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IT’S TRUE!
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During the Spokes ride yesterday, we paused to take in the view from the top of a hill somewhere between Prestonpans and Dalkeith. A big, fat, bumble bee flew straight towards me, then stopped in mid air and flew off at a quirky angle, as they do.
A bumble bee. In mid January. My it is warm for the time of year.
Heron stood on side of road just east of Longniddry. Didn't fly off when I passed. Anyone else see it?
Went on a very early ride this morning and stopped by the Musselburgh sea wall juuuust as the sun popped up, and got some lovely shots and birds. THEN a Figgy wander later on garnered some great spots.
Musselburgh Highlights (by no means all that was seen!)
Mistle Thrush
Shag
Turnstone
Velvet Scoter (aka Daffy Duck)
Slavonian Grebe
Loadsa Wigeon
Bean Goose
Fab Figgy
Kingfisher (2 - kinda hoping there's a new resident pair)
Great Spotted Woodpecker
I'll not bore with photos, just the select highlights from the highlights
#30 Shag (phalacrocorax aristotelis) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
#33 Velvet Scoter (melanitta fusca) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
#34 Slavonian Grebe (podiceps auritus) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
#39 Kingfisher (alcedo atthis) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
#41 Great-Spotted Woodpecker (dendrocopos major) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Great day!
Cheers Amir - yeah, just turned into one of those 'seeing-loads-of-stuff' days. Put a smile on my face anyway!
Those were some excellent spots yesterday. Particularly the Scoter and Slavonian Grebe,
I'm a big fan of Grebes, but the Velvet Scoter just makes me laugh cos it looks so much like Daffy Duck.
Sadly the Long Tailed Ducks didn't make an appearance till later in the day (and very close to the sea wall apparently - I've only seen one once from a distance).
Going to try and make the Sunday eeeeaaaarly morning ride a habit, with the return leg then handed over to a bit of wildlife-ing. Tis great going out for a ride and being home for breakfast - easier to do as the days become longer as well.
Really hoping the Kingfishers are sticking around at the Figgy. They were a once-in-a-blue-moon sight, but have been seen a lot more recently. There were two yesterday. I shall be staking out the burn sometime soon!
They might be refugees from the Water of Leith and its "flood prevention scheme". I remember your Shoveler went on holiday there once for a week or two last year, then he went back so there is obviously some flux between the two.
I was greeted in the kitchen this morning by a perky, brightly coloured flock of blue tits, goldfinches, bullfinches, a great tit and a coal tit, all standing in the tree at the back of the garden staring through the window at me. Occasionally one would fly to the empty feeder, look at it, then fly back to the tree to re-commence staring. Feeling guilty I rushed out with some seed.
I wish I could show you all how cute this looked!
If you happen to be heading out of the city any time soon, the Lammermuirs are chock-ful of Red Grouse
#46 Red Grouse (lagopus lagopus) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
And near White-Sands, just a mile or two east of Dunbar, up to four Short Eared Owls have been playing about for the last month or so
#47 Short Eared Owl (asio flammeus) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
SEO Ballet 3 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
SEO Leggy by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Closer to home, the Figgate had a small flock of Siskins invade today
#44 Siskin (carduelis spinus) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Lovely photos as always, Anth. I love se I owls.
By the way: Glad to see the Goosanders are still on the canal!
There were some at Craighlockhart Pond too.
There seem to be a lot more goosanders about at the mo. There are around 8 on the Figgy just now - and they're getting tame enough to come for food with the Mallards. Got some shots the last couple of days from a few yards away.
Finally finally finally I have an Edinburgh Otter... There are a couple that have been getting seen more regularly on Duddingston Loch (I'd actually gone up looking for a reported Bittern - and yes, I was on the bike!).
Saw this at the south-east corner on Saturday morning, looking over the fence by the entrance to the (locked) reserve, though speaking to a guy later they had been pretty much over the whole loch where there wasn't ice.
Picture is grainy and poor, had to bump up the ISO on the camera in the poor light, but still worth it. :)
Otter1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Got treated to some formation Teal flying as well...
#50 Teal (anas crecca) by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Excellents spots and photos, Anth.
"Look at the size of that thing!"
"Cut the chatter, Red Two. Accelerate to attack speed"
Walking along the canal at lunchtime a gorgeous, healthy-looking fox on the opposite bank, very close to SRD's place as it happens. Seemed to be 'stuck' but after letting me take a few photos (hurrah for having taken the big lens to work!) it slunk off into the undergrowth where I could just make it out curled up asleep.
Couple of guys stopped to ask what I'd spotted - turns out they know the fox, and it's in there pretty often. Funny, even when it was out joggers and walkers seemed oblivious to this big orange thing standing out from the green leafy background.
Hi anth, how far along the canal is 'SRD's?
Also the otter is amazing! I can't believe there's an otter living in Edinburgh.
We heard a tawny owl in Marchmont at the weekend, and saw a grouse (or something similar) at the very end of the canal, near the taxi-repair shop on Lower Gilmore Place. Unfortunately it flew off just before Lyndsey got her camera phone working.
Not sure what it was doing in the centre of Edinburgh? (probably safer here :P)
"I can't believe there's an otter living in Edinburgh"
Some/few/several - maybe someone 'knows'.
Definitely on Water of Leith.
"
Earth Calling
@_EarthCalling_
Awesome Edinburgh wildlife! Otters in Duddingston loch, apparently 3 showing and playing every morning at the moment
"
"I can't believe there's an otter living in Edinburgh."
They're more common than the lack of sightings would indicate. The Water of Leith has them pretty much along the whole length (though I've never seen one, but a friend filmed some around Canonmills, and I've seen photos from right down at the Shore, and I think some live around the Water of Leith centre); they're also on the canal; and have been seen a fair amount on Duddingston Loch, but getting seen LOTS now. I will be back this weekend.
Oh, and there was one filmed by the CCTC camera at Cameron Toll shopping centre last year. Otters are doing very well in Edinburgh just now!
Can't watch that video here, but there was a guy I had a quick chat with at the weekend who had a video camera digiscoped and had been watching them play in the morning. Seems they're ranging over the whole Loch just now, so there's not really a best spot to see them.
Need to get a picture of the city's badgers next... (I know of one pinoint location having seen them there, off the Trinity Path - they're also on Corstorphine Hill where I believe the Scottish Wildlife Trust does feeding walks).
"
Water of Leith Trust (@WOLCT)
2/1/12 1:43 PM
@CyclingEdin @wildedinburgh @_EarthCalling_ there is rumour of an otter on Braid Burn - not sure it's true & no room for more beyond that
"
What about the Almond(?)
yes, definitely otters in Braid Burn at Hermitage.. The Countryside rangers run periodic courses so that you can look for signs of them.
An ice skating fox on Duddingston Loch this morning (there were two actually)
Ice Ice Foxy by blackpuddinonnabike, on Flickr
Win!
Little robin somehow got through security doors and into the security department, spent a good half an hour flying up and down whilst a group of us tried to outsmart it and catch it in various boxes and cardigans...
It eventually got bored, went behind one of the roof-mounted displays and then found a window to fly out of.
It was very cute perching on people's screens.
Wow Anth, reading this thread again, you are very fortunate to spot these, I'm hopeless unless they jump out at me!
I spotted a fox o the Craigleith - Silverknowes path a few weeks ago but this morning spotted a deer in Dalmeny Estate on one of the meadows and then again on the Royal Burgess golf course in Barnton.
But then in my defence, I only spot wildlife on the way to and from work and it looks like you're hobby spotting in you're spare time?
Was just reading your deer meetings and thought there might be a post in here. :) Always nice to see (saw a couple of Sunday morning, but I was walking into the Aberlady Bay Reserve, so not really just 'in passing' which always has more of a fun feel to it - like a bonus on the ride).
I guess I'm always looking out for things - we've got friends we've gone walking with and Mel and I have pointed out birds of prey in the sky or certain types of wee bird or foxes or whatever, and get asked 'how do you spot them?', to which my response is always 'how do you not???' ;)
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