What? December already?!

Where has 2016 gone?? I can’t quite believe I’m sitting here with one day left at work this year, but that’s apparently the case! Things are starting to wind down for the festive break up here, with many staff off already, but the schools don’t break up till Friday, so I’m making hay while the sun shines, so to speak.

It’s been a mixed December so far, weather wise, with some days when the temperature didn’t get above -5 degrees and others where we’ve been basking in a balmy 10 degrees. All very confusing for the wildlife, I‘m sure. Today and yesterday we’ve had quite cold, very blustery days (check out the video of waves crashing on Loch Garten’s shores on our facebook page – RSPB Operation Osprey) and it’s difficult to remember the warm, late summer day when we bathed in the loch. Wouldn’t even dip my toes in now!

Ice covered Loch Garten, one morning at the beginning of December.

And later on in the day.

Blowing a hoolie, just yesterday (Tuesday 20 Dec)

Not a great deal to report on the wildlife front – the sightings board in the kitchen downstairs is surprisingly blank. Not that there’s no wildlife around of course, just that we haven’t seen it - with approximately 5,000 species on the reserve, there’s obviously wildlife round every corner! Crested tits continue to visit the bird feeder at the Osprey Centre, accompanied by the usual suspects of coal and great tits. It’s been difficult to know exactly what’s around without the camera working, as I’m sure you can appreciate. News on that front is that we have, at last, taken delivery of the satellite dish, so Peter is travelling up on January 4 to fix it and will sort the camera at the same time. I know it’s been incredibly frustrating for you all, but hopefully the end is in sight and you’ll be able to view the feeder once again. Thank you for your patience.

Not exactly Laurie Campbell, but taken on my phone - can you see the crestie?!

I was lucky enough to see three deer on my drive to work through the reserve yesterday.  One roe deer buck and then two red deer stags. The amazing thing was, I saw them on the road ahead, not more than 100 metres away, but by the time I’d reached the point where they’d jumped into the forest, they were nowhere to be seen. Just so well camouflaged, and a reminder that they are both naturally woodland species – not the roamers of the open, deforested hillsides that we so often see, in particular, red deer. The forest expansion work at Abernethy, where over the next 200 years (that’s not a typo – yes, 200 years!) we’re hoping to nearly double the forested landscape on the reserve, should benefit them, as well as many other woodland dependent species.

One of my favourite views towards the Cairngorms, showing the forest regenerating. In 200 years time, the lower hills in the distance will be covered in open forest.

We had our annual logs day last week, where staff and volunteers get together to chop and bag-up logs, for delivery to the older members of the local community. Unfortunately, I had to miss it as I was called to a meeting, but I’m told it was a very successful day, topped off with a wonderful ”Thank you” lunch, skilfully created by another volunteer, Aileen Fox, and her band of helpers. Thank you to all involved in this well supported annual Christmas event. I’m making sure I’m available next year – it’s a chance to get out of the office for one thing!

Well, the daylight is drawing in and I must soon be making tracks, so all that’s left for me to say is to wish you and yours a very, very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. I hope you are surrounded by friends and family and that you take pleasure in the small things in life (which are really the big things!)

Thank you for your support over 2016 and here’s to 2017. Cheers!