Two buzzards soaring over Craigmillar Park (also, a medieval village that has sprung up next to the castle for filming, but which wasn't in use today), an otherwise healthy-looking but unfortunately dead fox on the verge to the side of Old Dalkeith Road, and a kingfisher on Braid Burn.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
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Posted 6 years ago #
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On the way to Galashiels this morning a weasel, a startled grouse, a kestrel, several buzzards and seven deer. The deer included two fawns who were just on the other side of the fence.
On the Loanhead-Gilmerton path this evening a fox, a barn owl and a black rabbit.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Barn owl a good spot. Not many in the Lothians.
Posted 6 years ago # -
This one was exactly where I saw the mysterious ginger fluffy thing the other day, possibly coincidentally. Seeing the black rabbit made me realise that the mysterious ginger fluffy thing was most likely a rabbit with a decent skelp of domestic genetics.
Posted 6 years ago # -
The Kingsknowe Rat has been very busy. I spotted its fresh corpse (long live The Kingsknowe Rat!) at Meggetland this morning. It was being nibbled by a magpie, which I scared away in passing. A little later, I spotted its less fresh corpse (long live The Kingsknowe Rat!) at Wester Hailes...
Posted 6 years ago # -
To be sung to the Thunderball theme tune:
It always runs while others walk.
It acts while other creatures balk.
It looks at this world, and wants all that,
And it's known, as The Kingsknowe Rat.It fights a battle for survival.
It moves so fast, it has no rival.
It sees that the winner takes all that.
And it's known, as The Kingsknowe Rat.Any morsels it wants, it'll get.
It breaks from cover without regret.
Its days of breathing may be done.
But its line goes on and on and on.
It thinks that its reign is worth all that.
And it's known, as The Kingsknowe Rat.James Bond theme tunes with wildlife lyrics will return with
Kingfisher
Posted 6 years ago # -
A kingfisher in the branches of one of the overhanging bushes/trees opposite Hailes Quarry Park this morning.
As promised, to be sung to the Goldfinger theme tune:
Kingfisher
It's the bird, the bird with a royal streak
A hunter's beak
Such a proud figure
Waits for fish to swim in its field of view
Then dives in tooWhistled chirps it emits from its perch
And it flies low and fast in its search
For a little fish, knows when it's pecked her
It's the peck of death, look
It's a KingfisherLittle fish, beware of this bird half-blue
It might eat youWhistled chirps it emits from its perch
And it flies low and fast in its search
For a little fish, knows when it's pecked her
It's the peck of death, look
It's a KingfisherLittle fish, beware of this bird half-blue
It might eat youIt loves mainly fish
Mainly fish
It loves fish
It loves mainly fish
Mainly fish
It loves fishJames Bond theme tunes with wildlife lyrics may return
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp
Rich, rich new vein.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@IWRATS thanks! I have been playing around with the lyrics to Kingfisher for a while, some of which I'm not entirely happy with even after much deliberation. The Kingsknowe Rat was rather more stream of consciousness in comparison. I don't remember exactly what triggered the initial idea, although I had a little practice with my adaptation of Once in a Lifetime following the CCE night out.
Posted 6 years ago # -
9 moorhens in close grazing formation this morning in Forthquarter Park. They are lovely wee things, so prim and proper.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Wester hailes rat also well deceased yesterday.
Think kingfisher definitely a James Bond theme kind of bird.
the bird with the blue plumage (man with the golden gun) works quite well?
Dead rats less so
Posted 6 years ago # -
"I don't expect you to talk Mr Rat, I expect you to die...
...oh, you have"
Posted 6 years ago # -
Opened the front door to find the motion-sensitive light on. Odd.
Looked down. Hedgehog. Haven't seen a live one for years. They move quicker than you'd think.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@IWRATS - oh, and they used to be so common. Unbearably sad. I haven't seen a live one for ages either.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Spotted a small rat in broad daylight on Leith Walk yesterday
Posted 6 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
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Down from 2 million to 1 million from 1990s to 2013 but this fifty per cent drop dwarfed by numbers in 1950s estimated as 36 million according to the People's Trust for Endangered Species
Posted 6 years ago # -
Looked down. Hedgehog. Haven't seen a live one for years. They move quicker than you'd think.
I've only ever seen live ones in Gilmerton. Doubt I'd have seen them if the dog hadn't spotted them, though. He also occasionally locks onto a stone hedgehog bootscraper thing that sits on a neighbour's doorstep.Posted 6 years ago # -
I am seeing that the H-hog has garnered much love and some grief. Dewilding is not cool.
Posted 6 years ago # -
A kingfisher at the same part of the canal as yesterday, although I only spotted it after hearing it chirp, fly past me along the canal, and alight on a high branch.
Posted 6 years ago # -
re: Dewilding - this is still in my head a lot.
re: rewilding - @Iwrats did you ever do the beavers thing?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt
What wild beaver plan did I come up with? I was going to try to take my old man to see the Tay ones but it would appear he may not have the required crepuscular patience these days.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Iwrats That was the beavers thing I meant. (Similarly supposed to be taking the mother at some point.) If you have also hatched a plot to release a small army of rewilded beavers on the WoL or something
I would be a willing collaboratorthat would obviously be bad and irresponsible.Posted 6 years ago # -
As of the other night this flat is mouseless. Or at least, is less one mouse. Tubby regular visitor, demander of cat treats, kneader and lap sleeper has finally after two years proven herself a Mighty Mouser. Leapt off my lap, shot under the sofa, ended my houseguest and then growled at me when she thought I might be trying to steal her delicious kill.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Iwrats sorry to hear your dad isn't up for it. If you fancy it yourself, Bob the Tay Beaver Guy is worth meeting even if the beavers don't show up. I remember he also said that sometimes there were bonus otters.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Tree outside new flat full of long-tailed tits this morning.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt - i always wonder about cats (i've had one almost every day of my life) and the fact you spend all their lives feeding them twice a day (and a few treats from the chicken dinner) and when THEY catch the food, they wont share any of it!!!!!
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt
We'll need a whole new
threadforum if CCE is to have a cat spin-off. Ours once growled at me when he thought I was going to take a squirrel he'd killed off him. He was quite right too.Posted 6 years ago # -
I would argue the mouse is (was) the wildlife. The cat was just an actor in the drama.
He was quite right too
Knew you had priors? Squirrel stir fries or nutkin goulash?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Knew you had priors?
I went through a phase of eating the wood pigeons (legally, under general licence for crop protection) and grey squirrels (which should all be exterminated on sight) from the garden. Both are very tasty, though squirrels are a total pest to skin.
I have never knowingly eaten mouse.
Posted 6 years ago #
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