Spring is in the Air

IS IN THE AIR IN THE

‘The mighty Wren’, Instinct Guides Cairngorms

April is a fantastic time to visit the Park, full of new sounds, smells and life…

At this time of year, the dawn chorus goes up a notch, lambs and calves pepper the landscapes, colourful plants start to grow and the longer days means there’s more time to explore and spot wildlife. “Everything is getting jump-started,” says Ruari Law, of Instinct Guides. “And it’s exciting to see different species arriving from far and near.”

‘Meadow Pipit’, Instinct Guides

‘A red deer in the forest’, Instinct Guides

As he says, good weather helps, especially to spot raptors as they don’t like to sit in the rain or wind! “The fact that the trees have not got all their leaves and the grass is not as high, also helps as you can see wildlife better.” But, as Ruari and other wildlife guides stress, your desire to spot wildlife should never be at the expense of disturbing them.

As Cath Wright, of Speyside Wildlife, adds: “during spring and summer, it is extremely important to be mindful of nesting wildlife & follow legal responsibilities.”

If you want to know more about what your responsibilities are, please check out:

www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot

Speyside Wildlife guided group

Quad Bike Treks Aviemore Heilan Coo Safari What to Spot:

• Lapwings: the first sign that spring is on the way in this area, followed by oystercatchers • Swallows: which fly from further afield, usually arrive this month • Ospreys: also start returning in April • The changing plumage of many birds, which tend to flaunt their features and become bolder and more colourful, to find a mate at this time of year • The new polar bear cub at the Highland Wildlife Park which, all going well, visitors should be able to see now! There is also a new female Eurasian elk (these are the largest living deer species) called Ash, who arrived in February as part of a breeding programme to breed with resident elk Raven • Frogspawn! Great locations for this include the Craigellachie Nature Reserve and the Lilly Loch in Rothiemurchus • The baby heilan coos while you’re riding a quad bike through Rothiemurchus Estate with Quad Bike Treks Aviemore!

What to Do:

• Download an app, like Birds of Britain, which include images, sounds and descriptions of how they typically fly • Try cupping your ears with your hands, closing your eyes and immersing yourself in the sounds around you; you will be surprised how many birds you will hear • To learn more about birdsong, why not do a 2 day ‘Spring Masterclass’ with experts from Speyside Wildlife