Wildlife highlight of the day « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

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Wildlife highlight of the day

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Started 14 years ago by amir
Latest reply from jdanielp

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chdot
Admin

"
Scotland's oldest collection of Bonsai trees - some dating back around 230 years old - has been painstakingly potted and packed off to new surroundings in West Lothian as part of a move part-funded by a donation from the Japanese Embassy in London.

The collection of 30 trees has been re-housed in a pavilion at Binny Plants, a horticultural nursery in Ecclesmachan, after leaving the under-threat Suntrap Garden at Gogarbank.
"

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/A-giant-feat-as-Bonsai.6817396.jp

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"
mattseaton:

Seen riding the handlebar of a bicycle on Hudson River Park bike path last night: a white cockatoo. Nice perch

Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/mattseaton/status/102094934034743296
"

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

I saw an otter on the high road above Balerno last night, unfortunately it was very dead, identified it by tail and rib cage being large but bones very slender. How sad.

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

So it was on the high road but also on the low road? Poor wee thing.

Posted 13 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Bird of prey nr winchburgh. distinctive fantail, but couldn't identify -- biggish though. We saw a bald eagle pair and a 2 year old last week, and (while it was hard to tell) I don't think the one we saw today was massively smaller than those, at least in terms of wingspan, but didn't manage to get a sense of colour.

(NB: the link above is misleading (on purpose?) about where they nest, but some good pics - better than we got, although we were _very_ close at one point).

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Osprey was seen over Bruntsfield today, and it's about time for them to be heading south - could be what you saw SRD?

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Otters return to every county in England"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14557381

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I think this is a young Great Crested Grebe off the shore at Cramond this morning (not long before I got a puncture...). MASSIVE crop, only had my 200mm, so poor quality.

Young Great Crested Grebe? by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

SRD - at Winchburgh on the canal I thought I saw a Harrier once as was low down. Black and white check underneath, but that would have been rare [plentiful on hols in east anglia]. The ospreys over Balerno tend to soar high up.

I saw a great big hare again on a evening jog along the high road above Balerno Thursday, last, - large blacktips to the ears - once it clocked me it nipped into a field and I watched it bound up the hill. Lovely.

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

Yes it is a Great Crested Grebe Anth. Nice spot! It could be young or just losing its crest due to passage of seasons.

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

Three buzzards swooping about in Craigmillar Castle Park and going "eeyoooo". Not sure what sort of buzzardly shennanigans were going on there.

Posted 13 years ago #
DaveC
Member

We regularly used to dear in the woods to the rear of our rented place, until we moved 3 weeks ago. Finally saw a couple of dear in the Wheat field which borders the rail line on the approach to Dalgety Bay on the way home the other day. Made my day.

Had forgotten about this thread until you reminded me.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I've not stuck a stack of wildlife photos on in a while... Wildlife highlights of Monday started with Red Kites up at Argaty, before moving somewhat closer to home at Musselburgh

Argaty Red Kite 10 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Tern on White by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Swallow Sand Flight by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Cormorant Splashdown by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Immature Whinchat by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

There was a very wet and solitary dabchick on the water the other side of Thriepmuir on Sunday, poor little grebe. ALso two goldeneye, sorry no lovely pictures like anthony's but the hide is contemplative in the rain (if cold) One of the twitchers logged the Osprey in AUgust. If you like cycling and ornithology you cycle to Thriepmuir Carpark above Balerno - carry on up the road over the bridge then gate is n RHS just as Beech Avenue kicks in - a path and little bit of decking takes you down.In winter they put out feeders so you can watch the waterfowl and the various finches etc.

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

The other day, I was fixing a wheel in the garage. Very quiet, sun setting. I noticed what I thought was a cat out of the corner of my eye. It was rather a fox, who after considering coming into the garage, sat at the threshold and stared at me. Having established I wasn't going to do anything, it proceeded to nonchalantly scratch its ear. Cheeky wee thing. I had a wee chat with it, it scratched its ear again then headed off into the twilight.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Cool. I might have chickens, but I still love seeing the foxes about (every night at the moment - they get far too bad a press). I think tonight I might do a stakeout for a night shot...

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

As mentioned on the spotted thread, Wingpig spied me while I was snapping this...

Kestrel Eye Stripes by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Kestrel on a Wire by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

I was actually heading to Silverknowes for a prom walk in the hope of seeing the Great Crested Grebes. Et voila (miiiiles offshore).

Great Crested Grebe Profile by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Great Crested Grebe Tufts by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

Coming back along the WoL path yesterday we spotted a guy taking a photo of the ground. However on closer inspection there was a minute rodent. Photographer thought it was a shrew but no1 son and I agreed most likely a baby mouse. Back on wiki - could have been a woodmouse or a fieldmouse. As it was posing for photograph instead of scarpering I fear it was full of poison...

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Sparrowhawk trying to kill a pidgeon at the allotment as I emerged from the shed. The pidgeon managed to escape by ducking under a wheelbarrow, confusing the hawk enough to make good its escape. The sparrowhawk perched on a fence post for a while, keeping a wary eye on me until I moved, and it swept over the nearby rooftops.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Close-call-for-bats-as.6843376.jp

Posted 13 years ago #
Bhachgen
Member

Last couple of weeks...

Stunning Kestrel flying alongside me in very strong crosswind near the Astor pub...

A fox in great condition (urban foxes are usually so scruffy, but this one looked very fine) cockily checking out every corner of our garden early the other morning...

Tiny shrew scarpering across WoL path near Stockbridge in my front light beam on Monday night...

Might have seen a badger near Wilkieston the same night but too short a glimpse to be certain.

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Only in the ENews -

"FEARS have been raised about a pack of vicious killers roaming the banks of the Union Canal."

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Fear-over-killer-minks-at.6845295.jp

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Leaping Salmon are down at the Philiphaugh Cauld a mile outside Selkirk at the moment (and potentially up till November aparently).

Leaping Salmon 1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

And this morning... Bar-Tailed Godwit

Godwit by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

And Little Grebe (now in winter plumage) were the best

Reflected Little Grebe by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

There's a spot on Arthur's Seat I rode to this morning as a possible regular Kestrel haunt, and had sight of it within 3 minutes of arriving. Light was awful though (it was 7.30am) so no decent pics.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Female Blackcap in the Figgy today. Can't believe how close it let me get. Landed about 15 yards from me; I gradually worked my way closer, in plain view, snapping all the way. This was taken from about 2 yards, and is uncropped.

Female Blackcap 3 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr

A few other nice shots on the day, but none as nice as this.

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

Really lovely, great catch! :-)

Posted 13 years ago #
splitshift
Member

river forth, crossing the clackmanan (ugh ) bridge, yesterday, fri, tide well out, hunners of birds sitting on the remarkably dry sand bank, heron, oyster catcher types and a shag type thing lots of gulls, all looking quite relaxed amongst each other ! On return journey, tide absolutely flying through the bridge,tree was showing surface speed ! Works got its benifits !
scott

Posted 13 years ago #
Bhachgen
Member

Pretty certain I saw a female Merlin on the Whitecraig - Dalkeith railway path last Saturday. Had just had a lovely view of a buzzard taking off from a roadside tree as I approached Whitecraig from the R. Esk Walkway.

Then cycling along the narrow, wooded stretch that curves around the south of the village, a small brown falcon swings in from the left, flies along the path, very low and fast, and then swings back across to the left again at a break in the trees. My first thought was Kestrel, but it seemed like fairly un-Kestrel-like behaviour (unless someone can correct me on that?), and was a fairly uniform brown from behind, not the chestnut coloured back that Kestrels tend to have. Definitely not a Sparrowhawk - the wings were distinctly pointed.

Posted 13 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Sounds right Bhachgen - a bird I've only ever caught similarly fleeting glimpses of (the type which do leave you wondering if it really was). Should look distinctly smaller than a Sparrowhawk, but in that short glimpse, and without a Sparrowhawk alongside to compare(!) it's difficult to tell.

Was buzzed by a couple of Goldcrests near Duddingston Loch yesterday morning. Lovely wee pair that just did no sit still, but still managed to grab one solitary shot that is probably the best Goldcrest I've got yet.

I was hanging around there because LothianBirdNews had reported a Ring Ouzel around the place, but no joy on that front.

Posted 13 years ago #
amir
Member

Bhachgen, I saw similar behaviour in the same place (a couple of months ago http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=643&page=15). I thought it was a kestrel - mainly because of its size and it was falcon like. But sometimes it's difficult to be sure.

Posted 13 years ago #