CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure

Wildlife highlight of the day

(7223 posts)

  1. amir
    Member

    Emus!?

    Aberlady is well worth a visit at the moment. Lots of flowers and butterflies. Saw a roe deer and fawn, a low flying peregrine and a cute mustelid. Only saw its head poked above the ground checking us out. It poked its head out three times. Must have been a weasel or baby stoat. The hole only looked big enough for a mouse. Though I watched a guy putting his body through a tennis racket at the fringe.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  2. Frenchy
    Member

    Emus!?

    Big flightless birds, like ostriches but smaller.

    ;)

    I suppose that these ones technically weren't wildlife, but I wasn't going to let that stop me posting.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  3. wingpig
    Member

    There was a man who went through a tennis bracquet in the Jim Rose Circus in the late 1990s. Anyone remember where the Leith Palladium was?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    Some emus are more famous than others -

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Plugin

    Posted 6 years ago #
  5. unhurt
    Member

    There was a man who went through a tennis bracquet in the Jim Rose Circus in the late 1990s

    The Armenian Rubber Man! I had an odd conversation with him one time...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. Frenchy
    Member

    ...go on...

    EDIT: Opening for Nine Inch Nails, apparently:

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Plugin

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. gembo
    Member

    South Lanarkshire has many rheas. In 2016 two escaped. They are still less bother than emus south Lanarkshire also has many llamas, alpacas etc. Not sure what the link is between south Lanarkshire and Peru? North Lanarkshire has no Andean livestock

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. fimm
    Member

    Two ptarmagan clucking and clattering about with a couple of juveniles, apparently somewhat bothered by 130-odd hill runners going past, but not, apparently, bothered enough to go somewhere else.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. jdanielp
    Member

    A hairy caterpillar crossing the towpath by Gogar Station Road Bridge.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. jdanielp
    Member

    A water vole (possibly) swimming across the canal by Gogar Station Road this morning. It was slightly too distant for me to get a good look and had disappeared into vegetation at the far side by the time I was passing, but it appeared to be reasonably large with chestnutty brown fur and a not particularly long body. I couldn't really see its tail.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  12. jdanielp
    Member

    What a stoater! I was having a chat with a colleague before leaving work as we looked out over nearby car parks. A rabbit bolted from the bushes and went flying across the most distant car park, closely pursued by The Heriot-Watt Stoat! The chase continued back and forth across the car park for a few moments until someone emerged from an office, spooking the stoat and giving the rabbit the opportunity to make its escape.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  13. Arellcat
    Moderator

    More butterflies than I could count today, as I explored the environs of Dryden and Loanhead Colliery. Found a huge patch of brambles, too, not quite ready for picking though.


    Peacock posery


    Speckled Wood in the woods


    Small White goes mining

    Ended up mucking around in Polton Glen, then realised I was meant to be at home waiting for a phone call.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  14. unhurt
    Member

    @chdot handsome fella! (Grey?)

    @jdanielp that's a rather good highlight!

    @Arellcat those are very nice

    Posted 6 years ago #
  15. amir
    Member

    @Arellcat I hope this is the start of an upturn for insects (better weather and banning of certain insecticides)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    Local character, scroll to 1:30.

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Plugin

    Posted 6 years ago #
  17. gembo
    Member

    Wondered why big seal hanging about.

    Thought spotted Merlin near Whitekirk east Lothian last night but hey might be downgrading to sparrowhawk from funny angle.

    Lot of Labradors and mini schnauzers staying at hotel I was at.

    West links in north Berwick is a dog walkers paradise before 8a.m

    Posted 6 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

    Posted 6 years ago #
  19. Rosie
    Member

    @chdot - Lovely. Caption:- "Do I have to ******* migrate YET AGAIN?"

    Grey backed gull stabbing and tearing at dead pigeon in Exchange Crescent.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  20. gembo
    Member

    Off to the taiga?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  21. jdanielp
    Member

    Anyone spotted any jellyfish in the canal yet? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/14/freshwater-jellyfish-spotted-shropshire-canal

    Posted 6 years ago #
  22. Frenchy
    Member

    Yesterday in the Burdiehouse Burn Park, a fancy white pigeon flying around with a puffed up throat. Thought it had its head stuck in a plastic bag for a start.

    Like #10 here: https://twistedsifter.com/2011/04/bizarre-gallery-of-grand-national-champion-pigeons-30-pics/

    Posted 6 years ago #
  23. jdanielp
    Member

    The Kingsknowe Rat is dead (on the towpath at Kingsknowe, no less). Long live The Kingsknowe Rat!

    Posted 6 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    There’ll be another 3 along soon...

    Posted 6 years ago #
  25. jdanielp
    Member

    Apparently kingfishers inspired the design of Japanese Bullet Trains http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5224

    (Right-click and 'View Image' to see a comparison or just admire the lovely kingfisher.)

    Posted 6 years ago #
  26. Frenchy
    Member

    Fox by the Burdiehouse Burn. Couldn't finish walking the dogs without them stopping every 5m to look behind us to check if it was still there.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  27. unhurt
    Member

    DogS? You have more than one now? I need an ears update.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  28. Frenchy
    Member

  29. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Two hobbies showing off while hunting house martins over Madame IWRATS' mum's meadow.

    A kingfisher (yes, a kingfisher) by the seaside at Batz-sur-Mer.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  30. unhurt
    Member

    @Frenchy oh oh I had assumed that was just a dog you knew / had met! Good to know you have those ears & legs on hand at all times.

    Posted 6 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply »

You must log in to post.


Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin