Wildlife
abounds in Strathspey and whether you are high on a
mountain or deep in the valley there is always something
special to look out for. Above 1,000 metres there is
a good a chance of seeing the ptarmigan with their white
plumage in winter and darker shades in summer. They
prefer the company of humans to that of eagles so are
frequently seen near the ski slopes. In summer the ptarmigan
share their domain with the dotterels - small birds
that arrive from North Africa each spring and raise
one or more families among the rocks of the high plateau.
In winter the dotterels return to the heat of the desert
and are replaced by snow buntings, or Cairngorm sparrows
as they are sometimes called due to their taste for
sharing skiers' sandwiches.
The
pine forests on the low hills and flats of the valley
provide home for two remarkable birds at opposite ends
of the size range - the tiny crested tits and the huge
capercaillies. The "cresties" are rare birds
indeed with only 2,000 pairs breeding in the UK and
almost the only chance one has of seeing these black
and white midgets with their punk hairdos, or hearing
their soft chirring calls, is in a Strathspey pine wood.
The same goes for the capercaillies, although their
huge size makes it easy to see them if they are there
at all. Sadly the "caper" is in steep decline
with a loss of 95 per cent of its numbers in the last
25 years. Great efforts are being made to help them
recover and visitors can help by following simple guidelines
that are displayed at forest entrances.
The
forest is also home to good populations of the highly
nocturnal badgers, pine martens and wildcats. There
are two hides at which some of these might be seen -
one specialising in pine martens at Rothiemurchus run
by Speyside Wildlife tel 01479 812498 and one for badgers
near Boat of Garten run by the Highland Badger Network
tel 01479 831768. The magnificent wildcats are not so
easy to find and although they are plentiful enough
it takes patience and a lot of luck to find them. A
slow walk into the breeze in the forest at night with
a torch offers the best chance.
Red
squirrels in Strathspey do not have to compete with
American grey squirrels and they can be seen in or near
any of our pine forests. They quite like the easy pickings
to be found at bird tables so gardens close to the forest
are excellent places to look.
Water
provides a home, or a food supply, or both for many
wildlife species. Here in Strathspey we are privileged
to share our valley with three very exciting creatures
that depend on our waterways. Otters almost died out
further south due to pollution but here they have always
been plentiful. Otters are generally nocturnal but in
quiet areas they are often seen in broad daylight or
at dusk hunting along the RIver Spey.
Returning
to birds, Britain has less than 100 pairs of Slavonian
grebes and a few of these nest on shallow ponds near
Aviemore and Boat of Garten in some years.
Finally,
it is 50 years since ospreys returned to Strathspey
as a breeding species, and their recovery from one pair
in the fifties to more than a hundred and sixty pairs
now is one of the most phenomenal conservation success
stories of our time. Strathspey is still home to many
of these pairs and from April to the end of August they
can be seen at the nest either at the RSPB Osprey Centre
near Loch Garten or just as easily on an island in Loch
Insh from the church yard just south of the Spey bridge
at Kincraig. A visit to the Rothiemurchus Fish Farm
at Aviemore early in the morning is usually worthwhile
for anyone wishing to see ospreys hunting.
Narrative
kindly provided by Allan Bantick, local wildlife conservationist
and guide
www.allanbantick.net
Images
courtesy of Peter Cairns, local wildlife photographer
www.northshots.com
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