We have been very fortunate to have many people visit us and share a Guided Day’s Out with us, this past year. We have visited all the corners of the Cairngorms National Park, up to the Moray Coast and the Black Isle. There are too many highlights to choose from but we have selected a variety of magic moments.
In January, during a spell of mild weather, we set our sights of a couple locations where Beavers had been introduced. Beavers tend to be more active at dawn and dusk so we had missed them on this occasion, however we found evidence of gnawed tree's and fresh wood shavings. Little Grebe, Tufted Duck and Goldeneye were all spotted too.
A day out to a moorland to look for Red and Black Grouse was successful. An early start meant we had a wonderful view of the displaying Black Grouse. Further on, Red Grouse were flying back and forth over the heather challenging each other. Finally we looked for Dipper. These fantastic little birds have began to breed earlier in the year than they previously have. March is a great time to spot them flit up and down the river, searching for nesting sites. While walking along the River Spey, we were lucky enough to watch this Dipper, pulling flood debris off low hanging branches.
With April, brings spring showers and migrant song birds. On this day out, we ventured into the Caledonian Pine forest in search for Crested Tit, Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher. We finished with a wonderful lunch spot on the edge of Loch Garten, in between the showers.
May is a glorious month in Speyside. With all the birds busy finding mates, building nests and enjoying the plentiful food supply. On this Guided Day Out, we ventured into a local highland glen. The smell of Gorse filled the air. We had sightings of Osprey, Mountain Hare and Golden Eagle. Common Sandpipers kept us entertained at this beautiful viewpoint.
June is one of our busiest months of guiding. So there are many highlights packed into this month. An Orchid meadow is in full bloom, while walking through the meadow, we set off Common Blue Butterflies and the scent of Fragrant Orchids filled the air. A stop to scan on a moorland gave us great views of Golden Plover. Black-throated Divers breed on remote lochs, and on this specific day out, this pair were showing beautifully. And finally, a couple happy guests were pleased with a good sighting of Slavonian Grebe, another Speyside speciality.
July can become a little quiet for birdsong, so on this particular Guided Day Out, the guests were looking for wildflowers and insects. Long wildflower meadows situated on the River Spey, gave us a wonderful opportunity to search for Butterflies, Caterpillars, Dragonflies and more.
During the month of August, Scotch Argus are on the wing. With this lovely Butterfly being a Scottish speciality, with only a few weeks of opportunity to find them, they always prove to be a Day Guiding highlight.
As the seasons changed from Summer to Autumn, we had a flurry of Day Guides booked with one of our most popular itineraries, Highland Glen. September and October brought much needed warm weather and sunshine. The warm wet weather created great conditions for fungi, with this Jelly Antler being one of our highlights. The wonderful autumnal colours were admired and many our our guests enjoyed Red Deer rutting and spotting young Golden Eagles in the air.
We have had a great year with our local Day Guides and some wonderful wildlife sightings. The Cairngorms National Park is a very special place to visit, to enjoy a variety of species and wonderful views. These have been some of our highlights and we are already looking forward to our Guided Day's Out in 2025.
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