Day Guiding Blog September 2026
September is a quieter month for wildlife sightings, but there is still plenty to be found within the Cairngorms.
One day, I took some guests up Cairngorm Mountain, but before that we wandered through a nearby pine forest and managed to see Chaffinches, Coal Tits and Crested Tits, with several of the Crested Tits coming to close range in some small Scot’s Pine trees.
Afterwards, we stopped at another car park higher up and saw four male Black Grouse at a distance, pecking at the ground. We also saw some Reindeer on the hillside. When we reached the main car park, it was clear that someone had brought them up, perhaps to help them get used to living in the wild. Even so, it was great to see them.
We wandered beside a stream in the hope of adding Water Voles to our list, but there were none to see this time. We then took the Funicular Railway up the mountain and, as we were getting ready to walk, Snow Buntings were seen. On the walk itself, we found flocks of Ptarmigan and Meadow Pipits, along with a distant Ring Ouzel. This was a surprise, as I had imagined they would be heading south by now, so it was a great sighting. We continued to the top of the mountain but didn’t add anything new to our list. It had still been a very successful day.
On another day, I took a guest into the National Park and, despite the heavy rain, we managed to see Black Grouse. Further on, at a loch, we found Goldeneyes and two female Red Breasted Mergansers. There were also Meadow Pipits, Stonechats and Pied Wagtails around, but no Red Grouse or Mountain Hares that day.
On the way back, the rain had stopped and we managed to get clearer views of the Black Grouse. We then visited an old stone bridge over a river, where we saw Chaffinches, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits and two Blackcaps in the bushes. On the river itself were a Grey Heron, a Grey Wagtail, a Dipper and a female Goosander.
After drawing a blank for Crested Tits in one woodland, we tried another and managed to find several, as well as some Red Squirrels. It was a good way to finish what had started as a very wet day.
Another day started with a search for Black Grouse on the way out towards the moorland. I didn’t think it was possible to be too early for Black Grouse, although there was a Roe Deer grazing nearby. Perhaps in September, with it getting light later, everything else wakes up later too, so to speak.
This seemed to be proven when we drove through the moorland looking for Red Grouse. After drawing a blank on the way in, I drove back along the same route later and we managed to see four of them at the roadside. There were no Mountain Hares that day despite my searching, but we did see Meadow Pipits, Stonechats, Tufted Ducks and Goldeneyes nearby.
Later, I took the guests to a woodland area where we saw a Crested Tit flitting through the trees. At another location, we found both Crested Tits and Red Squirrels before finishing the day at a local loch, where we saw a Grey Heron, Mallards, a Moorhen and a Little Grebe.
On another day, I took two guests out towards a moorland area. On the way, we stopped at an area where Black Grouse can be seen and an adult Peregrine flying low was an added bonus.
Out on the moorland, we found Meadow Pipits, Stonechats and Pied Wagtails before moving on to a valley. Despite the wind and rain, we finished the day with Red Deer, Ravens, Buzzards, Kestrels, a Red Kite and a juvenile White Tailed Eagle.
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