Cairnwell Road or Cairnwell Pass?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7223 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
-
The pass. North of the ski centre
Posted 6 years ago # -
A two cygnet swan family on the pond in Haslam Park, a three cygnet swan family on the Lancaster Canal and a four cygnet swan family on the River Ribble. A parakeet in Haslam Park during the day. A selection of swifts, swallows, possibly martins and bats swooping silently over the pond at dusk. Many birds visiting the feeders in my parents' garden, including an adult great spotted woodpecker accompanied by usually one but sometimes two juveniles.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@bax, yer hedge sparrow or dunnock, despite being a different species from the tree and house is also similar at least to female house sparrow et cetera
Posted 6 years ago # -
Not cycling related but my wife and I came across a badger snuffling around in an earthen bank in the hills above Dunbar in broad daylight late on Saturday afternoon. On our side of the fence from a herd of steers, it caught wind of us and rushed off up the adjacent hill into the brush, but not until we were pretty close.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Two weasel-like creatures spotted on a ride south of Dunbar along the coast Sunday morning. Separate spottings. Must be a busy time of year for weasels.
Posted 6 years ago # -
The original canal swan family were all but blocking the towpath just west of Boroughmuir Plaza this morning. I managed to cycle by while remaining on the path despite being within pecking range of one of the parents. I don't think it had a go. Others sensibly took to the grass...
I also spotted the newer swan family for the first time in a few weeks near Gogar Station Road Bridge. I only counted four cygnets, but seem to remember there having been more.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jadanielp I think there is even a newer swan family then (the one with four cygnets you saw near Gogar Station Road Bridge). I saw them this morning but the cygnets looked a bit larger than the new (second) cygnet family (and definitely too wee for the original, first swan family). Then I saw another swan family west by Clifton Rd (west of Ratho) with 5-6 cygnets and I think they are the new (second) cygnet family.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@bill this is becoming confusing, but thanks for the information.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@bill @jdanielp time to get some of that spray paint they use on sheep and give each set a colour?
Maybeaneagle outside Ambleside, Lake Windermere. Waiting for the @iwrats adjudication on likelihood.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt I will source the spray paint (and a camera!) if somebody else is willing to volunteer to do the spraying.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gembo where did you see the hawfinch, was it a garden visitor
Posted 6 years ago # -
Neighbour exercising their pigeons and keeping eyes peeled skywards for sparrowhawks.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@bax, yes in my garden. I had been chatting to my pal Sean the bird spotting champion and he mentioned there had been sightings and next day spotted it. A blow in this spring I think not a normal visitor. Quite massive beak. Though one of your photos also had a finch with a pretty big beak.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@bill, @jdanielp
Can we have swan family names on the drunkie/junkie lines?
@unhurt
I heard the remaining Lakes eagle - a female - died of old age last year. The Southern Uplands population is not large, but this does mean there's an empty territory (or six) for a juvenile to wander into. If an eagle can be hanging out in Balerno why not Ambleside?
Though generally if you're in doubt it's a buzzard?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Sea anemones, shrimps, sandhoppers, sea slaters, a porpoise, several gregarious crabs and one hermit crab.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Poor hermit crab will get a complex.
Crowds of blue damselflies above the water at a shady inlet, and bonus flotilla of 13 new ducklings with very hands-off parents - they came back from their errands by wing after about fifteen minutes.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I have spotted 21 cygnets today, so far: Craiglockhart Pond 8, Original Canal 6, Newest Canal 4, Heriot-Watt 3.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@iwarts @jdanielp
How about some of the following?:
- Swaney Bean
- Swan Alliance
- Swan Lake City
- Swiss Family Robinswan
- NumberswangPosted 6 years ago # -
@bill Swaney Bean and Swiss Family Robinswan are particularly great.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Iwarts? When he gets all HPV on us and dredges up his UKIP past.?
Swanny Bean I like. Anyone else on here been to Dalmellington where Sauney Bean used to fling the bones of the travelers he ate down a sink hole? Dalmellington. Still risky today.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Swanarama at the mouth of the Esk this morning.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Two Curlew out towards auchengray
I love a Whaup
Posted 6 years ago # -
A fox nipping across Lauriston Place from the future Futures Institute to George Heriot's a little while ago. That is the first time I can remember seeing one there for several years, very possibly since the Quartermile developments began in earnest.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Dunlin breeding on Loch Pattack, alongside black-throated divers. Also a golden eagle.
Posted 6 years ago # -
word has certainly got round the local hedgehog scene that i put out the big saucers of ice cold water nightly at 22:30 sharp
by 22:40 they are all raving it up like its last orders at the bar
a lot of huffing and puffing going on, which confused me til i read up on courtship behaviour
Posted 6 years ago # -
A great spot of the Heriot-Watt Stoat this morning which emerged from the vegetation alongside the main path into the campus from the north gate, bounced adorably away from me along the grass verge by the path for a while, before diving back into the bushes. I initially mistook it for a squirrel, but it was rather smaller, browner, and its tail was far less bushy and crucially ended with a black tip...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Spotted black beast scuttling across A70 at colzium. Mink I think. Also Daithi who I was cycling with launched a final attack on the S bends before Balerno then did well to avoid 8 ducks in the middle of the road. Could have been a Duck A L'Orange Walk outrage
Further out in south lanarkshires a very dead and very smelly deer
Posted 6 years ago # -
Could have been a Duck A L'Orange Walk outrage
It's a day late but thanks anyway.
Posted 6 years ago # -
What I'm pretty sure was a sparrowhawk just flew about 4 feet over my head in the garden.
Could have been some other bird of prey, but flying low through gardens and the flap flap glide flap flap glide pattern suggests sparrowhawk?
Posted 6 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
