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Lisa G Saw • Jan 14, 2024

Autumn Tour of Scotland - Part 2

During the first half of our autumn holiday up in Scotland, we'd filled our boots with sightings of deer. Now our focus switched primarily to Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. Since both species live at high altitudes, it meant a lot of walking uphill! It would be hard work! But, I felt confident I'd be able to manage it, so long as I simply took it slow and steady with frequent stops. At least we were able to intersperse these challenging days with more relaxing ones.


On our first day based in Boat of Garten, we decided to venture up the Cairn Gorm Mountain. The mountain railway was closed, as were the ski lifts, so there was no easy access to higher ground. But, since the car park was located at 635m, we were able to start our walk from a reasonably high point. I was thrilled the top of the mountains were covered in snow. It looked so beautiful, though of course, this meant we'd be walking through the white stuff and would undoubtedly get quite wet. We chose to follow the steep Windy Ridge path up to the Ptarmigan restaurant - the highest in the UK. It was given its name due to the high number of this species on the mountain, which was perhaps a good sign. So, I set off with optimism and very happy that it was a glorious sunny start to the day.

The great thing about snow, is it's easier to see evidence of wildlife. Quite early on, we spotted gamebird tracks and scat, though we weren't experienced enough to tell if they were from Red Grouse or Ptarmigan. Then as we trudged slowly further up the mountain we noticed a lot of hare tracks and occasionally little round droppings. It was encouraging they were present, but the hares were as elusive as ever. Perhaps it wasn't so surprising since quite a few people walk these trails and though it wasn't busy, we weren't alone.

Up the mountains, the weather can be so changeable. Even though we started and ended the walk with blue skies, in the middle of the day a dark cloud moved in very quickly bringing with it more snow. Thankfully, we were near the restaurant by this time, just shy of the summit. Although it wasn't open, we could take shelter outside from the wind and snow, whilst eating our lunch. It was a little disheartening we hadn't seen either animals yet, but once the snow passed through we set off again.

The great thing about snow, is it's easier to see evidence of wildlife. Quite early on, we spotted gamebird tracks and scat, though we weren't experienced enough to tell if they were from Red Grouse or Ptarmigan. Then as we trudged slowly further up the mountain we noticed a lot of hare tracks and occasionally little round droppings. It was encouraging they were present, but the hares were as elusive as ever. Perhaps it wasn't so surprising since quite a few people walk these trails and though it wasn't busy, we weren't alone.


Up the mountains, the weather can be so changeable. Even though we started and ended the walk with blue skies, in the middle of the day a dark cloud moved in very quickly bringing with it more snow. Thankfully, we were near the restaurant by this time, just shy of the summit. Although it wasn't open, we could take shelter outside from the wind and snow, whilst eating our lunch. It was a little disheartening we hadn't seen either animals yet, but once the snow passed through we set off again.

We didn't follow the other hill walkers up to the summit. Instead, we followed a few tracks in a slightly different direction, heading up, but skirting the peak, so we could look for the Ptarmigan amongst the snow covered scree. We didn't have success there either. But, the view across the national park looking eastwards was stunning and made the climb worth the effort.

As we began our descent, a skier passed us, snaking their way down the slope, having trekked all the way up. I was a little envious of the ease and speed with which they were able to descend. However, the beauty in going slow is that you don't miss seeing things, like a Mountain Hare being mobbed by two Ravens. It was our first sighting. The hare was still brown, having not yet moulted into the winter white pelage. It stood out against the snow as it bounded across the smooth white surface, catching the attention of the Ravens. Whenever they flew too close to it, the hare started leaping into the air, lashing out with its paws, running around haphazardly, trying to avoid them. Gradually, it managed to edge closer to some rocks and eventually found refuge amongst them. The birds gave up and flew off. It was amazing to witness. I didn't take any photos, but Bob was able to, as he was more ready than me and had a longer lens.

It was lovely walking downhill in the late afternoon, when most people had already left the mountain. The path was quiet and the light was lovely. We only ever saw one Red Grouse flying away from us, disturbed by our presence, but that was it for gamebirds unfortunately, on this occasion.


The highlight of the day, came in that last hour of our walk. Bob and I simultaneously spotted the movement of a Wood Mouse scurrying across the snow, just to the left of the path. It was the last thing I expected to see on the mountain in the snow. This delightful little bundle of fur was absolutely gorgeous, eating the grass that was poking through the snow. We stopped to photograph it for a good 15mins. At one point it started running towards me. I couldn't believe how close it was - no more than 2m away, if that! It was a truly magical moment. If we hadn't have been so exhausted, we might have stayed longer.

It was lovely walking downhill in the late afternoon, when most people had already left the mountain. The path was quiet and the light was lovely. Unfortunately, we only saw one gamebird that day, a Red Grouse flying away from us. The highlight of the day came in that last hour of our walk. Bob and I simultaneously spotted the movement of a Wood Mouse scurrying across the snow, just to the left of the path. It was the last thing I expected to see on the mountain in the snow. This delightful little bundle of fur was absolutely gorgeous, eating the grass that was poking through the snow. We stopped to photograph it for a good 15mins. At one point it started running towards me. I couldn't believe how close it was - no more than 2m away!

Our hard slog up the mountain was followed by a day of sitting in a hide. Quite a contrast. Despite wearing lots of layers, it was a lot colder for the hands and feet, sitting fairly motionless for so long. There was still a frost on the ground, which was quite atmospheric for the photography. We were lucky enough to have a lovely sunny day with little wind. You never know what weather you'll have when you book a hide. Though, in a way, it was a shame we weren't out on the mountain in such good weather.

Photographing the Red Squirrels from the private hide was a familiar set up for me, having visited this place before on my previous trips to Scotland. But for Bob, this was a fabulous new experience. He'd only had one brief fleeting glimpse of a Red Squirrel, many years ago. I was so pleased a few showed up to eat the hazelnuts that had been put out for them. Occasionally, they would run off with one in their mouth, presumably to hide it away somewhere nearby for later. There was usually only one squirrel at a time, but when there were two, a chase quickly ensued. They're lightening fast! I just took a burst of shots, hoping that one frame would be reasonably in focus! These gorgeous native squirrels are always such a delight to watch.

When the squirrels were absent, our winged friends would make an appearance and entertain us. They'd search for the peanuts that had been scattered around for them. It was fabulous to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker a few times, but my favourites were the Coal Tits. Periodically, a handful of them would descend and it was magical to watch. They're so light, that even when they landed on the heather, the stem would hardly bow under their weight. I enjoy watching them come and go so much, I decided to take a few videos using my phone. Using the slow motion setting was such a wonderful way to appreciate their flying skills.

A few times, a Coal Tit surprised me by landing on the end of my big camera lens. As they appeared to be quite bold, Bob decided to put some peanuts in his hand and see if any would feed from it. One or two brave ones did, but one flew in close, considered it for a while, then thought better of it and flew off without taking a peanut.

Since we were sitting in the hide most of the day, afterwards we decided on a lovely late afternoon stroll from Loch Garten to Loch Mallachie to give our legs a stretch. The stillness of the water was so calming and the reflections of the trees were wonderful. For a short while, we sat on a large rock with a hot drink, relaxing and taking in the beauty all around us.


It was good to be out in the open and walking again the following day. We had another attempt at spotting Ptarmigan, this time over at Carn Ban Mor. We started our ascent walking through the forest. Coming out the other side, just as the trees were beginning to thin out, we spotted our only Crested Tit of the holiday. It wasn't especially close, nor did it linger, but nonetheless, it was lovely to see.

On our route up the mountain we saw a few Red Grouse flying away. They're quite skittish and difficult to approach, let alone see, as they blend into the vegetation. But one time, we saw where a few landed. So, carefully and quietly we tried to near them. We had a nice view, but they were still some distance from us, and just like all the times before, they flew off when they saw us.


We weren't having much luck with the wildlife. The dull cloudy weather meant we also couldn't appreciate the scenery at its best. However, after a brief stop for a bite to eat, sheltering in a rocky nook, I did notice some rather intriguing looking cup lichen with red tops. Unsure what they were, I simply took some photos at the time. From looking into it later, it seems as though there are a few species of Cladonia that have red caps. However, using ObsIdentify, I discovered these were called Madame's Cup Lichen (Cladonia coccifera).

The weather wasn't quite in our favour on this day, as it was very windy and the visibility was poor higher up. The first fall of snow was starting to melt away near the summit. It was quite a hard slog uphill and still no sightings of Ptarmigan. We were quite relieved when we made it to the top, stopping by the cairn to take some photos. Only, we soon discovered we weren't at the summit after all. Our celebrations had been premature. Using the OS map on my phone, we blindly headed off in the right direction, unable to see the footpath or the summit ahead. The mist obscured our view until we were much closer.


We rested for a bit and had some refreshments. By this point, we felt too tired to wander around the open expanse of the mountain top searching for Ptarmigan, when we could barely see 20m ahead of us. We then decided to make our way back down again. Suddenly, there was a break in the clouds and a brief improvement in visibility. We used our bins to scour the area and see if there were any signs of Ptarmigan, but there were none.


We continued on a little further, then a ping was heard from Bob's phone. We stopped so he could read the message - it was his son Matt, providing a bit more useful information on where we potentially might see the gamebirds. We then realised, right where we had stopped, there were grouse footprints in the snow. At this altitude they were almost certainly Ptarmigan. It gave us hope. So, rather than follow the path downhill, we slowly zigzagged our way across and down, searching all the patches of scree, hoping to have success. But sadly, we had no luck. Disheartened, we followed the path the remainder of the way back down.


Just as we finished the descent and were about to walk along the road back to the car park, we witnessed a lovely sunset and briefly stopped to enjoy it. However, we were both totally exhausted and just wanted to get back to the car. Even the last stretch along the flat seemed too much. My legs felt heavy. Maybe it was my disappointment weighing me down. Our only chance of seeing the Ptarmigan now rested on the last few days of our trip, when we would be heading to Glenshee. Talk about leaving it to the last minute! I just hoped we'd be luckier then.

On our route up the mountain we saw a few Red Grouse flying away. They're quite skittish and difficult to approach, let alone see, as they blend into the vegetation. But one time, we saw where a few landed. So, carefully and quietly we tried to near them. We had a nice view, but they were still some distance from us, and just like all the times before, they flew off when they saw us.

We weren't having much luck with the wildlife. The dull cloudy weather meant we also couldn't appreciate the scenery at its best. However, after a brief stop for a bite to eat, sheltering in a rocky nook, I did notice some rather intriguing looking cup lichen with red tops. Unsure what they were, I simply took some photos at the time. From looking into it later, it seems as though there are a few species of Cladonia that have red caps. However, using ObsIdentify, I discovered these were called Madame's Cup Lichen (Cladonia coccifera).

The weather wasn't quite in our favour on this day, as it was very windy and the visibility was poor higher up. The first fall of snow was starting to melt away near the summit. It was quite a hard slog uphill and still no sightings of Ptarmigan. We were quite relieved when we made it to the top, stopping by the cairn to take some photos. Only, we soon discovered we weren't at the summit after all. Our celebrations had been premature. Using the OS map on my phone, we blindly headed off in the right direction, unable to see the footpath or the summit ahead. The mist obscured our view until we were much closer.


We rested for a bit and had some refreshments. By this point, we felt too tired to wander around the open expanse of the mountain top searching for Ptarmigan, when we could barely see 20m ahead of us. We then decided to make our way back down again. Suddenly, there was a break in the clouds and a brief improvement in visibility. We used our bins to scour the area and see if there were any signs of Ptarmigan, but there were none.


We continued on a little further, then a ping was heard from Bob's phone. We stopped so he could read the message - it was his son Matt, providing a bit more useful information on where we potentially might see the gamebirds. We then realised, right where we had stopped, there were grouse footprints in the snow. At this altitude they were almost certainly Ptarmigan. It gave us hope. So, rather than follow the path downhill, we slowly zigzagged our way across and down, searching all the patches of scree, hoping to have success. But sadly, we had no luck. Disheartened, we followed the path the remainder of the way back down.

Just as we finished the descent and were about to walk along the road back to the car park, we witnessed a lovely sunset and briefly stopped to enjoy it. However, we were both totally exhausted and just wanted to get back to the car. Even the last stretch along the flat seemed too much. My legs felt heavy. Maybe it was my disappointment weighing me down. Our only chance of seeing the Ptarmigan now rested on the last few days of our trip, when we would be heading to Glenshee. Talk about leaving it to the last minute! I just hoped we'd be luckier then.

In the middle of the week, the weather wasn't so good, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to have a more restful day. We enjoyed less strenuous walks around Aviemore (for retail therapy) and Boat of Garten (for nature therapy). We then felt more refreshed for our final two days, which we spent exploring Findhorn Valley.


The weather was not brilliant on either day, but maneagable, with strong winds and occasional breaks in the cloud to reveal brief glimpses of blue sky above. On both days, we had a really heavy downpour, but thankfully they were just as we reached the car at the end of each day. We timed that well!


When we arrived on the first morning, we saw a Dipper and Goosander on the river near the car park, and during our walks we spotted several Fieldfare and birds of prey, including Buzzards, a Merlin, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. However, the Mountain Hares were our main focus. We knew it wouldn't be easy to spot them, since we'd heard the area was no longer considered reliable. The last time I was there, the year before, I'd scoured the mountains with my guide and I didn't see one hare the whole day.


Once more, we set off uphill, following the stony track. Our eyes were constantly perusing the heather on the hillsides looking out for a pair of black-tipped brown ears poking up. We'd be lucky if we saw any more than that initially. Since, there was no snow in sight, I wasn't even sure I'd notice their brown pelage amidst the vegetation. They're great at hiding in plain sight, which of course is crucial for survival against predators. Spotting a hare would be all about luck and timing.

We had only walked about a third of the way up the mountain track, when we paused for a drink. Bob was looking out across the valley towards the other side, whereas I was looking up the hillside behind us, using my bins. That was when I saw it. A beautiful hare with tiny flecks of white at the ends of its otherwise brown hair. Of course, the hare had already seen us coming, but it sat still in its form and didn't move. I was overjoyed at having seen it and also relieved. Unfortunately, we didn't successfully move into a better position to photograph the hare, without spooking it. It ran downhill a short distance, then paused and sat up, probably checking to see if it was being followed, and then it ran away. I felt badly for disturbing it and was annoyed with myself for making a few rookie errors.

Much later in the day, we saw another hare. But sadly, it heard us coming before we even saw it and ran away. By comparing photos later, I was able to determine it was a different hare as it was whiter around the rump than the first one.


Although we only saw the two hares, we did have better success with the Red Grouse. Walking higher, we saw over a dozen of them. Many were seen slowly working their way through the grasses, eating. Determined to learn from my earlier errors, we were able to enjoy some lovely views. We lay low ahead of a family of them, patiently waiting until they ambled closer towards us. Sometimes they disappeared from view, ducking down in the grass or because of slight mounds in the ground. Then, all of a sudden, a head would pop up, keeping a lookout. Eventually, our presence was spotted and they flew off.

Much later in the day, we saw another hare. But sadly, it heard us coming before we even saw it and ran away. By comparing photos later, I was able to determine it was a different hare as it was whiter around the rump than the first one.

Although we only saw the two hares, we did have better success with the Red Grouse. Walking higher, we saw over a dozen of them. Many were seen slowly working their way through the grasses, eating. Determined to learn from my earlier errors, we were able to enjoy some lovely views. We lay low ahead of a family of them, patiently waiting until they ambled closer towards us. Sometimes they disappeared from view, ducking down in the grass or because of slight mounds in the ground. Then, all of a sudden, a head would pop up, keeping a lookout. Eventually, our presence was spotted and they flew off.

On the second day in Findhorn, we could hear the bellows of Red Deer stags echo through the valley. It was quite eerie. Only as we walked higher up the mountain did we finally see the massive herd of deer. Once again, they heard and saw us coming. As I looked through my bins across to the other mountain where they were, I saw all their faces looking at us. Even though we were far away, they were nervous of humans - understandably so - and they ran the other way on mass and eventually down the mountain, across the river and up the far side. It was fabulous to witness, even if far away and using bins.


On our walk, I was lucky enough to find a lone antler lying on the ground. Perhaps it had come off in a battle between two stags. It looked freshly broken off. I wanted to keep it, not only as a momento of the amazing holiday enjoying the wildlife of Scotland, but also as a reminder of the elegance and beauty of such an impressive mammal.

We didn't have much luck seeing Mountain Hares on this second day. We walked all the way up to where we'd seen the Red Grouse the day before and had no sightings of hares at all. We started our descent feeling a bit dejected. I was sure we would've seen at least one. And then we did. This time, it was Bob who spotted it, which I'm sure he was pleased about. We'd both already looked up the steep slope several times before. All it took was for those ears to prick up and for him to look at just the right time. On this occasion, we were able to very carefully, quietly and slowly edge closer to it, pausing often and really taking our time. We remained in its view the whole time. It stayed settled, though it kept one ear alert. It looked slightly whiter than the hare we'd seen the day before. It was such a privilege and joy to move a little closer and not disturb it. It felt very satisfying. Eventually, having taking quite a few photos, we left it in peace and edged away.

On the second day in Findhorn, we could hear the bellows of Red Deer stags echo through the valley. It was quite eerie. Only as we walked higher up the mountain did we finally see the massive herd of deer. Once again, they heard and saw us coming. As I looked through my bins across to the other mountain where they were, I saw all their faces looking at us.

Even though we were far away, they were nervous of humans - understandably so - and they ran the other way on mass and eventually down the mountain, across the river and up the far side. It was fabulous to witness, even if far away and using bins.


On our walk, I was lucky enough to find a lone antler lying on the ground. Perhaps it had come off in a battle between two stags. It looked freshly broken off. I wanted to keep it, not only as a momento of the amazing holiday enjoying the wildlife of Scotland, but also as a reminder of the elegance and beauty of such an impressive mammal.

We didn't have much luck seeing Mountain Hares on this second day. We walked all the way up to where we'd seen the Red Grouse the day before and had no sightings of hares at all. We started our descent feeling a bit dejected. I was sure we would've seen at least one. And then we did.

This time, it was Bob who spotted it, which I'm sure he was pleased about. We'd both already looked up the steep slope several times before. All it took was for those ears to prick up and for him to look at just the right time. On this occasion, we were able to very carefully, quietly and slowly edge closer to it, pausing often and really taking our time. We remained in its view the whole time. It stayed settled, though it kept one ear alert. It looked slightly whiter than the hare we'd seen the day before. It was such a priviege and joy to move a little closer and not disturb it. It felt very satisfying. Eventually, having taking quite a few photos, we left it in peace and edged away.

We left Boat of the Garten the following day, still filled with the hope of seeing a Ptarmigan, which had eluded us so far throughout our holiday. Plus, we really wanted to have some better sightings of the Mountain Hares. Findhorn had merely whet our appetite. Glenshee was our final stop, for just two nights, and our last chance to see both species before heading home again. The only problem was, the wet weather finally caught up with us and strong winds prevailed. As we sat in the café at the foot of the mountain, watching the walkers descending in the near horizontal rain, we mulled over whether we would attempt the ascent ourselves. Occasionally, the rain didn't seem so heavy. Maybe it would be alright. Our desire to the see the wildlife was strong, especially knowing we only had one day left. After some lunch, we decided we'd go for it. We even put on our waterproofs and boots. We decided to take as little as possible up and put all the essentials into just one rucksack. But then, the wind picked up and the rain seemed even heavier. We soon changed our mind and we thought better of it. Instead, we made our way back to Dalmunzie Castle, where we were staying, and enjoyed a shorter walk in the grounds, in the rain.

The following morning, the weather wasn't much improved. It was perhaps ever so slightly less windy and wet, but it was difficult to tell. It still wasn't very inviting. Since it was our last day and our window of opportunity was ever decreasing, we decided we should at least make an attempt up the mountain. If it became too much, we could always change our mind and come back down again. At least we would know we'd tried our best! I knew how much Bob wanted to see a Ptarmigan and I didn't want us to end our holiday without a single sighting. So we set off, full of hope and eagerness to see both species despite the bad conditions.


Boy! Was it a tough walk! Perhaps it was partly because my legs were tired from all the walking we'd done on the holiday so far. Following the path more or less directly uphill, it was very steep and hard work. Bob made it look quite easy, powering ahead, but then again, he lives close to the South Downs and is used to hill walking. I'm pretty fit, but not so much for hill walking. Taking small steps, I abided the slow and steady approach. In places, the water was trickling down the path and unsurprisingly, higher up it was very muddy. To avoid it, we tramped over the boggy grass, which felt spongy underfoot. To our left, the chairs on the ski lift were bouncing and swinging. Everything was shut, ahead of the ski season. There weren't any patches of snow in sight. In better conditions, I thought how nice it would be to take the lift up rather than walk! The wind and rain was bashing into us from behind, so it didn't seem too horrendous as we gradually worked our way up the mountain. Not another soul was in sight. We had the mountain to ourselves, which was fabulous, though maybe that was also a sign of our utter madness being up there in such conditions. However, I didn't feel like it was unsafe, just unpleasant.

It was extremely windy at the top of the mountain and misty. We couldn't see the other mountains beyond. But, once we walked a fraction lower on the lee side, out of the wind, it was definitely better. In fact, as the day progressed there were some breaks in the rain and even the sun made a very brief appearance. It wasn't long after we were over the other side of the mountain that we started having viewings of the Mountain Hares, whilst we were looking for the Ptarmigan. There were so many. At first, as usual, they were all running away, having heard us before we saw them. But there were some we were able to edge a little closer to and photograph. It was lovely seeing them starting to moult and in such good numbers.


We continued working our way around the mountain, near the top, checking all the rocky areas and keeping our eyes wide open for Ptarmigan. We saw scat near the peak, so we knew there were some around, but as ever, they were being elusive. This was becoming the story of our holiday. After several hours of fruitless searching and battling the elements, I started to tire. I was running out of steam. We split up. Bob continued searching in the same area, skirting the peak, but I started to walk closer towards our route back down to the car park in the light rain. I was carefully walking across the scree when I suddenly noticed three Ptarmigan appear from their hiding place in the rocks. I couldn't believe it. Success at last! Though it was fleeting.

They didn't linger. I only managed to take two frames before they took flight and disappeared around the other side of the mountain, into the wind and rain. But, at least I'd seen them. However, I was disappointed Bob had missed them. I turned around and saw him approaching - he'd seen them fly away. But his view wasn't very satisfactory. Despite this, neither of us felt inspired to try and locate them again. Instead, we decided to leave the peak and work our way back.


But, before our descent on the other side of the mountain, I did chance upon this lovely wet looking hare. The mist did a good job of hiding us both from each other. It was probably as surprised as me, when we saw each other. I couldn't believe how close it was. It scarpered off fairly quickly though.

They didn't linger. I only managed to take two frames before they took flight and disappeared around the other side of the mountain, into the wind and rain. But, at least I'd seen them. However, I was disappointed Bob had missed them. I turned around and saw him approaching - he'd seen them fly away. But his view wasn't very satisfactory. Despite this, neither of us felted inspired to try and locate them again. Instead, we decided to leave the peak and work our way back.

But, before our descent on the other side of the mountain, I did chance upon this lovely wet looking hare. The mist did a good job of hiding us both from each other. It was probably as surprised as me, when we saw each other. I couldn't believe how close it was. It scarpered off fairly quickly though.

The descent wasn't too challenging, with the spongy grass definitely making it easier on the knees, but it felt long. I just wanted to be indoors in the warmth, sipping hot chocolate. Eventually, we made it into the café at the base, tired and very wet. We peeled off our sodden outer layers and the damp second layers. Thankfully, everything else was dry under that. We'd have a tough job though, drying everything out before heading home the next morning.

 

That evening we checked the weather forecast for the next day. It was going to be sunny, but still quite windy! How could we leave when we'd finally have the kind of weather we'd hoped for? We had to go back up the mountain for one last chance to see the Ptarmigan, especially since we knew there were definitely a few up there. Bob was up for it as much as me. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. I worked out we could still reach our hotel the following evening in time for dinner, if we left early in the afternoon instead. So, we decided to go for it.


'Here we go again!' I thought to myself, the following morning as we began the same ascent as the day before, retracing our steps. At least the sunshine made it seem much easier. I was full of hope and optimism. Once again, at the top, it was the hares we saw first and the Ptarmigan were nowhere in sight. We did one complete circuit around the mountain with no joy. I could tell by the look on Bob's face that he was starting to feel dejected. But, I remained positive. 'We'll see them! There's still time!'


We trudged our way back up and over, starting a second circuit. Suddenly, I heard Bob calling out my name. I turned to look at him and my eyes followed where he was pointing to. On the other side of some large rocks, fairly close to us, he'd spotted three Ptarmigan. They looked like the same three birds from the day before. Yay! Finally!

What followed was an amazing experience! We must have stayed with them for just under an hour, photographing them and observing their behaviour. It was fabulous! After taking our first few initial photos, they flew off, but not too far away. We approached them again, quietly and carefully, and had another period of staying close. This happened one more time. That was when we were lucky enough to have a good amount of time in their presence. They knew we were there, but didn't feel threatened. After resting for a bit, they started to walk through the heather and forage. The female was so well camouflaged against the rocks, I didnt notice her at first. When they flew off a fourth time we left them alone. We'd had our fill and it was about time we made our way back to the car, but not before one last lovely hare sighting, fairly close, in some nice light.

What followed was an amazing experience! We must have stayed with them for just under an hour, photographing them and observing their behaviour. It was fabulous! After taking our first few initial photos, they flew off, but not too far away. We approached them again, quietly and carefully, and had another period of staying close.

This happened one more time. That was when we were lucky enough to have a good amount of time in their presence. They knew we were there, but didn't feel threatened. After resting for a bit, they started to walk through the heather and forage. The female was so well camouflaged against the rocks, I didnt notice her at first. When they flew off a fourth time we left them alone. We'd had our fill and it was about time we made our way back to the car, but not before one last lovely hare sighting, fairly close, in some nice light.

That last excursion up Glenshee was the perfect ending to our holiday. We'd done a lot of mountain walking over the course of the two weeks, seeing quite a bit of wildlife. We'd stayed in some great locations, enjoyed some delicious meals and of course, having the company through it all was the icing on the cake for me. I'm so grateful I've found someone who enjoys doing the same kinds of things as I do! We're both looking forward to more wildlife outings together in 2024. We're even heading back to Scotland and the Isle of Mull in the spring, so there's lots to look forward to.



Bob has shared his photos from the trip and written his own blog (6 separate posts), which you can see/read by clicking on this link: Bob's Blog.

Red Deer stag in the mountains

Autumn Tour of Scotland - Part 1

By Lisa G Saw • 29 Dec, 2023
I love visiting Scotland, seeking out new places as well as returning to favoured locations. Even though I've been several times over the last few years, I've never been up there during the autumn, around the time of the deer rut. I was thrilled to finally have the opportunity this year, even though I knew the chances of actually seeing any activity were extremely slim. As much as I wanted to see the Red Deer up in the Highlands, there were actually two other species that were higher on my 'Want To See' list for the trip - Mountain Hares and Ptarmigan. I've been lucky enough to see them before, but was eager for more wonderful experiences. I knew they'd still be just as potentially challenging to locate and photograph, with declining numbers even in favoured locations. It would certainly make the trip more of an adventure. The fact I wasn't going alone this time, but instead sharing the experience with Bob - on our first holiday together - made it even more special. I really hoped we would get lucky with our target species, especially as Bob had only seen one Mountain Hare before and never laid eyes on a Ptarmigan.
Marsh Fritillary

A Day Trip To Wiltshire

By Lisa G Saw • 10 Sep, 2023
April 2023 marked the end of my quest to see all the butterflies that live their complete life cycle in Sussex. The final species I saw, during the Easter weekend, was the Large Tortoiseshell. Following the exciting conclusion to my adventure, I wrote a post about Discovering the Butterflies of Sussex . In it I mentioned how chuffed I was with what I'd achieved and how I didn't really want to start the next obvious quest straight away, to see all the UK butterfly species. But, with the spring and summer months stretching out before me, it seemed silly not to make a start this year. Bob and I were still in the early stages of our budding romance, and the idea of spending a lovely long day out together was just too enticing to pass up. So, in late May, we headed over to Martin Down National Nature Reserve in Wiltshire, in the hope of seeing the Marsh Fritillary. It would be my first, but not for Bob. He's already seen all the UK butterfly species, except for the Cryptic Wood White, which is only found in Ireland. We woke super early and reached the nature reserve by 8am. Unsurprisingly, we were the first ones there. It was still quite cool and a little windy, but nice enough to enjoy our breakfast sitting on a bench by the car park, overlooking the wildflower meadow and the hills just beyond to the south. We heard a Cuckoo calling nearby - an unmistakable sound of spring. Lovely! It was a great start to the day.

Negative Mental Chatter

By Lisa G Saw • 03 Sep, 2023
I’m generally a positive person. Most of the time I’m optimistic and hopeful, but not always. Sometimes my negative mental chatter dominates and it can really bring me down. It makes me worry too much about things. Even though I know worrying is a waste of time and energy, even though I know it can make me unhappy, I’ve still been guilty of doing it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does. Worrying is like a bad habit I haven’t been able to kick – that is, until now – and I wanted to share this blog post about my recent experience in the hope it helps others. Last year, I realised just how much I was worrying and how detrimental it was to my wellbeing. With all the challenges I was facing, which I’ve written about in this blog series , I eventually realised the negativity was causing me added stress. It was bad enough I had two chronic injuries to deal with, I didn’t really need more on my plate. However, many of my worries and fears were actually related to my injuries. I had lots of concerns, like how I could continue teaching, how long I’d suffer, what treatment I should have, what would happen if I took a prolonged break, if I’d manage financially and would the business recover. Gradually, it wore me down. It all just became a bit too much. I felt overwhelmed. I didn’t feel like my usual bubbly happy self at all. Finally, I reached a point when I knew I had to do something to change the downward negative spiral that I was on. One of the first steps I took to turn things around was to try thinking more positively. I realised I had to stop thinking about the worst-case scenario and all the possible things that could go wrong, but instead tell myself that everything will be alright. I wrote a series of positive affirmations, which I read daily, many of which related to the worries mentioned above. Pretty quickly, I started to feel a bit happier. Soon after, my sister recommended turning these affirmations into Conscious Questions – an approach she’d learned from author and international speaker Nicholas Haines (founder of the Five Institute). With this exercise, I realised that telling myself to be positive was not as powerful as believing deeply that good things would happen. By asking questions, it made me really consider the possibilities. As an example, I’d been worrying about taking a prolonged break from teaching and whether all those attending my classes would return afterwards. My positive affirmation about this was that I needed to let go of the worry about my classes and trust that everything would work out okay. But, by turning it into a question – Why should I not worry about my classes? – and writing it down, I then considered all the reasons and wrote them down too. It was so interesting to observe the thoughts that came to me. I remembered all the lovely supportive messages from my dancers and how understanding they were about my needing to take the time out. I felt reassured a large number would return, when I was able to – after all, they enjoyed my classes and had already returned after the Covid pandemic lockdowns. Plus, I knew that if numbers were low and some people had moved on to other classes, I could advertise again and build the class numbers back up gradually. With a little time and patience, I felt more confident my business would recover eventually. Going through this process with the things that worried me, across all areas of my life, was so insightful. But, more importantly, it helped to build my confidence. I was feeling so empowered and positive by the end of the exercise. It was the turnaround I needed to help me along my path to recovery. The tricky part was making sure the positivity lasted! Throughout my life, I’ve been motivated to better understand myself and others by observing, reading and analysing events and people and the ways they’ve impacted me. It’s something I enjoy doing, even if it can be emotionally challenging at times. I’ve often turned to self-help books because I always find them to be so beneficial and last year was no different. There’s usually plenty that resonates with me and I’m always thinking positively whilst reading them. However, when I’m getting on with living my life, challenges always seem to come along and it’s never quite so easy to maintain that positivity. I invariably slip back in to my old ways. But, last year was different. When I finally took a break from teaching, I had a lot more time. My hunger to learn, about my mind and my body, meant I devoured books like there was no tomorrow. Each book I read led me to another, and so it continued. I felt sure this was the key to my physical and emotional healing and I wasn’t wrong. Even though each book I read had a slightly different focus or approach, they were all more or less saying the same thing. The common thread was basic and easy to understand. Think positively. Be positive. It’s the key to happiness. There were two books that had a significant impact on me with regards to understanding my negative mental chatter and why I worry so much – The Secret and The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The first one I’d even read before, nearly 20 years earlier. This time, it resonated with me in different ways. It’s funny how that happens. I love it when I read or hear something at just the precise moment in time when I need to. It’s like a little sign guiding me forward.
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