Wildlife spotting in autumn can be a hoot, if you know where to look.
Here are five things you can see around Perth, Kinross and Angus.
1. Owls
Apologies, you might not actually spot our first animal, but you are likely to hear it.
If you live near a woodland, listen out for the distinctive hoot of a tawny owl.
Tawnies are the only owl to actually hoot, and they do this a lot during the autumn months.
The reason for all the singing is their early nesting season.
Male and female tawnies call to each other as part of their autumn courting ritual.
If you want to hear one, try heading to your local woodland at dusk.
Monikie Country Park and Barry Mill near Carnoustie are good places to find tawnies.
2. Red squirrels
Autumn is a busy season for red squirrels as they scurry about finding and caching nuts to see them through the winter.
One squirrel in Pitlochry recently took foraging to the extreme and popped into its local branch of Greggs. It was later released after a rescue effort.
However, bakery chain shops should not be the first port of call when squirrel watching.
Instead head to Highland Perthshire’s beautiful forests while they are in their full autumn regalia. You could try Faskally Wood or Birnam Glen.
3. Geese
Each year, thousands of pink footed geese migrate from Greenland and Iceland to spend the winter in Scotland.
And the good news is there are key places nearby where you are guaranteed to see them.
Last October, 72,350 of them were counted at Montrose basin.
The geese also flock to Loch Leven near Kinross.
If you want to see them you need to get up early and catch them at dawn, or wait until dusk.
4. Waxwings
If you’re lucky you may even catch an autumn wildlife fix from the comfort of your home.
Waxwings start to arrive in Scotland for the winter from October.
But they can be a bit hit or miss.
According to the RSPB, whether they decide to make the trip from their native Scandinavia or not depends on the weather.
They will migrate to look for food elsewhere if the weather is poor and nourishment scarce.
Numbers arriving in Scotland can vary from 50 to 15,000.
They are voracious berry eaters so if you’ve got a rowan or hawthorn tree in your garden, you may just spot them.
5. Fungi
Fungi is fun to spot during autumn and is easy to seek out because it’s wildlife that doesn’t move.
Head to any woodland at this time of year and you’ll see a huge variety of mushrooms growing.
Fly agarics are the most distinctive fungi, with their bright red spotted caps.
They are also among the most poisonous, belonging to the Amanita genus, which also includes the deadly Deathcap mushroom.
A good place to see mushrooms is along Loch Leven Heritage Trail, at the woods near Findatie.
If you do fancy a bit of foraging for edible mushrooms, the Woodland Trust has some advice for doing this safely.
If in doubt, ask an expert to verify the identity of the mushroom you plan to eat.
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