The Speyside Wildlife Evening Mammal Hide in the Cairngorms National Park is only getting busier as the year goes on. The Badgers and the Pine Martens have all been obliging, the Pine Martens slightly more than the typical three days a week that we’ve been used to seeing them.
Nowadays it’s so light that you can see the Badgers approaching and following their trails they like to use in order to get to the viewing area. One night however, they came later than expected, probably in response to the longer daylight hours.
They never fail to create awe in our guests - for some, the only time they have ever seen Badgers has been a fleeting glimpse, which doesn't offer as meaningful a connection with our largest carnivore as our hide does.
With longer daylight hours we’ve even had Roe Deer, Chaffinches, Siskins and Robins at the feeders giving the guests a glimpse of what comes during the day. Then there’s the Wood Mice - a Badger caught one, one evening and others have fallen prey too.
Both the male and female Pine Marten have been visiting. One evening we saw both individuals come to feed - though not at the same time. The female came whilst there were guests but the male only came after they’d left. Nevertheless, it was only the second time I’d seen both individuals come in an evening. One group of guests loved the hide so much they bought 14 badges, and combined with the purchases made by a few other visitors, sales amounted to £20. The highest I’ve ever achieved!
Last night we saw all nine of the Badgers and both the male and female Pine Martens, as well as Wood Mice - it was the male Pine Marten that came first and when he went away the female came. Normally the female is very wary when the Badgers are around and she looks over her shoulder a lot, but will still feed. When she caught the male Pine Martens scent she hid in the treetops, reluctant to come out - it’s a reaction I’ve never seen before.
Bats have been making appearances too, though usually all we see is a quick fluttering motion and no more, as they hunt the moths drawn to the lights. Speaking of moths, there is a variety in our local area and I found this particularly special species one evening - the Rannoch Sprawler. They are greyish moths that are only active in March and April and like mature birch woodland, though I didn’t realise this at the time.
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