Cairngorms Connect

@cairngormsconnect.bsky.social

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A wild landscape in the making. For people, wildlife and climate. https://www.cairngormsconnect.org.uk/

[Image description: A view of a mountainous landscape. Facing away from the camera people walk along a narrow path. They carry backpacks and harnesses, and you can just about see wee trees poking out the top. The sky is bright blue with a few white fluffy clouds – we seem to be very lucky with the weather every year for this activity!]
Camera trap image of a two fluffy Red Squirrels, one running up the side of a lichen-covered tree trunk, the second running down the other side. There is a black strip at the bottom with the time code stating 2°C, 04.21.2024, 06:44 AM.
Camera trap photo of a Bumblebee flying past the trail camera, with a view of out over a loch surrounded by grass, heather, and rocks, the ground sloping upwards on the far shore.
Camera trap photo of a mountain landscape, with an out of focus shape of a red-orange butterfly flying towards the camera with eye markings just visible on its wings. In the background a willow with catkins can be seen on a grassy slope. There is a brown scree slope in the background and a corner of a loch in the top right of the photo. There is a black strip at the bottom with the time code stating 20°C, 05.13.2023
Two Ospreys sit on a large nest made of sticks, almost silhouetted as the sun sets over the hills behind them.
A close up map showing the Highlands of Scotland, with a blue tracker line zigzagging around - mainly overlapping over the Cairngorms, which is the flight path of Hen Harrier 10.
A close up map showing the Highlands of Scotland, with a blue tracker line zigzagging around - mainly overlapping over the Cairngorms, which is the flight path of Hen Harrier 10.
A Song Thrush, silhouetted against a blue dawn sky, mid-song sitting on a thin branch. Photo by Ben Andrew, RSPB
Two Tree Nursery volunteers wearing gardening gloves use spades and garden forks to dig along the edges of a long narrow seed bed. A fork stands upright stuck into the grass beside the seed bed closer to the camera, and there are large trees in the background outside the Tree Nursery fence.
A photo of Snipe, who is standing with its mottled brown back to us but it is turning its head to the right so we can see its long straight bill in profile. The wading bird is surrounded by long grasses which are out of focus at the edge. Photo by Andy Hay, RSPB
Sun rays shine through trees and onto the forest floor at RSPB Scotland’s Loch Garten Nature Reserve.
A large pine tree stands on the shores of An Lochan Uaine (The Green Lochan), living up to it’s name with the waters a vibrant green reflecting the trees and scree slopes on the hill side opposite.
A close-up photo of a bumblebee on a patch of undergrowth including green and brown heather, wisps of lichen, and tiny pink star-like flowers.
Three birds fly in a diagonal line across a blue sky with a few whips of white cloud. The middle bird is unmistakable as a Curlew with its curved beak. There is a male Goosander flying in front and a female Goosander flying behind the Curlew.
A photo of a Curlew whose brown flecked head and body and long curved beak are visible through long green grasses. The grass is dotted with yellow flowers and it is slightly blurred, as if blowing in the wind, giving the photograph a painterly feel. There is white writing over the image which reads: Whaap, Whap, Whaup (noun).
A hand holds a small round transparent container filled with tiny orange moth eggs sitting on top of a brown piece of tissue paper. The person’s nails are painted pinky red, and in the background are twigs and grasses and a large green plastic tray.
Hands hold a small ring-bound notebook and a stubby yellow pencil which is attached by a striped length of cord. The lined page is filled with unreadable notes. Photo by Ronan Dugan
A delicate stem of violet flowers with four petals. The background of grasses and marsh with distant hill and blue sky is out of focus.
An image graphic which includes an illustration of a male Capercaillie with a large yellow beak, red patch above the eye and dark tail feathers, and text that reads: "This breeding season Lek it be. Please do not go looking for Capercaillie from April to the end of August. #LekitBe. There are the Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Outdoor Access Code and Police Scotland logos along the bottom.
Camera trap image of a chestnut-brown Pine Marten walking across a fallen tree in a forest. The pale yellow 'bib' on its chin and throat is just visible. There is a black strip at the bottom with the time code stating 10°C, 09.30.2024, 08:15 AM.
Two people kneel and sit on the sunny forest floor wearing midge nets and writing down what they find in a rotting piece of Scots pine. They are looking for Pine Hoverfly larvae. Photo: Lizzie Brotherston
Image Descriptions: 1) A person wearing full (soaking!) waterproofs sits on some rocks and takes a photo of a gnarled Krumholtz pine tree with their phone. 2) A sunny photo taken from down low through long grasses and yellow dandelions of a group of people walking away from the camera against a bright blue sky. 3) A close up photo of frosty grasses with an out of focus line of trees and winter sunset.
A pale grey male Hen Harrier takes off from the ground, black tipped wings spread, tail fanned out, as he takes off surrounded by green vegetation.
Photos from a Cardboard Contours workshop with p3-4s at Abernethy Primary School. The photos show wee hands cutting out and sticking together cardboard layers to create landscapes and birds.
A fern catching the sunlight that is shining through the trees to the forest floor. Photo credit: Ali Horne
A painted blue wooden sign in the forest with an illustrated landscape and Osprey catching a fish. Lettering on the sign reads: Welcome to Loch Garten Nature Centre / Abernethy Nature Reserve.
A Curlew with a long beak and mottled brown feathers flies across a bright blue sky.
A young person looks through a telescope outside, one gloved hand holding the eye piece. They are wearing a warm jacket and there is patches of snow on the ground and blue skies above the trees.
Female Puss Moth (Cerura vinula) perched on a hand during moth trapping. The moth is greyish-white furry moth with dark markings. In the background, out of focus, a person wearing a pink jacket holds a cardboard egg box from the moth trap and a clipboard.
A photo of a the Cairngorms Connect Tree Nursery which is located on @rspb.abernethy reserve. There is a willow tree growing in the foreground and a volunteer weeding a seed bed in the background. There is grass round the seed beds and a large wooden tool shed.
Poster with text on a green background on top of a photo of a curlew. The writing reads: "calling all artists, writers and musicians / Wader Welcome / Hosted by RZSS and Cairngorms Connect. Create and display your art to celebrate the start of the breeding season for curlews, lapwings and other wading birds / Saturday 29 March 2025 / 2–6 pm / The Hive Highland Wildlife Park, Kincraig / Get in touch before Friday 7 March / To enter your art and get more information, contact Thijs at: thijs.claes@hotmail.com.
A person gestures with their hands, explaining something to a group of people wearing jackets and back packs with trees and blue sky in the background. Credit: Chiara Alagia
A black and white camera trap image, taken at 12:23am, shows a fox walking across a grassy landscape, its eye reflecting in the darkness and its mouth open wide, tail outstretched. There is some long grass in the foreground.
A White-Tailed Eagle steps onto the ice at the edge of a loch, only to find a few steps in that the ice is not strong enough to hold it's weight and it falls through, flapping it's wings and flying off. The video footage is captured on a phone from a distance away so is quite shaky and grainy.
A photo of a Scotch Argus butterfly (Erebia aethiops) perched on long green grass. The butterfly is brown with orange bands and black spots with white centres near its wing tips.
A young person wearing a woolly hat and warm jacket stands outside in front of a wooden table as they trim willow cuttings with a pair of secateurs. There is a pile of willow cuttings on the table next to a tape measure. In the background there is a pollytunnel and rows of seed trays and tall trees behind that, with a bright blue sky over head.
A poster with an arial photo of Insh Marshes floodplain showing a winding river, groups of trees, light glinting off the floodplain and hills in the distance. There is the green and blue logo of the RSPB in the top left corner, and text that reads: Tromie Restoration / Find out about plans for the restoration of the River Tromie. Following community engagement events in the summer of 2023, we have been working with consultants on detailed plans for the next stage of the River and Floodplain Restoration Project at RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes. Join our drop-in session at the Lookout Hide to find out about plans for the River Tromie, prior to us submitting a planning permission application. Everyone welcome! RSPB Insh Marshes Lookout / Thursday 20th of February / 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm.
Image Descriptions: 1) A sand coloured cushion with two curlew red brown curlews depicted on it, one in flight and one standing on two grey rocks. A hand holding a glass is just out of focus in the foreground. 2) A person leans over a wooden table, looking at drawings and sculptures inspired by wading birds.
Rupert and Jack stand either side of a pull up banner that reads: Fort William Mountain Festival 13th – 16th February 2025 and has photos of outdoor activities.
An aerial shot of the RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes floodplain showing a winding river, groups of trees, light glinting off the floodplain and hills in the distance.
Two young people, one standing, one sitting, dig into the ground with a spade. In the foreground there is a pile of young trees with earth covered roots.
A group of young people wrapped up against the cold stand on and around a trailer attached to a silver car.
Two people look out of huge windows across the Insh Marshes floodplain and hills in the distance from inside a wooden bird hide. One person is standing, looking through binoculars and the other is sitting on a wooden bench.
A photo of Cairngorms Connect Deer Stalker Jack and dog Ruadh out on the hill managing deer. Jack has a rifle on his back, tripod under his arm, and binoculars in his hands.
Low sunlight filters through the trees at Loch Mallachie, Abernethy
A black and white photograph of Roy Dennis (L) and Adam Watson (R), who is looking through a huge pair of binoculars, in a wooden hide.
A recent golden sunset over Insh Marshes, with a light dusting of snow on the ground and the hills silhouetted in the distance.
Ronan holds one of the solar powered raptor tags up to the camera.
A close up map showing most of Scotland, with blue, red, green, and brown lines zigzagging across the map - mainly overlapping over the Cairngorms.
Two people wearing fleeces and waterproof trousers dig into the turf with spades in an area of bog woodland. They are surrounded by heather and moss as well as small lichen covered trees. Photo by Chiara Alagia.
A beautiful Crested Tit perched on a bird feeder filled with peanuts.
Three fluffy grey Goshawk chicks in a nest made from green branches surrounded by trees.
Black and white image of a Vole caught on a camera trap, it's eyes glowing bright in the darkness, on @rspb.scotland Abernethy Reserve. There is a black strip at the bottom with the time code stating 7°C, 05.14.2022, 12:18 AM.
A Goshawk fitted with a solar tag. Credit: Ronan Dugan