occasions - superb entertainment!

Our local speciality water birds - namely Slavonian Grebe (see pic by Bob Smith), Red-Throated Diver and Black-Throated Diver were all seen , though they were not as reliable as usual as the very late spring has seen them delay pairing - up and breeding until the latter part of the month.

Crested Tits, unusually,  continued to visit forest feeding stations during the early part of the month, giving us some unexpected but very welcome photo opportunities (see superb pic by Bob Smith) though sightings noticeably tailed-off late month as they presumably, finally got around to breeding.

Ring Ouzels showed well early month, with the male birds often perching prominently (see pic), whilst uttering their high-pitched fluty call, making them fairly easy to home in on, though they too became harder to see as the month went on.

Golden Eagles were seen well , especially early in the month, with 2 young birds together being noted on a couple of occasions, giving several of my safari clients spectacular  'year-ticks' and some the much sought-after 'life-tick'!

Another raptor seen in our local upland glens during the month was a huge White-Tailed Eagle, which absolutely dwarfed the Common Buzzards that were mobbing it - not for nothing are they often called 'the flying barn door'! (see my very poor, but in my defence, very distant pic)

Other raptors noted included a dashing Hobby, a rare bird in these parts, seen hawking dragonflies over a local lochan on May 17, and a cracking cock Merlin, seen perched on a moorland deer fence, before flying swiftly off, low over the heather, on the 30th.

Unusually, Owls featured on our sightings list a few times this month, with Tawny being seen at dawn in our local forests at dawn on several occasions, and Short-Eared seen quartering moorlands and fields during daylight - always a bonus!

Other migrant birds seen for the first time this year included good numbers of Cuckoos, Swifts, Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts, and a lovely male Whinchat.

Mammals were well represented this month, with Rabbit, Brown Hare, Mountain Hare, Bank Vole, Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Reindeer, Roe Deer and Mountain Goat all seen regularly, and solitary sightings of Otter, and rarer still , a Pine Marten, seen crossing a forest track at dawn!

So, although many people will have complained about the late spring , and unseasonably wintry weather this May, I actually feel that it delayed the breeding season for many bird species, giving us the opportunity to see many sought after local specialities - which would normally have quietened down by now - still displaying and showing well - giving us a superb month of sightings - so this cloud really did have a silver lining! May is probably THE best month for seeing a broad range of bird species, including the iconic Highland endemics, and a trip here then for a safari is highly recommended!

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)