RESTRICTED ACCESS, WEEK 5

Male Black Grouse at his lek

Into week 5 of these troubled times. It was a week of virtually unbroken sunshine, temperatures like summer and hardly any winds. A fine week to use your rights for daily exercise. Living in The Cairngorms National Park we can get to some beautiful low level walks and bike rides direct from the doorstep. The roads were deserted again, so very enjoyable cycling. Oddly enough towards the end of the week there were a few more cars about. Wildlife wonderful, as ever. With Spring time well under way it's a vital period for ground nesting birds especially. We had an high level fire risk across much of The Highlands with no rain for a long time. With so few people about there were only a  handful of fires, thankfully none in the Cairngorms area. More photos from the week.

The Cairngorms from Dava Moor

Ryvoan Pass

Mini heatwave

Sunbathing ok for some

Goldeneye

Reed Bunting

Warm evening bike ride Glenfeshie

Lochandorb

Snowmelt on The Cairngorms from Burma Road

Lapwing

Brown Hare

Greylaggs coming into land at Insh Marshes

Common Sandpiper

The Cairngorms from the Dava Moor road

Clouds after days of clear skies

Loch Pityoulish

Cooler

Dipper, busy as ever feeding her young

RESTRICTED ACCESS, WEEK 4

Dipper collecting food for its young

We enter week 4 of the limited access. A beautiful weather week. By the tail end it was wall to wall blue skies and warm sun. Chilly early mornings offering fantastic clear air. Light winds most days so really nice to be outdoors in these strange times we are living in. Once again the wildlife was the star of the show. They seem to be taking over the roads which are all but deserted, especially the more 'quieter' roads in normal periods. These you are almost guaranteed to have to yourself.
Highlights in photographs below.

Greylagg Goose taking it easy

Clear air, no winds

Snow melting slowly 

Peacock Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell

Mountain Hare on The Buma Road

Red Squirrel

Biking on the Burma Road 

Abernethy Forest

Tree Creeper

Merganser

Goldeneye taking off

red Grouse

Redshank

Oystercatcher

RESTRICTED ACCESS, WEEK 3

Red Squirrel in hiding

Third week into restricted access, limited exercise and social distancing.
We are now into Spring and the longer days. Always a beautiful time of year, such a shame most folk can't get out into the countryside and Cairngorms National Park. Plenty of wildlife and the return of some of the areas wonderful migrant birds, most notably the Osprey. Also this week I saw a group of 10 Ring Ouzel whilst on my daily exercise biking.
The weather has been dry and plenty of sunshine, especially on Thursday, Friday & Saturday which felt like Summer.

The Osprey return

Coal Tit

Golden Eye

Greylag Goose

Ring Ouzel

Burma Road

Warm and sunny

Evening bike ride

In the Pines

THE OSPREY RETURN

The Osprey

Today's exercise bike was on deserted main roads in Stratspey. Another lovely morning. This time of year is always speial when the Osprey make their long journeys from West Africa back to Scotland for the summer. I am fortunate enough to be able to cycle from my doorstep and see be able to observe two sites where the Osprey return every year.

BIKING & WALKING EXCERCISES, WEEK 2

Not bad views, 20 mins from house

Second week of restricted outdoor recreation. A week of settled weather. Cold first half of the week with some snow falling to Glen level. Come the weekend it was warm and sunny. More road cycling and walking exercises straight from our doorstep in Aviemore.

Afternoon sun and Birch

Rainbows

Burma Road

Showers over The Cairngorms from the Burma Road

A dusting of low level snow

River Feshie

Cairngorm Road

Loch Pityoulish

Braeriach 

Bit breezy 

Choppy on Loch Garten

The quieter side of Loch Pityloulish

Whooper Swan

Teal

Singing Blackbird

A distant Sneachda from Glenmore

Greay Heron

Sunbathing is not allowed

Tufted Duck