READERS throughout Scotland are heading out into their gardens and the countryside today for the start of The Scotsman's Wildlife Watch.
The winter round of our quarterly nature survey, which is supported by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), continues over the weekend and ends on Monday.
A selection of readers' photographs and notes will be published in The Scotsman and on Scotsm
an.com next week. All pictures and records will be passed on to Biological Recording in Scotland (Brisc), a charity that monitors wildlife.
Brisc will distribute the records among its network of biological recorders and local record centres.
But which creatures could readers see at this time of year?
Rab Potter, the SWT's reserve manager for north-east Scotland, said: "When the snow's about, it's a good time to be out looking at tracks.
"The tracks are really obvious against the white background, more so than in the mud.
"Fox's are an obvious one, especially if you're out walking a dog as you can compare the dog's prints with the fox's. A fox's print is smaller and rounder with less of a pad than a big dog's print.
"You can also sometimes see badger tracks or deer tracks."
Mr Potter said that winter thrushes – such as fieldfares and redwings – could also be regularly seen feeding on berries.
He added: "We've had about 39,000 geese at the SWT's wildlife reserve at Montrose Basin, mainly pink-footed and greylag, but also Canada geese."
This is also the time to spot some of Scotland's alpine species.
Glyn Jones, a ranger on the Balmoral Estate, said: "Out on the open hill the snow buntings have taken up residence in ditches alongside the vehicle tracks, where they pick heather seeds from the bare ground.
"We mostly think of migrants flying south for the winter, but these hardy little birds have come in from the Arctic and I always get a laugh from the guests when I point out that Scotland in the winter is the equivalent of the Bahamas for these birds."
He added: "With the rut over and the winter already upon us, our red deer are low down seeking food and shelter in the woodlands."
Willie Buttery, from the SWT's visitor centre at the Falls of Clyde, said: "Many people visit the reserve in the summer to see our nesting peregrine, but they can be enjoyed throughout the year as they remain through the winter. For the eagle-eyed, the river is a great place to spot otters and kingfishers, as well as dippers, which we see every day from our visitor centre window."
What do I have to do?Go outside this weekend and make a record of the wildlife you see. Either take photographs or make written notes and e-mail them to
or post them to: Wildlife Watch, The Scotsman, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.
What notes should I take? You should note down: the name of the species; the date you saw it; where you saw it (preferably including a postcode or a six-figure grid reference); and your own name and contact details. The records will be passed to the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Biological Recording in Scotland, which may use them in their work.
What am I looking for? We want to hear about any species you spot, from birds and mammals to plants flowering at unusual times.
