Footpath by Morrison's in Moredun.
Rats to the left of us, squirrels to the right,
And the dog's stuck in the middle, confused.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7166 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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Kingfisher! It looked like it was in the process of swallowing a little fish when I spotted it as I rode along the towpath opposite Hermiston House.
Posted 6 years ago # -
a shilpit moose in Dalry
Posted 6 years ago # -
The kingfisher was perched on a branch on the bank at the end of the garden at Hermiston House just along from where I spotted it yesterday. It appeared to be facing away from me today and was unperturbed when I stopped to admire it.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp: you're becoming the kingfisher whisperer?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt I'd say that I already am, but I didn't want to shout about it.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp: I searched for pictures of a kingfisher perched on a wrist to suggest the pose you could strike, but just got a lot of images of kingfisher tattoos. (Some rather nice!) So maybe you could subtly indicate your status that way?
ETA: I had been imagining you like this but with a kingfisher:
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt The Cyclist with the Kingfisher Tattoo?
I recently bought a nice little RSPB kingfisher pin badge but have yet to deploy it.
Perhaps if I stood next to the canal with my arm outstretched for long enough then one would perch on me?
Posted 6 years ago # -
A great spotted woodpecker at the very top of a bare tree near the East Gate of the Botanic Gardens, seemingly making a very similar sound to the moorhens in the pond.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Perhaps if I stood next to the canal with my arm outstretched for long enough then one would perch on me?
or gembo would high-five you, so you gain either way?
Will keep an eye out for the woodpecker if I'm over that way after lunch.
Posted 6 years ago # -
So we're crowdfunding a kingfisher tattoo for @jdanialp, ain't we?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Let's be ambitious: crowdfund a trained hunting kingfisher. @jdanielp will never want for very small fish again.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I prefer the ambitious option ;) The kingfisher is clearly receptive since it was perched in a bush/tree just west of Meggetland this morning, presumably having gradually moved into town after not having seen me for two days running...
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp, you need to run kingfisher spotting trips.
I went along the canal yesterday morning. Zero visible wildlife - not even a duck, barely any humans and ice on one stretch of the water.
Posted 6 years ago # -
No kingfisher on canal today (or any other day, Trixie, when these kingfisher expeditions are arranged the kingfisher does not show). I saw two in formation on WoL downstream from Juni Green which was cool.
However on canal today - moorhen (not coot), Merganser (brown head) or maybe Gosander, I never remember, mallards and a very bobbing cormorant.
Also more for overheard but two lassies heading to Craiglockart. - Some people call it Hume Muss what do you say? I say Who muss
Posted 6 years ago # -
Some people call it Hume Muss what do you say? I say Who muss
I thought this was about how to pronounce the surname - as in David Hume and Alec Doulas-Home.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Frenchy, I am sure that will be another conversation these lassies have again on the towpath on their way to Craiglockhart.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Armadillo (named after those durable tyres). Okay, so may not be local to Edinburgh but I was cycling. Also many other highlights including tegu and house sparrows
Posted 6 years ago # -
@amir oh, that sounds brilliant! (I had to look up tegu - Wikipedia says that "some species are of economic importance as food and pets". Have you eaten any yet?)
Posted 6 years ago # -
You would need a big appetite as they are very big. Mind you the locals eat a lot of coos. The local armadillos are called peludos because they're hairy
Posted 6 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
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The kingfisher was lurking in the shadows on a branch at the bottom of a tree pretty much opposite Meggetland this morning. Then, as I was approaching the Wester Hailes 'S' Bend, a woodpecker (I'm going to assume a great spotted) swooped under the pedestrian bridge and flew by above the canal carrying something fairly substantial in its beak.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Amongst today's cycle borne sightings was our very own short eared owl, one of the widest spread of land based birds. Just along the road were the more local burrowing owls
Posted 6 years ago # -
As I high-fived gembo on the towpath this morning, I asked if he'd spotted any kingfishers. He hadn't. Unfortunately, neither did I. I'd hoped to beat my previous personal best of spotting kingfishers on four morning commutes in a row.
Posted 6 years ago # -
As I high-fived Gembo on the canal today, I found myself reflecting that he appears to be wearing steel gauntlets, or at least considerably tougher gloves than my own...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Secretly doing some intense high-fiving training to strengthen his game?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gembo come at you hard and fast.
Posted 6 years ago # -
A new arms race?
Pun intended
Posted 6 years ago # -
Have just realized that we've recategorised gembo as a wildlife highlight.
Posted 6 years ago # -
“Have just realized that we've recategorised gembo as a wildlife highlight.”
I think that’s fair.
(Or were you thinking lowlight?)
Posted 6 years ago #
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