Last night as I crossed under Telford road heading towards Cramond I spotted a Fox come onto the path from the left (south), cross my path heading my way ~5m in front of me and then hop off into the under growth on the north side of Telford Road. A FOX!!!! Woow!!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
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Posted 13 years ago #
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They're bold things these days. Our cat chases them out of the garden, but they keep coming back. I really like seeing them about, but it does mean I had to make sure the chicken run was over-engineered...
Posted 13 years ago # -
I saw a poor wee kestrel being mobbed by crows in Holyrood Park this morning. They should pick on someone their own size.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Probably the same one I saw being mobbed yesterday!
The building opposite us has big plastic birds of prey, which occasionally turn their heads and flap their wings, to scare away things like gulls and so on. I'm on a conference call and was staring out the window and a great tit landed on its head... And I got a photo. Hehehehe!
Posted 13 years ago # -
please post Anth, sounds like a hilarious photo.
Posted 13 years ago # -
We had great fun peering up half hanging over the balcony when we first discovered that! Truly a highlight of Edinburgh Wildlife
Posted 13 years ago # -
Need to photoshop out the shadow of the blind...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Hehe, that's some deterrent! They apparently move it around intermittently to stop the birds getting too used to it.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Yep, we see blokes appearing every now and then to shift them (there are usually 2). The gulls and pigeons don't seem too bothered - first time I've seen a wee bird around it.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Walking through the Meadows today I stopped to have a look at a poster in the message boards that I haven't noticed before - it has pics of 'birds you might see in the meadows' (there's also one for plants and so on).
Lots of the usual suspects, as well as winter visitors like Redwings. But some that I wouldn't have expected, including: Jays (very much a countryside bird); Kingfishers (erm, water source?); Skylarks (again, would only expect to see them outside the city); Cuckoo (I've heard they can occasionally appear on Arthur's Seat, but only passing through, I'd be surprised if they were common enough to warrant being on this poster). Need to have another look when I've got more time and check in with LothianBirdNews (there's a bird atlas that registers spots around the whole country in grids).
Posted 13 years ago # -
We had a lot of issues last year with crows (might have been ravens/rooks - whatever...) stomping about on our flat roof (aboove our bedroom), pecking at the roof too.
Despite there being 15cm of insulation up there the noise was remarkably loud - and hugely annoying.
I did do a bit of research into effective ways of scareing them off, the result being that there didn't seem to be any effective ways.
This year they decided not to spend their early mornings on our roof. Don't know why, but I am grateful.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Full credit to Amir for the spot - a Nuthatch on a tree at the side of the road between Romanobridge and Lyne Kirk. We had stopped for phone call / take pictures of spiders webs and at first thought it was a treecreeper until it flew to a different tree and started calling. Got a great view of its full colours.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Northern end of its range as well.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Excellent spot. I have never seen one.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Wasn't during cycling but we were on a fieldtrip at Aberlady yesterday. Lovely views of Reed Warbler (first for me), Little Egret and Peregrine Falcon. Sadly most of the trip was spent walking and talking but I'll definitely head back there once uni is over.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Aberlady Nature Reserve - very nice.
Walk to Gullane, lunch, bus back to Aberlady if you don't want to take bike through nature reserve.
Posted 13 years ago # -
A Little Egret sounds interesting. I have suggested we go to Aberlady sometime but need to actually go!
I saw a little clump of Goldcrests in a tree yesterday peeping away. A very common bird but so cute and difficult to spot it is lovely to see them, especially in a group.Posted 13 years ago # -
Goldcrest
Spiky Goldcrest by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrThere were Little Egrets all over Brittany, really funny with their black legs and yellow feet, like they're wearing socks...
Wall-Mountable Wigeon from Musselburgh at the weekend
Wall Mountable Wigeon by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrSunlit lit Sparrowhawk over the Figgy
Sparrowhawk Flight 1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrBut today I'm off ill, so restricted to garden birds as I sat wrapped up with a lemsip.
Smiling Sparrow by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Clinging Coal Tit by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Perched Dunnock by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrSorry, I'm bored...
Posted 13 years ago # -
More fine shots from Anth - I particularly like the squadron of Widgeon. However after last year's waxwing triumph I think your public is waiting for this winter's killer shot.
P.S. sorry you are poorly, but I can't help but think that a few laps of the seat on Sunday would have warded off those winter viri and bacterioids
Posted 13 years ago # -
Nice shots Anth. No need to step outside at all today.
The Egret may still be there as it was there earlier this week.
I finish uni at the end of this month so I i'll definitely be up for a cycle out there.
There are also an obscene amount of Buckthorn out there waiting for their berries to be picked.Posted 13 years ago # -
Sounds good for a plague of waxwing or redwing or fieldfare or all three!
I'm off next week, I think I'll trundle down one day on one of my singlespeed run-in rides. The submarines are crying out for some photos with a bike posed artily nearby. I've also yet to locate the remains of the Matilda tank.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Redwing and Fieldfare have started arriving. Waxwings... There are a few, but then again, too few to mention... The weather is still good in Scandinavia so they're hanging about there for the minute. Certainly it was this time last year I started seeing LOADS, but this year I've seen a single report of one at Longniddry, and nowt else yet.
The ride out to Aberlady is a nice one (and flat!). Saw a few people riding the actual paths once in there, but I prefer to chain up and walk with the camera ready to hand.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Just saved this from the cat...
Saved Mouse 4 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Saved Mouse 1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrPosted 13 years ago # -
So sweeeeeet. :-)
Posted 13 years ago # -
There are others taking advantage of the quiet south Arthur's Seat road...
Untitled by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Untitled by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Untitled by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Untitled by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrCompletely unperturbed - stayed beside me, two yards away, until some other cyclists arrived, but even then was only 10-20 yards away.
Posted 13 years ago # -
There's a Mandarin Duck on Dunsapie Loch just now...
Mandarin 1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrPosted 13 years ago # -
Golly that's exotic.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Sign of the times?
Ripe blackberries (road to Fa'side)
Broken (wild) eggshell (outside my house)
Posted 13 years ago # -
..and for the last couple of nights, birdsong from the trees at the back of the house.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Thanks for sharing the Mandarin with those of us "who couldnae be bothered", Anth!
Sign of the times - sunflower still in bloom in front garden on Roseneath Street!
Posted 13 years ago #
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