26th Dec. Two male bullfinches spotted feeding on dock seeds.

20th Dec. Siskin on peanuts today.

18th Dec. Tracks of fox, rabbits and pheasants in the snow. 

16th Dec. Long eared owl spotted in the area.

9th Dec. Female Bullfinch visited.

Dec. Winter has arrived. Snow and ice. The Robin (right) feeds on the ground. Wrens prefer live food and rarely take nuts and fat. Blue tits, Great tits, Coal tits, Green and Gold Finches, Tree Sparrows all coming to the bird feeders.

Nov.16th. Vistited Primary Four, Markethill School, Turriff. The Pupils were very interested in the geology at Windyhills and have been experimenting with water, stones and sand. They have proved that fast flowing water can carry large stones and boulders and slow flowing water can only carry light particles, like sand. They were fasinated by the variety of wildlife in the neighbourhood and especially liked the pictures of the swallows being fed and of the baby Tawny Owl.

Nov. First half of the month - weather mild and dry. Second half, wet, snow and frost. Birds now coming to eat at the bird feeders. Peanuts most popular with the Tit family. Great, blue and coal tits. Robins and Dunnocks prefer to feed on the ground. They love grated cheese and ground up peanuts mixed with oatmeal, raisins and fat.

24th Oct. Wild and very wet day. Most of the leaves have fallen.

21st Oct. Bog Aspodel (right) in full autumn colour. Seed heads have changed to bright orange and the leaves are pale cream.

20th Oct. First Field Fare seen, always a sign of colder weather coming.

17th Oct. New moth for area - Merveille du Jour. See moth pictures in Flora and Fauna section.

13th Oct. Brambles and Rosehips are ripe.

2nd Oct. Grampian Fungi Group record the Windyhills species. One particular mushroom with a black cap caused a few eyebrows to be raised. None of the group had seen it before and a sample is off to Kew Gardens along with photos to help with identification.

26th Sept. Members of the Scottish Council of Volunteer Organisations visited Windyhills during their two day conference at Inverurie.

22nd Sept. A Ruby Tiger caterpillar (right) is food to the Spiked Sheildbugs. The Ruby Tiger had two generations this year. They are classed as resident and common and sometimes fly during the day.

18th Sept. Aquatic beastie survey carried out by Marie Donald. Giant beetle identified as Dytiscidcus marginalis. (see beasties section of Flora and Fauna)

10th Sept. Hazelnuts ready now but not very plentiful. Majority of them are boss, that is no kernel.

Dragonfly and Damsel

18th Sept. A Red Darter Dragonfly rested on Ann's back for five minutes on a Sunny afternoon at Windyhills.

Sept. Weather has been good and the harvest is safely in. The heather has put on a great show this year. Glorious purple on the moorland.

15th Sept.   Fungi survey commenced.

11th Sept. Members of Woodhead Community Trust enjoyed a walk round Scottish Wildlife Trust property at Gight with Dr. Mark Young.

27th August. Successful Moth watch was held at Woodhead and a new species, the Chevron was recorded for the area.

21st August. Small Copper, Ringlet, and Green veined white butterflies were flying in sunshine. Young bullfinches, Spotted Flycatcher, Kestrel, Linnets, Magpies, Swallows, Great Tits, Blue Tits and Coal tits were among the birds seen on the visit by the RSPB members. Two swallows were seen chasing a bat.

29th July. Magpie Moth (right) blown in from North West Scotland. Can be seen flying during the day. The caterpillars are black with yellow bands, they feed on currant and gooseberry bushes and can easily defloiate them.

25th July Meadow Vetchling [Yellow Vetchling] scrambling through the grass in profusion. Wild rasps ready.

2oth July. Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Large White Butterflies enjoying the Sunshine.

19th July. Scarce Chamomile Shark caterpillar (left) found on Chamomile at Woodhead. Usually found at the coast, this year about a dozen have been found inland. Only four adults moths have been recorded in this part of Aberdeenshire.

13th July. Buzzard chicks ready to fly the nest. Dunnock collecting nest building material.

12th July. Ringlets butterflies in abundance. Also saw Meadow Brown.

11th July. Watched  Damselflies at the bog. Very hot day. Marsh  and Spear Thistle flowering, habitat of the Painted Lady caterpillars. Bog Aspodel and Sundew flowering.

8th July. Tan coloured Buzzard at Quarry. Saw a Barn Owl late in the evening at Windyhills.

7th July. Lesser Stitchwort, Bog Aspodel and Bramble flowering.

5th July. Lattice Heath Moth (right) sighted at Windyhills.

A rare moth for this part in Aberdeenshire. Only one was spotted last year.

4th July. Grasshopper enjoying the fine weather while resting briefly on ling heather.

Fay and Sarah discovered that water beetles like to snack on baby frogs. See picture in the Beasties section of the Flora and Fauna.

25th June. A coffee morning and plant sale was well supported by the local community.

21st June. A cluster of mini spiders on a nettle leaf have now been identified as garden spiders by Mike Davidson. He has also recorded over seventy species of spiders at Windyhills.

21st June. First Red Admiral of the year seen.

19th June. Otter seen at a private pond in Woodhead. Swifts screeching above the church.

18th June. Ellon Art Group spent the day painting and sketching in the Woodhead wood. First swallows have flown the nest.

14th June. Visit from Primary four, Fyvie School. The first flowers of Bell Heather are showing. Watched lapwings and saw one chick.

13th June. Visit from members of Turriff Gardening Club. Orange Hawkweed flowering

12th June. Squad of volunteers barrowed in gravel for the paths.

10th June. Heath bedstraw flowering. First flowers on the Bell Heather.

6th June. Lots of baby birds are now fledged. Tree sparrows, blue tits, wrens, blackbirds, house sparrows, chaffinches and starlings have all left their nests.

5th June. Brimstone and Water Carpet moths.

5th June. Chickweed Wintergreen flowering.

3rd June. An Elephant Hawkmoth was attracted to the mercury vapour light. Found on Willowherb.

White Ermine, Brown Silver-line, Pale shouldered Brocade, Flame shoulder and Bordered White.

1st June. Wild Garlic flowering.

21st May. Two Scalloped Hazel moths. May 2005 has been poor for moths compared with last year.

19th May. Pheasant's eye Narcissus flowering

18th May. Ruby Tiger moth seen at Windyhills

14th May. Tawny owlet spotted.

This four to five week old tawny owl was filmed at Woodhead wood on Saturday 14th May 2005. It was spotted by Ian Ross while he was repairing the path. Tawny owls feed on small mammals, small birds and earthworms. Any undigested material, like bones and fur, is regurgitated in the form of a pellet.

14th May. Bugle Flowering. Lady's Smock [cuckoo plant] flowering. The cuckoo was heard in the Woodhead Wood.

7th May. Owl midge - a tiny insect only 3mm.

Seen on Ivy leaved speedwell.

2nd May. Primrose, Lesser Twayblade, Ground ivy, Creeping Buttercup, ivy leaved speedwell, Marsh violet and Pink Purslane all flowering.

30th April. Greater stitchwort, Thyme leaved speedwell, Dog violt, Wood sorrel, and Great Woodrush flowering.

29th April. Chamomile Shark moth. Only the fourth one recorded in Aberdeenshire. Attracted to a mercury vapour light trap.

25th April. First Swallow returns, same day as last year.

19th April. Heartease flowering

18th April. Toadstools galore inside rabbit hole.

15th April. Tadpoles hatched.

10th April. Hairy Bittercress Flowering.

6th April. Lesser Celandine and Common Field Speedwell now flowering.

4th April. Blackthorn Flowering.

3rd April. Peacock Butterfly out of hibernation

1st April. Painted Lady Butterfly

31st March. Dandelion, Groundsel and Daisy flowering

26th March. Pair of Red legged Partridge visited

23rd March. Bumble Bee and Ladybirds seen

19th March. Nest building - greenfinches, tree sparrows and starlings. Moth trapping started

18th March. Coltsfoot flowering

17th March. Buzzards mating. Red Dead Nettle flowering

14th March. Female flowers of Hazel trees flowering. Look for very tiny red spikes on the point of a bud. [see picture right]

7th March. Crows nesting, lapwings back at last years nesting area.

1st March. Heavy snowfall.

27th Feb. Skylarks singing in the sunshine.

21st Feb. Small flock of Long Tailed Tits seen.

14th Feb. Cairn with information board completed.

2nd Feb. Gorse in flower.

28th Jan. Hazel catkins flowering at Birchwood.

25th Jan. The first Snowdrops flowered at Birchwood.

2nd Jan. Great Spotted Woodpecker - 22cms[9ins]

Black and white with red patch under its rump. Photographed at Backwall.