Page 13 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

WILD NOVEMBER

Hit the Highlands for
the chance to spot
a golden eagle. This
‘goldie’ is feeding on a
red deer carcass.

MIKE DILGER’S

WILDLIFEWATCHING

A MOUNTAIN In his series of great places to watch wildlife in the UK, the star of

IN NOVEMBER BBC One’s The One Show this month takes us up a Scottish mountain
to scout out some of Britain’s wildest inhabitants.

he famous naturalist John forbidding domain just waiting to trip date forecast is an essential prerequisite
Muir once declared “the up the unwary. While hardly wishing before ascending into our scrap of Arctic-
mountains are calling and to discourage any intrepid naturalists, like territory. The Mountain Weather
I must go”. And for any it should be pointed out that ten people Information Service provides invaluable
Tnatural historian keen to lost their lives on Scottish hills during information on what can frequently
track down some of Britain’s remotest the first three months of 2018 alone. be a rapidly changing scenario at high
creatures as they prepare to hunker down So this is a habitat altitudes. In essence, if it’s wet,
Golden eagle and walker: Scotland The Big Picture/naturepl.com
A lunchtime
for winter, there can be no finer time to that must be never cloudy and windy in towns
encounter with a
head for the hills than November. taken for granted. hopeful raven in such as Aviemore or
If montane wildlife is your quarry The good news snowy Glen Coe. Grantown-on-Spey, then
of choice, then the only country in the is that the best in the mountains it will
UK able to offer the full complement weather conditions be considerably worse.
of species from this select, hardy group to spot montane As winter arguably
is, of course, Scotland. The Scottish wildlife perfectly stakes a claim on
Highlands and mountainous islands mirror the times Scotland’s summits
offer at best a stark and beautiful when it is also before anywhere else,
landscape unparalleled anywhere else safest to do so. a major advantage
in the British Isles – and at worst a Certainly, an up-to- for choosing this time

November 2018 BBC Wildlife 13