Just the one heron on the canal this morning, which means that I spotted at least two but as many as five this week.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7223 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
-
Posted 6 years ago #
-
Heron in flight out by start of path to Covenanter's grave this a.m. Also maybe woodcock, though no wood, out by level crossing on the back road from auchengray to the Carnwath esker, just after the level crossing. Woodcock not definite - yellowish bird that looked like a wood cock but in a marshy field.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I think I saw a female peregrine on a post near Garvald, also a group of 8 roe deer, some snow drops in flower and a few glorious bull finches
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt - awesome!
plenty of dogs shitting on fife coastal path today on my run.
Posted 6 years ago # -
An unexpected (due to my not having been particularly close to any bodies of water today) spot of two herons mooching around on the grass in the dark at Inch Park.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp
They learned to feed in the grounds of Liberton Primary school by streetlight a few years back. If you look over the wall from Gilmerton Road they get all shifty and sidle off into the night. Sometimes a half dozen of them.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I cycled to Linlithgow and back yesterday:
- On the Kirkliston-Newbridge path, I startled a buzzard. It left its perch and flew for several seconds literally three feet above my head.
- Earlier I'd seen two buzzards squabbling for the best hovering spot near Craigie Hill.
- A heron near the canal.
- A crow chasing what I think was a small kestrel, but all birds of prey are either buzzards or kestrels to me.
Also some llamas in the grounds of Dundas Castle, but I suspect they're not actually wild.Posted 6 years ago # -
"First wolf in Flanders, Belgium, since 100 years! It is a German wolf, wearing a radio-collar and is being tracked on his journey. See https://t.co/Li8cd8pi4n https://t.co/55pp4IHorI"
Posted 6 years ago # -
First kingfisher of the year for me this morning on the canal opposite Meggetland. One heron beyond the bypass.
Posted 6 years ago # -
One heron beyond the bypass, a large rat at Wester Hailes and a very friendly marmalade cat near the Bridge 8 Hub which neatly segued from running away from a cyclist who was following it over the 'bridge' over the burn to running towards me as I beckoned it over. Ease of cat stroking is one advantage of travelling by foot.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Whenever I beckon to cats, or make any other friendly advances towards them, they run away. I must be doing it wrong. I get along with random dogs just fine, though.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@ejstubbs
Cats use eye contact as a preliminary threat. If you look away from them and half close your eyes as they approach that helps them decide that you're not going to eat them.
If you know a cat well you can mesmerise it with increasingly long blinks like you were falling asleep.
Posted 6 years ago # -
My Orkney cat used to do that back to me - lie in my lap and blink s-l-o-w-l-y up at me. Usually while purring, drooling and doing the lazy knead (paws stay still, claws extend/retract, extend/retract). Relaxing yet painful...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Redwing near Eskbank station
Posted 6 years ago # -
Posted 6 years ago #
-
Snowdrops out in my garden
Posted 6 years ago # -
A flock of birds driven by the wind.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Family of four deer in Edmonstone Policies Park.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Sparrowhawk near West Saltoun
Posted 6 years ago # -
One cormorant, two herons and multitudes of goosanders on the canal this morning.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Started feeding birds in new astroturfed (for now) garden. So far seem to mostly be feeding some handsome and argumentative wood pigeons and an extremely bold and portly squirrel.
Posted 6 years ago # -
seem to mostly be feeding some handsome and argumentative wood pigeons and an extremely bold and portly squirrel
Get an air rifle and they will feed you.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt, you sure the pigeons are arguing?
Posted 6 years ago # -
I know what it looks like when pigeons are making new pigeons sir!
Posted 6 years ago # -
I really enjoyed this wildlife kinda-highlight. Well. Sort of. Would love to visitTorngat / would also love to not be et by a polar bear. It's a dilemma.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2015-1-january-february/feature/man-who-survived-polar-bear-attack
"Late on July 23, Dyer went to sleep with bears on his mind. He had seen one on the hills above camp. The way the tents were clustered together, with an electric, bear-deterring fence surrounding them, was a constant reminder that humans could easily become prey.
When he woke up around 2:30 that morning, the first thing he saw—the only thing—was a silhouette on his tent wall. He yelled, "Bear in the camp!" And then it dragged him into the animal world."
Posted 6 years ago # -
A lawyer, naturalist and Druid. Remarkable
Posted 6 years ago # -
For those who haven't seen it yet:
Nigel the lonely gannet dies as he lived, surrounded by concrete birds"The immobile replicas had been put in place by conservation officers who used the sound of gannet calls broadcast by solar-powered speakers in an attempt to lure a colony to settle on the pest-free scientific reserve.
Nigel was the first gannet in 40 years to make his home on Mana, arriving alone in 2013.
There he remained, alone. That is until just a few weeks ago when he was finally joined by three real life members of his species. However, Nigel failed to befriend them, and then he died."
wah!
Posted 6 years ago # -
Maybe he wanted to be left alone?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Wind has dropped. Bone chill relaxed. A great tit announces a loud desire to meet lady great tits from a tall tree. Can spring be far away?
Posted 6 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
