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14 Jan 2021

Wildlife spotter’s guide: Mar Lodge Estate

A small brown bird, with an orange tummy, stands in a field. It has a striking white line over its black eye.
Dotterel | photo: Laurie Campbell
Britain’s largest National Nature Reserve is truly a wildlife wonderland, home to many of Scotland’s most iconic species.

Click on the pictures below to find out a little more about some of the creatures that you may spot whilst exploring this beautiful estate.

Expand image 1: A close-up of an adder, coiled up with its head poking out at the top. It has brown and gold markings on its skin. Expand image 2: A black grouse faces the camera. Its tail feathers are fanned out revealing a white rear. It has bright red eyebrows. Expand image 3: A small brown wading bird with a white tummy walks along a muddy shoreline. It is slightly lifting one of its thin yellow legs. Expand image 4: A large wading bird, with speckled brown feathers, stands in very shallow water. It has a truly enormous bill, which is curved downwards. Expand image 5: A dipper stands on a rock, facing the camera. It has a brown body, head and wings, with a bright white chest and neck patch. Expand image 6: A small brown bird, with an orange tummy, stands in a field. It has a striking white line over its black eye. Expand image 7: A chunky, bright green caterpillar with pink spots inches along a thin branch. Hairs stick up from its back. Expand image 8: Close-up of a golden eagle, showing its head, huge beak and upper body. Expand image 9: A small bird stands on a mossy rock with occasional blades of grass growing through. The bird has a golden and black speckled back, with a black tummy and small round head. Expand image 10: A golden-ringed dragonfly flies among reeds and yellow buttercup-type flowers. Expand image 11: A grey wagtail perches on a neat pile of leaves beside a stream. It has a grey back with a bright yellow underside, and its long tail is held out straight behind it. Expand image 12: A female hen harrier in flight, with wings outstretched. Expand image 13: A meadow pipit sitting on a wire fence, in the background is a brown grass field Expand image 14: A dark blue/grey merlin perches on the end of a wooden branch, looking to the right with its back to the camera. Its short black tail has a white tip. Expand image 15: A mountain hare sits in a grassy field, with bright blue sky in the background. Its long ears, with a black tip, are raised straight up from its head. It is looking towards the camera. It sits on its hind legs, but rests its front paws on the ground as well. Expand image 16: A brown hairy caterpillar crawls across a wide green leaf. Expand image 17: An otter emerges from a stream onto a grassy bank with buttercups. Its brown fur is wet and sleeked back. Expand image 18: A pine marten creeps along a woodland floor, its body very close to the ground and its nose smelling the leaves in front. It has a long busy tail, and a white bib. Expand image 19: A ptarmigan sits on a rocky area, looking to the right. It has brown and white mottled feathers, and a red stripe above its eye. Expand image 20: A close-up of the head of a red deer stag. It is looking directly at the camera. It has large furry ears, with smooth antlers rising above. Its dark fur beneath its paler face is quite shaggy. Expand image 21: A red squirrel leaps across a tree in Mar Lodge Estate Expand image 22: A robin-sized bird perches on a moss-covered tree stump, looking directly at the camera. It has a black face, blue-grey back and an orangey chest and tummy. Expand image 23: A crossbill perches in a pine tree, extracting seeds from a pine cone. Snow lies along the branches. The bird has orange feathers with darker brown wings. Expand image 24: A large, dome-shaped nest made from plant material and pine needles is seen in a small clearing in woodland. Thick pine trees grow behind. Expand image 25: A close-up of a skylark standing in a grassy field. It has pale, golden brown feathers with a cream tummy. It has a raised crest on top of its head. Expand image 26: A fluffy and very round little bird hunkers down on a patch of mossy rock. It has a pale tummy with brown, black and white wings, and a little yellow beak. Expand image 27: A small brown and white bird clings on to some rough bark on a tree trunk, facing up the tree. It has a long curved beak and very long toes to grip with.

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Mar Lodge Estate

Britain’s largest National Nature Reserve – a wildlife wonderland in the heart of the Cairngorms

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