WILDLIFE AND WARM WEATHER

 

Sunny days

It's been unseasonably warm for the end of October. A lot of days recently in Strathspey with temperatures nudging the mid teens. With high winds up on the Cairngorms it's been frustrating.  We usually have some frosty, misty mornings to enjoy with cold air at this time of year.  Constant south/southwesterlies seem the norm. Don't give up, cold will come for sure. Here's some images of our wonderful wildlife and colourful landscapes over the last week or so.

On Tuesday 25th October we had a lovely day with the mountain hares. Harriet was out with me to photograph these iconic, beautiful animals. Harriet drove all the way down from Lairg for her day out with me and the hares. She wasn't disappointed. 

Starting to change into winter pelage 

We spent over 2.5 hours sitting with this wee fella. You can see his winter pelage just starting to appear. In around 10 days he should be in his beautiful white coat and all set for winter. Let's hope the cold and snow comes.

Harriet enjoys her first hare 

taking a break while our hare sits just 8 metres away

late afternoon 

Stay tuned. I've been photographing this guy for the last few weeks.

 I was out photographing a few more of our wonderful wildlife the last few days. The best of the Autumn leaves have now ended. With the high winds they've landed on the ground and make for some nice images.

AUTUMN GOLD IN STRATHSPEY

 

Beautiful Autumnal colour 

The weather over the last few days has been unseasonably warm. Still no overnight frosts in Strathspey, or anywhere else I would guess. Its also been quite dull and with a fair share of rain. There has been some wonderful periods of sunshine during parts of the day. The colours this time of year have made up for the lack of cold and clear conditions.  On Sunday it was calm with light winds and a dry day for a Mountain Hare Photography workshop. Unbelievably warm, I was sweating in a base layer and flies knocking about at 600m.

Glorious light on the birch trees

Dull and cloudy over the high Cairngorms 

The Autumn colours on the trees just about at their prime now.

Some wonderful periods with the hares.

Good to see a happy hare again

.....and a good stretch 

The Red Deer rut looks like its coming to a gradual end. Spotted a large group of around 40, stags and hinds all together.

Lovely afternoon on Monday 

Monday was another dull day but with a forecast of some sunshine in the afternoon. I had a quick run out on the E-bike. That is, of course, the Environmental bike, the one with pedals and no engine. 

Lovely contrast 

Autumn Gold

The Autumn colours absolutely at their finest. 

A fine time to be out with your camera.

It does really baffle me why you see so many Autumnal scenes on social media were the images have been 'manipulated, distorted, saturated and edited' beyond anything like what was seen by the human eye.

With colours so vibrant and the light just beautiful there is absolutely no need. Get a half decent camera (or mobile phone), go in good light, learn some basic photography settings and you can't go wrong!

All of these mages (as always) have very limited post processing. I spend less than 20 seconds doing some very minor adjustments,

The hills clearing late afternoon 

LIATHACH SUNRISE

 

The nearest to a sunrise

There was a short, brief high pressure over Scotland this week. There's not been many of these recently. With an Easterly airflow this usually means great conditions in the west. With a weather forecast of completely clear skies over Liathach on Tuesday and Wednesday I was off with the tent. and made a journey up to the finest mountain region in our country, Torridon.

The start of the path up Coire Lair

 Setting off under beautiful skies from Achnashellach I wandered through Coire Lair. If you would ever dare of being bored walking through this glen then shame on you. Best put your walking shoes away and go and take up jigsaw puzzles. I must have walked through here over a hundred times or more, Summer and Winter. 

The view of Liathach from.the head of Coire Lair

As I walked up the coire I still hadn't actually decided what I was going to do over the next couple of days. It wasn't until I walked beneath the magnificent Sgor Ruadh that I made up my mind of heading into Glen Torridon, setting up camp and then having an early start the next day to get sunrise on Liathach, the 2nd finest mountain on the planet.

Lovely camp spot

I set off at 3.30am from my camp spot, walking up the usual route in darkness as the stags were roaring in the glen. It was a star studded night with a crescent moon. I mistimed my walk up. Realising I was going to be hanging about for the sunrise which doesn't happen until 8am these days. So I sat sheltered from the brisk wind, 30 minutes from the ridge. The cloud kept obscuring the moon, was it going to clear?

Almost!

Looking West from the rid

After an hour, at 6.30am I made the final 100m or so onto the ridge and then up onto Liathach's Eastern most top, Stuc a' Choire Dhuibh Bhig. This Munro top gives the classic view of the mountain. I waited 1 hour as the wind tried its best to blow the stubborn cloud off the tops. 8am came and went and no sign of a clear, stunning view. I started the traverse in thick cloud. I reached Bidein Toll a' Mhuic, the next Munro Top when, at last, a break in the cloud and swirling mist. It looked promising!

The start of Am Fasarinen 

But the cloud came in thick and fast again. The first Munro of Spidean a' Choire Leith was gained in a wet mist and cold wind. No views. I was beginning to think the tea boy at the Met Office had been messing about on the computers aagain.

Will it clear?

Exhilarating scrambling in the wind

Down to the start of the Am Fasarinen pinnacles, the exciting section. I thought I may be out of the clag, but no. Then an exhilarating scramble in 40mph winds was enjoyed, the clouds breaking slightly. Very atmospheric. It wasn't until I finished the scrambling and on the final, easy stroll up to the second Munro that I saw blue skies and mountains clearly! At last! Broken Spectres were savoured as I peered into Coire na Caime.

First Brocken Spectre

......and another one

At last some far reaching views!

Clearing in the west

Final Am Fasarinen pinnacle

Northern Pinnacles 

Sitting on Mullach an Rathain I eventually got clear views out west to Beinn Alligin and Applecross.

Beinn Alligin and Loch Torridon 

No fine sunrise in glorious Autumn shades but a very satisfying traverse. I saw just 1 other person walking the ridge West-East as I started heading down into the glen. 

I'll be back for that glorious sunrise soon, no doubt. 

Over 200 traverses of 'The Grey One'. 

Today it was the shy, windy one.

Mid afternoon view from the tent

FIRST DUSTING OF SNOW THIS SEASON

A dusting of snow last Friday 

It's not at all unusual to have a day or two of snow on the Scottish mountains in October. A change in air flow and a drop of a few degrees is all it takes to get a few cm's of snow up high. It's usually short lived though, with our changing weather patterns in Autumn. This week as seen varied and changing weather with no settled or frosty conditions in the glen. Here's a round up of last week in the hills.

WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER 

 I was attending an interesting and thought provoking workshop today : 

Scottish Mountain Rescue -  Ethics of Fundraising Workshop. Some great stuff and ideas of how we can promote funding for Scottish Mountain Rescue. Great to meet various folk involved in MRTs and Professors of Philosophy at Stirling University. 

SMRT's are all volunteers and rely on donations.

THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER 

Afternoon sunshine 

A rare day this Autumn. Some beautiful sunshine in Strathspey. 

I've found a lovely new Mountain Hare friend but he's a shy one. See if you can spot him in today's photographs.

It's getting colder. First outing out this season with the big wildlife coat on. 

Forecast on the high tops is hovering around freezing point next few days and a sprinkling of snow.

Winter is not far away. But for now I'm enjoying the colours of Autumn starting to come through.

Golden

Light and colour

Colder up there

FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 

Clear morning on the Cairngorm plateau 

A huge contrast today. A glorious morning of clear skies and  bright sunshine.  By 1pm the cloud rolled in and a couple of hours of snow started falling down to about 1100m.

Clouding over

Snow lying in just 1 hour

This, of course, is not at all unusual in October. Autumn can quickly turn into wintry conditions up on the hill.

The last couple of weeks I've been carrying winter kit, apart from axe and ccrampons.

Winter bag

Don't be fooled by sun and folk wandering around Aviemore in shorts.

Winter is coming.

Clearing on the way down

Back to sun!

SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER 

Afternoon sunshine and rainbows

After a very wet morning and cooler temperatures we headed out after midday. There was some glorious sunshine and a terrific rainbow.  Perfect timing and positioning to capture this with a foreground of beautiful golden birch.

Fresh snow on the high tops

Rainbow over the Monadhliath 

We made our way down by some pathless terrain. Lots of stags roaring and this big group of red deer,  stags, hinds and young.

Beautiful 

On the spy for deer

No big lens today, but a half decent image with the 16-80mm

SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 

My new friend,  enjoying the views

Another wet and cloudy morning turned into a glorious afternoon. Some fine clarity of light and bright sunshine. My new friend I spotted a few weeks ago was quite relaxed today foursome photography. 

Nice sunshine for a snooze in the heather

There had been some more light snow falling on the high Cairngorms over the last couple of days. I'd imagine it was pretty cold up there with a strong wind yesterday and today. 

Braeriach with a dusting of snow 

A lovely afternoon decent in sunshine. Once lower down and into calmer winds I wandered around to see if I could spot a stag or two. They were roaring away. Finally managed to capture a family group.

Wonderful, iconic images 

Hinds and young 

A lone stag

It was another beautiful end to the day. Saw no one apart from 3 bikers in the morning. 

Beautiful late afternoon 

MONDAY 17 OCTOBER 

Lovely to see Redwings back. First time this season. I didn't see any in Strathspey last year. These beautiful migrants just love the Rowan berries.