A long, lonely vigil in a mobile hide on a windswept Highland moor with nothing but the plaintive birdsong of the night for company through the darkness...if that doesn't exactly fit in with your next plans for an evening out, then indulge me for a moment and read on.

I'd been fortunate enough to book a place on the Glenlivet Wildlife 'Black Grouse Photography' experience, and as my guide David Newland drove away in the Land Rover from the top secret location after erecting the mobile hide, I wondered what was ahead. What I didn't know was that I was about to have one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.

The action started before dark as with a great 'whoosh' a pair of male Black Grouse flew over the hide and landed no more than five feet in front of me and immediately began to lek. For half an hour I sat enraptured before the cocks disappeared into the darkness.

The next six hours saw me treated to an extraordinary audible feast of Snipe drumming, and the calls of Curlew, Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Red Grouse, before at precisely 3.55am the blackcock returned.

Over the next four hours I took over 900 photographs, with the wonderful dawn light eventually allowing me to do justice to the extraordinary plumage of this endangered but spectacular bird. Knowing that I was able to do so with the grouse blissfully unaware of my presence only added to the thrill, and at one point no less than fifteen blackcock and one greyhen graced the lekking ground. It was a sight that will live with me forever.

A huge thank you to Glenlivet Wildlife and Glenlivet Estate, who have created the conditions for a truly five star wildlife experience.

Sun and blue skies and a clear, crisp winter's day are providing perfect conditions for winter wildlife watching in the Cairngorms National Park.

It's remarkable how an adaptation such as the white winter finery of the Ptarmigan and Mountain Hare can so suddenly become a liability when the snow and ice thaws.
The scree of nearby Glenlivet Estate is currently a sure bet for seeing 'blue' Hares scurrying over the steep boulder strewn slopes caused by periodic freeze-thaw action whilst all the ski areas are holding packs of feeding Ptarmigan.
The Ptarmigan building's outdoor viewing platform at nearly 4000 feet at Cairn Gorm is also offering some peerless views of the Spey valley and the chance of seeing the Reindeer herd in their natural domain. It's hard not to be envious of a pelage that's so well insulated that when the reindeer lie down the snow beneath them doesn't even melt.
Gortex and Paramo eat your heart out...