CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure

Wildlife highlight of the day

(7221 posts)

  1. jules878
    Member

    Haha "swan jam"! I love it, but they really should know it's a #sharedpath and be more respectful!

    They were still jamming at noon, but swanning around in canal nearby at 2.30pm.

    Adult swans have done well to raise their seven cygnets, and been very tolerant of walkers and cyclists.

    Have, however, occasionally encountered adult male standing mid path with evil look in his eyes. Have wondered if he fancies himself as modern day highwayswan (demanding food with menaces) when the moment takes him!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. gembo
    Member

    We had a mum in a hurry with daughter in a buggy. The mum had a bell on the buggy which she was ringing. We pushed through and the swan moved so the wee girl did not get pecked

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. jdanielp
    Member

    The swans were in the water when I passed just before 9am. I've only been counting six cygnets for the last week or two...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. jules878
    Member

    Darn. There were still seven cygnets early last week, but I only counted six today. I hoped that I'd missed one. Will do more head counts this week.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    "

    I bumped into a badger last year, on my bike, which was quite unexpected.

    "

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15455609.Kingdom_come__the_neglected_beauty_of_the_south_Fife_coast/

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. jdanielp
    Member

    One of the adult swans was blocking half of the towpath west of Gibson's Terrace this morning, but luckily it was asleep so no defensive passing was necessary. I just wish that I was able to sleep half as soundly as that at this time of year. The cygnets and the other adult were safely off to the side in the reeds, which seemed more sensible.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. Rosie
    Member

    @jdanielp - I was going to post that as well. Also a cyclist and a pedestrian had stopped to take photos. I do admire that swan's insouciance.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. ejstubbs
    Member

    Spent some time watching this Cygnus family at Straiton Pond:

    Tried to get a closer look but Dad seemed less than keen on the idea:

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. Rosie
    Member

    Mr & Mrs Swan and one of their offspring on the tow path this morning, holding up the traffic. Photo here:-

    https://www.facebook.com/169099526468801/photos/a.968439659868113.1073741827.169099526468801/1602885356423537/?type=3&theater

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. gembo
    Member

    I will borrow from my own comment and defer to Marcel Proust, this stretch of the canal towpath should now be called Swann's Way

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. Min
    Member

    Some wildcat video posted from near Huntly.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-40934858

    Mainly just seems to be a spat between the Peoples Front of Wildcats and the Wildcat Peoples Front but I am pleased to know they are still there!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. Frenchy
    Member

    Wildcat Haven is the organisation bringing the defamation case against Andy Wightman, if anyone is wondering where they've heard the name before: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-39721538

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. Min
    Member

    Oh my. :-o

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. Rosie
    Member

    Dead rat on the towpath.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. chdot
    Admin

    Not seen a 'wild' rabbit this colour before.

    Hybrid or aberration?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @chdot

    Domestic rabbits often escape and breed with the wild ones. On the ground where I have permission to take those beasts for the pot there was a year when they all had a white band like belted galloway cows. Didn't last long as they were highly visible to the myriad predators in that place, including me.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. gembo
    Member

    @rosie, was it drookit? The one I saw this morning had maybe been for a morning swim before being run over by a cyclist.

    Moving on

    TWO KINGFISHERS FLYING IN UNISON ROUND THE WOL DOWN BELOW JUNi GREEN WHERE THE PATH WAS BUILT INTO THE RIVER AND WHERE THE AGRICULTURAL FEED PLACE USED TO BE IN 2001

    yes TWO

    Posted 7 years ago #
  18. jdanielp
    Member

    A kingfisher flying back and forth across the River Almond by Crammond's Auld Brig.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. jdanielp
    Member

    Three separate spottings so far between the bridge and the estuary. The first two were probably the same bird though. It seems unlikely that I will spot more than one at once, but here's hoping...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. A frog, sitting on the Balgreen Tram Path just before the tram bridge.

    I was slaloming to avoid running over the glut of snails at the same point, and for a split second thought - "Wow, that snail's HUGE!" before my brain finally caught up with my eyeballs.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. Frenchy
    Member

    I've forgotten the biological term, but is that a butterfly who has evolved to have a tail in the shape of a butterfly's head in order to confuse predators/make them aim for the less essential end of the body when they attack?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. gembo
    Member

    Massive bull being guided down the road from beyond Buteland House (out by the kirknewton airfield but further south).

    Fortunately, just at the bit where inexplicably there is a traffic island so I was able to go one way and the bull the other. He was a big lad. Farmer smiling at me and prodding bull a tiny bit with a big stick.

    Temple cottage out that roAd hints at the Knights Templar. You can also avoid the boggy bit of the carlops path by starting from temple. The paths join at Listonshiels so it is up to you as signpost says 5.5 miles at both places. My brambles are way off being ripe, they are up that way at a secret destination.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. Rosie
    Member

    @gembo - it was certainly sodden

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. gembo
    Member

    A gulp of cormorants?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. amir
    Member

    Looks like a queue to me

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    There is a stock dove sitting on my garden wall.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  29. bill
    Member

    Face to face with a roe deer around 6:40 this morning on the canal towpath in Kings Knowe/Redhall area, just on the eastern side of the pigeon bridge.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  30. fimm
    Member

    A red squirrel (near Nethybridge, which is north of Aviemore).

    Posted 7 years ago #

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