June 2021 - Summer Wildlife in the Cairngorms
What a belter June has been! Pine Martens to Puffins, Beavers to butterflies, swathes of Orchids, rare moths and incredible weather. What more could you possibly ask for in and around Upper Deeside!?
After a dismal and cold May it has been great to get some more consistently good weather in Upper Deeside this month finishing on a real high these last few days. With temperatures close to 25oC in Braemar this week it’s felt more like continental Europe than Northern Scotland.
Pine Martens are a highlight of our evening outings in Deeside
Wildlife has also taken full advantage of this incredible weather and it has been good news for many breeding birds which have managed to fledge juveniles into dry and mild conditions rather than cold and wet weather. Butterflies and moths have emerged in good numbers and Deeside has once again showed just how important it is with two new species for this area being recorded in Crathie; Poplar Grey and White-spotted Pinion. Other commoner but still stunning species have also been recorded including Small Elephant Hawk-moth and butterflies such as Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Northern Brown Argus have been out in abundance. With so little darkness each night many species of moth fly in the day at this time of year and we have been fortunate enough to encounter the very rare Mountain Burnet, a bold black and red moth that is only found at a handful of sites all around Upper Deeside.
A Small Elephant Hawk-moth, just one of the many incredible species we recorded this June in Deeside
The very rare Mountain Burnet on the hills above Braemar
Mammal-wise it has been a brilliant month with some incredible encounters with Pine Martens and the Beavers to the south of Deeside are really active and providing some amazing experiences. Many of the Red Deer stags are looking very regal with their fresh, velvety antlers and there is frequently a small herd in the fields around Braemar.
A Beaver munches away quite happily on one of our evening tours to see them
Whilst some species of bird have become less obvious as they cease displaying, such as Black Grouse, others like Osprey are becoming more noticeable as they up their foraging in search of prey for their chicks! As the summer progresses, we will hopefully see fledged Peregrines and Goshawks too. Crossbills including Parrot and Scottish Crossbills are becoming more noticeable and family groups bound around the forests and your gardens may now be full of young Coal, Blue and Great Tits.
The flowers of Upper Deeside have been looking phenomenal this month and we have encountered a variety of orchids from the bizarre Bird’s Nest Orchid to the diminutive Lesser Twayblade. The rare Twinflower has also just started blooming whilst earlier in June Chickweed Wintergreen flowers almost sparkled on the forest floor.
The diminutive Lesser Twayblade has been in full bloom at Mar Lodge
We have had some superb days out this month with guests staying in the area and it is always a pleasure to give them experiences with species such as Pine Martens that they wouldn’t have otherwise had, and to really immerse people with the remarkable wildlife of the strath.
In July look out for fields being cut for hay. They often have Red Kites in attendance which actively follow the machinery in search of insects and small mammals fleeing or injured by the cut. We should also see even more butterflies and dragonflies on the wing and with any luck Pine Marten kits will be more active in the evenings.