Seven Whooper Swans were flying over farmland near the airport first thing.

Impressions of Strathspey in October:

Big weather, with dramatic weather systems sweeping in from the south-west.

Clear blue skies (between the weather systems).

Evocative sounds – Whooper Swans, Greylag Geese and Ravens over the forest.

Quiet forests, but the call of Crested Tit very obvious.

Fantastic colour with Birches yellow and Spruces orange. Near settlements are Cherry trees with red leaves. Bracken creamy brown.

Fruit very evident (with berries exposed by some leaves having dropped but most not yet taken by birds) including Rose hips, Rowan berries and Blaeberries (on the woodland floor).

Plenty of leaves down (although many still attached due to no significant storms to date) with birch leaves covering the woodland floor and the characteristic, virus-spotted Sycamore Leaves also evident.

Water levels still quite low (e.g. Lochan nan Gaedas, Lochan Deo) after very dry summer.

Tops still snow-free after mild autumn.

Plenty of corvids (mainly Jackdaws) but no gulls or waders seen (presumably plenty of the former at Granish Tip).

Glenmore campsite very quiet but lots of cyclists in Rothiemurchus Forest.

Ski Car Park very quiet (no snow yet).

Still plenty of aerial insect life in the forest (including biting midges).

Rivers mostly duck-free (presumably breeders having departed for still waters).