August 2021 - Late-summer wildlife in Royal Deeside

1 Sept

As quickly as summer arrives autumn starts to creep in. Despite some warm (mid 20s) daytime temperatures towards the end of the month, the night-time temperatures started to fall away dropping to 10 degrees Celsius by the end of the month. In fact, August even started with a cool snap, low enough that a dusting of snow was forecast for the higher mountain tops.

It was a fascinating and diverse month for us. The local Pine Martens continued to put on a great show for all who came to enjoy them, and many of the summer migrants started to depart south with the Swifts heading away in early August. An incredible crop of fungi also appeared including many species of bright Russula and some delicious Chanterelles and Ceps which we know many of you locally have been enjoying!

Orange Oak Boletus (Leccinum aurantiacum) growing under Aspen — Orange Oak Boletus (*Leccinum aurantiacum*) growing under Aspen

We continued to help monitor the populations of the very rare Dark-bordered Beauty moth in early August and also start surveying Wood Ants along the Dee. Wood Ants are remarkably under-recorded in Deeside despite being very common and there are a couple of rarer species (found at Mar Lodge and over in Strathspey) that we have been keeping an eye open for but with no success yet.

Rachael identifies a Scottish Wood Ant during a survey of Upper Deeside

Further afield Dan headed offshore on an expedition cruise to explore the British coast including Fair Isle, Orkney, Shetland, St Kilda, the Hebrides and down to Wales and England. Highlights were many, not least the spectacular nature of these remote, Atlantic-washed islands but with sightings of Snowy Owl, Common Dolphins and Minke Whales, many migrants birds and butterflies and some endemic plants it has been an action-packed month.