Wildlife watching in Cairngorm

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

What everyone else has said is good advice, but I'll just add a little to it. if you do walk round Loch an Eilein, don't miss Loch Gamhna, it's better for Crested Tit and water fowl than Loch an Eilein itself. In summer it's also pretty good for Dragonflies and Damselflies, but April is a bit early unless the weather is really great.

A nice detour from Loch Gamhna is to take the path running SWW to the pretty wooden Inshriach bothy, nestling amongst the pines (some very large ones nearby) If the weather's bad you can take shelter and have your lunch. The sandy path to the bothy is good in summer for tiger beetles. You could also strike South up an ill defined path onto Creag Fhiaclach - with reputedly the highest natural treeline in Britain, with 'krumholtz' pines:



Check yourself for ticks after, though!

Jim

[earthdragon64]

I know the path you mean, it's one on my to do list. I'll be honest, I'm less worried about ticks than clegs. I've had a couple of tick bites this year, with no problems, so far, but I had two really bad reactions to cleg bites.

I ended up on antibiotics and anti-histamines after the first one on my arm, then a couple of days later got a 2nd bite and my hand swelled up so badly I looked like I was wearing a boxing glove.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

I'll be honest, I'm less worried about ticks than clegs.

I hate clegs too, but don't react badly to them. I hate the way they sneak in under cover of a swarm of sweat flies and the first thing you notice is them stabbing you! I don't care much for sweat flies either - they're a constant irritation. I grit my teeth and put up with them for a while, then go mad and grab a bit of heather and thrash around at them!

Jim

[Richard G.]

Some great local knowledge there ED64, thanks very much!

Loch Gamhna sounds good and only around 4 miles for a circuit of both lochs, so definitely on the cards. I think Creag Fhiaclach might be a bit too far out though on this occasion Jim, really want to spend more time watching than walking, but filed for future ref anyway, thanks. Thought we might scoot up Ord Ban though, for the views.

Uath Lochans looks like a great spot from the maps too, so think we’ll try and make some time to pay a visit.

Hopefully Ticks, Clegs and Midgies won’t be a problem in April () unless it turns tropical, but maybe the 'Midge Jacket' will go in the pack, just in case..

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Richard G.

Thought we might scoot up Ord Ban though, for the views.

I've been up Ord Ban from the path near the tearoom at Loch an Eilean. The view was good, but you can't see the castle on the island from the top. I tried coming down a different path, but ended up on the wrong side of a deer fence and had to make a long detour!

Hopefully Ticks, Clegs and Midgies won’t be a problem in April () unless it turns tropical, but maybe the 'Midge Jacket' will go in the pack, just in case..

I've got a Beaton's Midge jacket - they're a real godsend when the midges are so thick that they're like smoke and you end up choking on them!

BTW, the path around Loch Gamhna is very boggy in a couple of places.

Jim

[RoseStones]

Could I just barge in and ask if the mossies etc are a really bad problem at particular times of year in the Cairngorms? We're planning on going along next year but my partner's terrified that we'll be eaten alive! I'm quite an allergic person too and am a little scared that I'll be wearing a pair of boxing gloves by the end of the week. I've read a few commercial wildlife watching trip websites that seem to suggest that it's only a minor problem, but I don't know if that's just marketing hype or not?

[earthdragon64]

It's difficult to say really, I suppose the peak midge season is late June to the end of August, depending on the weather. I don't take much notice of midges because they rarely bother me.

The best repellant is my husband, whilst they are making a meal out of him, they leave me alone. Otherwise, Skin So Soft by Avon, is far better than any of the citronella based products and less unpleasant smelling.

As far as any of the other beasties go, you just can't tell beforehand how you will react. For instance I had about 10 cleg bites this summer, I reacted really badly to two, hardly at all to the others, Clegs seem to be at their worst from mid July for about a month.

I took a couple of ticks off my dog in February this year, I'd consider them an almost all year round problem. The best advice for ticks is to wear your trousers tucked into your socks, or wear gaiters, especially if you are going to walk through heather or bracken, and check yourself at the end of the day.

If you do find a tick has bitten, remove it with tweezers, or better still a tick removal hook, which you can get from a Vets. Do NOT use any of the patent remedies such as covering it with vaseline, alcohol or a lit ciggie, all that does is make the tick vomit it's contents into whatever it is biting, so if it is carrying Lyme disease, there's probably more of the disease then going to get into you.

My Mother swears by TCP ointment, dabbed on to any insect bite, as soon as possible after the bite. I can't stand the smell of the stuff, but use a sting relief cream, when I remember to carry it.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by RoseStones

Could I just barge in and ask if the mossies etc are a really bad problem at particular times of year in the Cairngorms?

Some years are bad, some 'good' for midges (which are different to mosquitoes). Repellents work to varying degrees - a few years ago Boots 'Mosiguard' was found to be the most effective. Avon 'Skin so Soft' reputedly works but recent reports state that the formulation has changed and it's no longer as effective - or even effective at all.

In a bad year the midges can be like smoke in places, and whilst repellents may stop or reduce the number of bites, it doesn't stop you breathing them in and choking on them - I've blown my nose and had hundreds on the tissue! For these conditions you need a net, either a head net or even better a 'Beaton's Midge Jacket'.

Jim

[Tracey.A]

Some years ago there was a television series based on Muriel Grey's book 'The First Fifty', about her first fifty munros, cracking series, brilliant book! Anyway she decided to test her Granny Grey's midge repellent on an unfortunate camera man. They tied the poor bloke to two stakes covered in Granny Grey's potion and left him there for hours, when they returned the poor bloke had been reduced to a skeleton!

The only suggestion I can make to stop these midges from biting, is to walk about in a giant bubble, which is hard if you want to climb a munro, but much easier if descending!

'Skin so soft', is good, but even that isn't a hundred per cent proof. Windy days seem to keep them at bay, also being high up a mountain is good, but the problem is that you know you have to descend at some point and they will be waiting!

Apparently there are a few small pockets of areas where midges are practically non existent, because they are lured to special midge traps. I wish I could remember where these traps are, but a friend of mine went to one of the Scottish islands and said that they had these midge traps there and that they worked a treat, but there were hardly any birds.

Tracey

[Richard G.]

My experience is limited to a few visits north of the border, but for what it's worth. I've found skin so soft to work, though have also heard that the formula has changed, but can't confirm this. When I say it works, it's stopped them biting, but won't stop them swarming around you, which is equally unbearable if you get completely mugged by them.

The traps referred to previously might be the 'Midge Eater', which I've heard does work, but you'd need to be in pretty close proximity, I've heard that a few campsites have them for example, but I've never actually seen one.

The best defence I've found by far is the Midge Jacket (link in one of my previous posts). With one of these you can laugh in the face of clouds of the beasties, but make sure you've got gloves too, or stick your hands in your pockets