Lochindorb has always been known to be a hive of wildlife activity in May, but the largest body of fresh water in Grampian and the Highlands is really excelling itself just now. As usual, the Black-throated Divers can be seen quite regularly and wait for couple of hours and you are virtually guaranteed sightings of fishing Ospreys. Red Grouse abound on the surrounding moorland whilst Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls are providing regular views.

Summer breeders only add to the biodiversity of the area - our guest David Carter has sent me this rare image of the ever-elusive Cuckoo and also a photographic gem of a Common Sandpiper.

Just twenty minutes drive from the hotel, this is a remarkable wild place offering the best of Scottish wildlife and scenery.

Another collection of guest photos have been sent to me today which I have to share.
David Bair and his wife Sarah stayed with us recently and managed to capture several stunning wildlife images including a Wheatear, Red Grouse and Dipper.

Though David doesn't say, I'm guessing that the Red Grouse and Wheatear were taken at Lochindorb which has been an amazingly productive site over the past couple of weeks, with other wildlife regularly being seen including Hen Harriers, Merlin, Short-eared Owl and fishing Ospreys. It also appears that the breeding pair of Black-throated Divers have finally decided to settled down at the loch and so are also giving consistently great views.

All the pictures are being entered into our guests photography competition of 2009, with a prize of a holiday for two on offer to the winner. If you've stayed with us this year and have a memorable image then why not send it in?

So much news to report since my last entry.

A great day at Coignafearn was topped off with a dusk sighting of one of the most difficult mammals of all to track down - Sika Deer.
I snapped this famously secretive species feeding - very unusually - in a small herd at the edge of a plantation. Sika deer are normally known to be solitary outside of the rut, so this was highly unusual behaviour, perhaps prompted by the lack of suitable rich feeding pastures just now.


Elsewhere, birds galore have been invading the Highlands, with the first true migrants such as Ring Ouzel already being spotted by guests during their travels. Golden Plovers are making their beautiful plaintive call on the moors and floodplains, whilst Red and Black-throated Divers have been turning up on many different lochs, already showing off the best of their breeding finery. The Slavonian Grebes are refusing to be left out too, with 9 already seen on Loch Ruthven!

The first Osprey was seen over a week ago, an incredibly early sighting, and, the best news of all...it has just been confirmed that the breeding female Loch Garten female Osprey from 2008, EJ, has returned safe and sound from her winter in West Africa and is already busily scraping out her nest! First 'CaperWatch' for 2009 just two days away!

Spring has arrived! Over the past few days a raft of guest sightings have been coming in to confirm what we already suspected: the breeding season is upon us!

There have been numerous sightings of divers of various hues - Red-throated on Loch Morlich, Black-throated on Lochindorb and in the world of wildfowl, displaying Goldeneye on both Loch Garten and the River Spey.

To add to the excitement, the Slavonian Grebes are back at Loch Ruthven and it's a great time to see them, as some stubbornly retain full winter plumage whilst some have visibly started to make their costume change into their summer fright wigs and associated finery.

Finally, the action is starting to hot up at the Speyside Wildlife Hide, with both a male and female Pine Marten delighting our guests at a recent watch - thanks to Phil and Barbara Collins for the photo!