It's that time of year when we all go 'aaaah!'

Whether it be on the river, on the moors or in the forest, birds of all hues are having their young.

At Huntly Peregrine Wildwatch two of the three Peregrine eggs have hatched, and by all accounts the 'eyas' - as they are known - are feeding well.

Meanwhile, on the River Spey, Goldeneye have already had their first broods and young Dippers are starting to look bigger than their parents - as our guest Christopher Allen's wonderful photos show.

And in Grantown-on-Spey itself, on the 'Mossie', an area of rough grassland, young Lapwings are running around all over in best kamakaze fashion.

Just 13 days now until the first Loch Garten Osprey chick is due!

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.

A positively balmy day in the Highlands, with perfect blue skies and amazing panoramas of the Cairngorms. The bird activity is really starting to hot up now, with waders everywhere. It's easy to forget what a beautiful bird the Lapwing is in the full glory of its breeding plumage with its dark green back and glossed purple and copper wing edges - enough for me to forgive their relentless a-wheep wheep! song through the dead of night keeping me awake!

It was a great to get a couple of sightings of the elusive Woodcock on our Woodcock walk last night, and the three displaying Kestrels at Layby 151 this morning - better known as a favoured spot for Ring Ouzel - put on a great show. The "mountain blackbird" should be making an appearance any time now...

Yet more signs that spring is well and truly here - Lapwings, Oystercatchers and Curlews are starting to invade Strathspey in ever-increasing numbers and roding Woodcock can be seen and heard at dusk over Grantown-on-Spey golf club. No doubt the drumming Snipe will be next! It must also be the easiest time of year to see Crested Tits - really coming into song now as they establish their nesting territories and significant numbers are still coming into feeders at visitor centres and even gardens. Thanks to Frank McKay for the photo taken at Glen Feshie. Oh yes, and the Waxwings are back again!

Every species of bird that we see on our free Guided Walks in Anagach Wood are recorded in our sightings logbook so that our other guests may see them - but they are also sent to the BTO's Birdtrack webpage and contribute to their BirdAtlas.
We have just received the October 2008 newsletter and the main trends in Scotland are as follows:

1. The range of the Buzzard in east Scotland has expanded noticeably - a bird we see frequently on our walks.
2. Black Grouse numbers are believed to be benefitting from a range of conservation and habitat improvement measures.
3. Records of breeding Lapwing are down - yet this bird is a common breeder on the banks of the River Spey in the spring.

Notable sightings on our walks this week have included a flurry of Treecreeper sightings, Wigeon on the Spey and a wonderful, long view of a cracking male Scottish Crossbill!