After a brilliant day, Alan announced we would be
leaving the hotel for an evening of wildlife watching in a custom hide. An
early evening meal was taken at a superb Italian Restaurant on the edge of
Aviemore before we drove to the Speyside Wildlife hide.
The hide would be best described as a type of
conservatory with two sides and windows all around the edge with dimmed
lighting. Reported success at the hide was mixed so we needed
to just keep very quiet and hope for the best. We were expecting Badgers would
be the first mammals to show themselves but to our surprise a male Pine Marten
appeared up the bank then across to the feeding table. The Pine Marten quacking
bagged the Hen’s egg that was available and then scooted off with his meal. He returned 20/30 minutes later so we all got some fantastic views. We
all tried to grab an image and video however it was difficult due to the
low levels of light.
Despite a member of the public (who was sharing the
hide with us) having a massive coughing fit and someone else tripping over in the dark
a second Pine Marten came into view on the other side of the hide. The Martin
was standing just a yard in front of us on the other side of the glass feeding
on a selection of nuts.
Pine
Martens were once found throughout the UK but suffered a dramatic decline in
the 19th century due to woodland clearance, trapping for fur and predator
control by gamekeepers. In the last half of the 20th century, however, populations recovered in
Scotland and are now established in most areas north of the Central Belt,
including the northern fringes of Glasgow and some other parts of the Central
Belt. The species is still rare in the UK and absent from most of England
and Wales.
This was a great way to end a very rememberable day.
