Wildlife in and around Kingussie

Speyside is in the heart of the Cairngorms, Britain's largest and most spectacular National Park, covering 1400 square miles. With a wide range of habitats and four of the country's five highest peaks, much of the Cairngorms is untamed. With more than one quarter of the UK’s most threatened habitats and species, the Caringorms is perhaps the most important area for wildlife conservation in Britain. The diversity of wildlife is well known amongst enthusiasts who come from all over the country and abroad.
A walk amidst the beautiful Scots pines of the ancient Caledonian forests are rewarding. These pine forests are home to the Scottish Crossbills (finches resembling parrots) which live entirely on seeds prised from pine cones. They can be seen pulling the cones off the branches before trapping them under a foot to work on them. These forests, with their understory of Bilberry and purple Heather are a sanctuary for insect eating birds like Willow Warblers, Tree Pipits and Redstarts. These are the only woodlands in the UK where one can find the delightful Crested Tit, which is best located by its rolling trill. In winter, it can be found amongst flocks of Blue Tits, Coal Tits and Great Tits, and may be joined by Goldcrests and Treecreepers. If you are lucky, you might get to see the majestic Capercaillie. Although these large grouse have declined in number in recent years, it may be possible to get a glimpse of this incredibly shy bird.
The pine forests are also home to a number of mammals. You will probably be able to see Red Squirrel scampering along the branches or at a feeder at one of the many coffee shops in the area. If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the Pine Marten, a agile member of the weasel family that will often chase Red Squirrels through the high branches. They are partial to peanuts and raisins and can sometimes be seen at feeders (see links below for further details). These pine forests are also where the first returning pair of Ospreys have chosen to nest after an absence of over 40 years. Protected by the RSPB at Loch Garten, their numbers have increased so that there are now over a hundred pairs. You will probably get to see onefishing in one of the lochs or rivers in the area.
The pine forests are also home to numerous species of moss, lichens and mushrooms. Add photo of each. In the late summer, one can forage for the delicious chanterelle mushroom, a delicacy on the menu of many restaurants in the area.
Heading up into the glens from the pine forests, keep an eye on the skyline. Red Deer, with splendid antlers, spend the summer high up on the slopes, are often silhouetted against the skyline. It is worth checking any birds of prey cruising along these ridges. Buzzards will be fairly common, but there is always the chance of spotting a Golden Eagle hunting for Red Grouse or Mountain Hares. Red Kites are spreading into the area from a release scheme on the Black IslePeregrines can be seen circling high above, scanning for pigeons crossing the valley. In the gulleys, where streams splash down the mountainsides are nesting Ring Ouzels, the mountain blackbird, with their slow rather mournful song, and on the grassy slopes are Wheatears, Stonechats and countless Meadow Pipits. Dippers, Grey Wagtails and Common Sandpipers nest along the rivers and are often spotted along the edges of any stony river Goosander can be spotted searching for fish in the fast flowing current. There are also large colonies of Common Gulls on some of the larger shingle banks, which are also the nesting place of Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and Common Terns.
On the moorland and hill tops listen out for the plaintive call of the Golden Plovers as they perform their beautiful spring display flight. Merlin can also be found here, as well as pairs of nesting Dunlin. On smaller lochans, there is always the chance of finding nesting Red-throated Divers, which fly to larger lochs or even to the sea to find food. This area is the only part of Britain where the beautiful Slavonian Grebes build their nests. You will, however, need to know which lochs to visit. Higher up the mountain still, amidst the snow patches of the arctic-alpine Cairngorm plateau, Snow Buntings build their nests. These are rare, breeding birds in Britain, only nesting in the highest mountains. Ptarmigan are also found here. They are easy to spot in the spring when they are calling and displaying. Ptarmigans change colour through the seasons, becoming pure white during the winter, but are the same colour as the granite rocks in summer. Dotterel arrive on the plateau in May. After laying her eggs, the female may well move on, leaving the male to raise the chicks while she finds a new mate in the Norwegian mountains. Delightful alpine flowers like Moss Campion, Roseroot, Trailing Azalea and Alpine Ladies-Mantle are like jewels in these harsh surroundings.
In the Cairngorms, you are not far from other rich wildlife areas like the Moray Firth, where Britain’s most reliable population of Bottlenose Dolphins can be found. From a vantage point of  Chanonry Point, the dolphins can  be spotted as they hunt salmon coming into the river. In the winter, this coastline comes alive with thousands of Eider, Scoters and Long-tailed Duck, with the chance of seeing all three species of Diver and perhaps the scarce Slavonian and Red-necked Grebes. In the summer, look out for the four species of nesting Terns with four species: Common, Arctic, Sandwich and Little. There is always the chance of an Osprey fishing in the surf. In autumn and spring. Skuas passing offshore can be spotted while flocks of waders can be seen gathering in the estuaries.
The West coast is only two hours away, with a real chance of seeing a White-tailed Sea Eagle! This spectacular bird was reintroduced in the 1970s and 80s. Numbers have slowly, with around 40 pairs now nesting on the Hebrides and the West coast of the Scottish mainland. Many places have nesting Black Guillemots, while there are also some spectacular seabird colonies. Cliff ledges are crowded with noisy Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes, with Puffins often digging their burrows in the turf on top of the sea stacks. This is the best place to find the otter, which is easier to see on the coast than in freshwater as their behaviour is more linked to the tides. There is always the option of a boat trip to see the small Minke whales, which can sometimes are sufficiently curious to come over to the boat to investigate. When Minke whales are feeding, there is often a frenzy of bird activity too, most probably Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels, auks and gulls.
It may be a little daunting knowing where to start in such a vast area and we have all had that feeling of frustration when you just know the wildlife is there somewhere but you can’t find it! It can take luck and a lot of patience to see many of these species on your own but you can increase your chances enormously by enlisting the help of someone with unbeatable local knowledge (see links below for further details).
Nowhere else in the UK is there such a wealth and diversity of special wildlife. Why not get out there and enjoy it.