Not a red nose in sight

 Out last proper trip on our Scottish holiday was to visit the reindeer herd. This is the only free-ranging herd of reindeer, about 150 strong, most on them on the mountain slopes below Cairngorm. We went to visit them last year and have adopted one of them. Fitting with the weather we experienced all holiday it was really cold. As we found before the wind was getting stronger as went higher up the mountain so we wrapped up very warm!

After checking in at the centre we drove the short distance to the Sugar Bowl car park and waited for our guides to take us to the herd. After our safety briefing - watch our for cars crossing the road, don't slip over - it took us about 20 minutes to get onto the place where the herd was. Our group was about 25 people strong. Apparently at this time of year they are booked out most days, especially at weekends. 

Most of the walk was pretty easy through a wooded ravine but once out of that you had to cross a wooden walkway, covered in snow, with a really strong side-wind. Fortunately we had decided walking poles were a good idea so four points of balance helped!

As soon as we emerged into the top area the reindeer, encouraged by judicious shaking of food sacks, all trotted over.

They are totally unfazed by people and just wander amongst you. The only thing to watch out for is that some of them only have a rough idea of the width of their antlers and you can get accidentally prodded!

You are encouraged not to stroke or cuddle the reindeer - they won't like it and anyway they're not pets - but if you hold some food in the palm of your hand they will happily whiffle away it. Their noses are incredibly soft!!

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Although superficially they look similar, in actual fact each reindeer has a very distinct pattern and the reindeer herders know them all by name. Each years calves have a theme to their names - chocolate bars for instance - and there is a full stud history.

With the food running out the reindeer started to wander back off onto the slopes. The snow and wind had no effect on them though we were all starting to feel it by now.  

We fought our way back across the walkway and back to the car where we did try to go and find the snow buntings but the wind was so strong in the car park we could hardly stand so photography was out of the question.

Our last stop on the way off the mountain was at a very frozen Loch Morlich where the sun was going down.

Someone had built a couple of snowmen looking out across the lake. It all looked beautifully festive and was a perfect end to our holiday.

It pays to talk

We woke to another beautiful day in Speyside. With the temperature not going anywhere near actual freezing point the snow and frost and ice remained blanketing the ground and the trees. With so much beauty around us, and so many minor roads looking pretty dodgy, we decided to stay relatively local again. With it only being a few minutes down the road we popped into Loch Garten first up to see our friends the coal tits.

As we were walking along the path to the feeding area I noticed what looked like  a skid mark in the snow. Wondering what it was I went over to look and immediately found out - a layer of sheet ice under the thin blanket of snow. I don't think my fall was very graceful but at least I preserved my camera. Getting up we decided this was dangerous and that we should probably cover the ice with something to warn people. I went to gather some twigs and coming back found another patch of ice. Repeat the first fall only slightly less gracefully. Think Bambi but without any of the coordination. Trying to regain my poise I left the warning signs to Judith and slowly inched my way along the path edge to where the coal tits were waiting for us. I swear I saw a smile on their beaks!! 

They were all very grateful for the food and just as confiding. Still no crested tits or squirrels though which was slightly disappointing. With our peanuts running low we moved on to try Cairngorm itself. The funicular railway is still broken and the weather was way too harsh for us to attempt the summit but the top car park gave great views out over the surrounding lochs and hills.

Although it was quite still in the valley the wind was stronger up on the tops and the snow was blowing wisps of white across the car park. It wasn't enough for the skiers yet but there were a few intrepid hill walkers setting out towards Ben Macdhui (a walk we have done in better conditions but not one for today). I spotted a birder by the picnic area with a camera pointing at a wall. I knew there were snow buntings around so I put two and two together and trotted (carefully) over to see what he had. 

On the slope a few yards above the picnic tables was a flock of around 20 snow buntings. My fellow birder had been putting seed down for them and they were responding by coming really close to grab it.

Snow buntings are classic birds of the uplands. They breed at high altitude and then come a bit lower to find food in the Winter. You even get them on the coasts down south in the Winter. They looked very handsome in their white, black and brown plumage.

I got chatting to my new friend and we exchanged comments about what we had seen. I expressed surprise about how hard crested tits were to find this year. Fortunately his luck had been better and he put me onto a spot only two minutes drive away down the hill from the car park. His directions were spot on and after parking up I followed a path down the hillside hoping to find the 5 cresties he had found. I had only gone 40 or 50 meters when a large bird exploded from the trees in front of me, followed swiftly by two more. I only got a brief view but they had to be grouse. A few yards further on and another flew up but this time settled in the top of a nearby tree.

They were black grouse. Historically there was a lekking site nearby at Coire Cas but I'd never had much luck seeing them. These were presumably from that group. The group moved on down the hillside and disappeared into the trees. 

A few yards further on I came across a little clearing in the trees I was now walking between. A small bird was flicking around in the top of the tree. I put down some seed and walked back. Within few minutes a characteristic shape appeared in the tree, followed by two or three more. It was the group of crested tits. 

As with a lot of birds when food is hard to come by they were very confiding albeit in an area where the light was not great for photography. Even the resident robin couldn't scare them off.

Crested tits are one of the specialities of the area and are rarely, if ever, seen outside it in the UK. They do occur on the continent as well but do not travel any distances. They are a  bit omnivorous, eating insects and seed and will store food up in early Winter to last through the harder months. 

I was really pleased to find them and also to get a new site onto my list of potentials for them. To be honest, anywhere in the forests around there can turn them up but a reliable location is worth its weight in gold. 

I left them to their feeding and headed back to our cabin for a nice cup of tea and to warm up!