Where can you see Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Slavonian Grebes, Mountain Hare, Osprey, Ptarmigan, Ring Ouzel and Red Deer in one day?

Right here in the Cairngorms with the Bird Watching and Wildlife Club and Wild Caledonia!

"The best day out ever," (according to guest David Donald) also included a lunch in a remote estate bothy and a nocturnal encounter with a Tawny Owl, on a long but unforgettable crusade for the 'Speyside Specialities'. Everyone involved said they wanted to come again - and you can come too!

We're offering this event again in on 19-20 June and 17-18 July, 2009. For more details and to join in the fun contact Wild Caledonia on 07887 883117.

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!