Lupins
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7221 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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I went up the Pencaitland Way again yesterday and heard loads of Willow Warblers. I didn't actually see any but then warblers all look the same to me anyway (I'm not warblist).
Posted 13 years ago # -
"Veritable fields of (I presume) foxgloves alongside the Dalkeith to Musselburgh path"
These are Lupins. Have be growing there for several years. Lovely.
I vaguely remember a Money Python sketch about lupins.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Got a really nice view of a Whitethroat on the Pencaitland Way
this morning. Think I am becoming addicted to going there. I
should just give in and take a picnic and my bins out there
sometime and sit for a while.Posted 13 years ago # -
Posted 13 years ago #
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Shame I didn't have a big camera with me at the weekend, we were out on a bit of the Southern Upland Way testing kit for the next bike tour.
The spot we camped at on Friday night was beside a tiny wooded area a pair of largish birds of prey talking at each other from the trees and a small Owl landed on a tree a few meters away from us probably deciding if a bloke in a bivvy bag constituted food, by the time i'd reached for the phone he'd decided not and went off to find some thing smaller. A few hours later some sheep wandered past and did a very similar thing though they just walked off....
Posted 13 years ago # -
Not quite a highlight -
"
The base’s indoor flight lab is called the “microaviary”
"Posted 13 years ago # -
"
A MAJOR nine-year campaign to protect rare species such as the Scottish wildcat and the capercaillie is launched by a wildlife charity today.RSPB Scotland has unveiled plans for its Stepping Up for Nature drive which will see the charity begin an offensive against governments, individuals and businesses to help conserve species in danger.
"http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Nine-years-to-save-iconic.6788464.jp
Posted 13 years ago # -
Some sort of huge brown-with-white-flecks-on-the-trailing-edges-of-its-wings bird above the Ironmills/Eskbank path. Not quite simultaneously accompanied by a sound quite like the screech of a Little owl off to the left.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Chiffchaffs aplenty the last few days. Especially on the Innocent. I have heard them morning and afternoon for several days now. I think they are hiding in the tree canopy a bit though.
Plus, I keep thinking I see Tree Sparrows out towards the old Big W. I guess I probably am as I know what a House Sparrow looks like. They just keep flying away before I get a proper look.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Ive got an unkown variety of fledgling in my garden, but lat night riding home from work I heard a noise in the undergrowth next to the beancross farm area, falkirk. Stopped and had a rather one sided conversation with a youngish looking fox. It didnt run away, wasnt coming out to greet me ,but was pleasant anyway ! At the works where they make that well known, scotlands other national drink, in cumbernauld, there are a few swans that are clearly trying to get their HGV licences !Every time you stop, out they come, signets in tow, looking for lorry driver food ! Again , it looks like drivers are having a conversation, with them, crouched down in front of the birds , throwing crusts and assorted foods for them .
Posted 13 years ago # -
*fairly* certain I clocked a Red Kite perched on a lamppost above M8 ,Livi on ramp earlier this week. Was driving so couldn't stop to double check. Grew up in mid Wales where they were seen quite often, so used to making a quick "kite or buzzard?" call. Are they present in this area these days, or was I just imagining things?
Pretty certain I saw a Water Vole by the canal the other day too. Looked too stocky to be a rat
Posted 13 years ago # -
I am pretty sure I have seen Water Voles by the canal too. And a LOT of rats! Don't know about the Kites though. You will get Anth excited..
Posted 13 years ago # -
Jellyfish force Torness nuclear reactor shutdown
Background on jellyfish -http://www.swan.ac.uk/biosci/research/smart/smartpeople/victoriahobson
Posted 13 years ago # -
At least the BBC article hinted at the fact the reactors are actually cooled by a gas system. Evening News / Scotsman attempt basically said that the coolant had been cut off to the reactors. In the Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor, the reactor is cooled by a closed gas circuit that exchanges heat to a closed distilled water loop for the turbines. The seawater is used to condense the steam exiting the turbines. Without it, the turbines cannot be run, but there is no threat to reactor cooling.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Posted 13 years ago #
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red kites. I dont know a great deal about these but I have noticed a few of not quite buzzards too. About a year ago I was walking along the river forth, near skinflats close to grangemouth, overlooking the mud flats, oozing with birds, waders and all sorts. A van was parked and a guy was taking pics with a serious camera and lens, turned out he was from scottish wildlife council or some such organisation and was actually counting red kites cause they were increasing in numbers.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Quite a few common tern out catching dinner tonight at Newhaven. This one kept getting close, but it's always really hard to snap fast-moving birds with a point-and-shoot digital camera without a proper optical viewfinder.
Posted 13 years ago # -
water voles have a shorter tail - plenty on canal as well as rats and indeed mink {see earlier}
red kites are I thnk being introduced elsewhere in Scotland? So quite possible. Osprey come past en route to Boat of Garten, the twitchers descend on Balerno when that happens.
Posted 13 years ago # -
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zsstevens: The Scottish Government's video on the sea eagles and well worth a watch. Most impressive. http://t.co/pjaYc4y via @youtube
Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/zsstevens/status/87156101602217984"
Posted 13 years ago # -
tadpoles in my parents' pondPosted 13 years ago # -
"tadpoles in my parents' pond"
Tamelife.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Posted 13 years ago #
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"Sat nav shows seabirds 'travelling further for food' "
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-14014702
Posted 13 years ago # -
Not rare or anything but there were some particularly lazy/compliant Phaonia angelicae sitting around in my in-laws' garden this morning.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I needs to get me a macro lens... Got a Cucumber Spider in the garden today...
Cucumber Spider_1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrPosted 13 years ago # -
ok, not exactly today or bike or edinburgh related....
bridge over river tweed, A1, heading north,just before speed camera,on the left,west side ive seen a couple of herons looking for dinner quite regularly. Yesterday they became 3 ! one with wierd fluffy covering, assume it was young one of the family! Also, layby, after the border, heading north,on the cliff overlooking the north sea, I watched two small boats apparently.......meeting a slightly larger vessel, no assumtions of black fish ! thing was there were a few, like a dozen black things following these boats, grab binos, and seals were spotted ! Stunning weather, great spot, I was working at the time ! Lorries have their uses ! School hols days off work, Carron valley tomorrow, my son is about to get his black route virgin badge ! Lifes good !Posted 13 years ago # -
"
The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and an impressive 10,000 people took part, counting 210,000 butterflies and day-flying moths across the nation.
We hope that many more people will join this year's big butterfly count (16th-31st July 2011).
"Posted 13 years ago # -
Pair of roe deer by the A68 underpass (again). One with antlers stopped to watch me go past from only a few metres.
Posted 13 years ago # -
"My heart's in the High Street a'chasing the deer"
Posted 13 years ago #
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