Just as the thunderstorm was gearing up for action, a bat perhaps decided discretion was the better part of valour and flew past my bedroom window. Never seen a bat this locally before.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7221 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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Praise Song for the Unloved Animals
For North American fauna but still lovely.
"Let peals of gratitude ring out for the glossy vulture, soarer of air currents, eater of gore. We gaze in wonder at your distant perfection, mistaking you for creatures we thoughtlessly love much more: for eagles or hawks or ospreys. Stolid in our heavy human bones, we follow you with our eyes, watching as you barely shift the angle of your wings to bank and glide, to circle and circle again.
May we remember in your circling the cycle you complete. On the ground, something is suffering. Something is coming near to the end of its time among us, but its life is not ending. Its life can never end. You are turning its body into something beautiful: blood and feathers and hollow bones. Earthbound no longer, the dead are rising again in you, rising and rising, lifted on air."
&
"In summer we consider the whine of the mosquito, the secrecy of the spider, the temper of the wasp — who among us could love you? Who could love even one of you, bearing your poisons and your pain into the heavy summertime air? We could. We could love you if we remind ourselves that no creature is made up only of poison, that no life is only a source of irritation or pain."
Posted 4 years ago # -
Black-headed seagulls now hawking flying ants over the garden. Happens every year on a warm humid day in August.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Several bats on WoL path tonight
Posted 4 years ago # -
Don't mess with eagles...
Bald eagle attacks government drone and sends it to bottom of Lake Michigan
https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/14/eagle-drone-attack-lake-michigan
Posted 4 years ago # -
@steveo good stuff. I've seen a few reports of authorities using trained birds of prey to take down drones as well...
Posted 4 years ago # -
A yellow underwing moth all confused in the bathtub last night. Caught and ejected.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Headless adult male blackbird* on the back patio ~7pm yesterday evening, with scattered feathers nearby. Looked like a sparrowhawk had taken it and been disturbed - possibly by the missus when she went out to get some herbs. Gone within the hour but didn't see what took it - though there haven't been any crows or gulls in the garden for a fair while, and any foxes usually come through later in the evening - so, hoping that the sparrowhawk was just in hiding and came back sharpish for the rest of its dinner.
We have seen what appeared to be a pair of adult blackbirds collecting food in the garden this last week. Seemed a bit late for a second brood but can't think why else they'd be doing it. Maybe the young 'uns had fledged and were just being shown the ropes as it were.
* I realise that this probably wasn't a highlight of the blackbird's day but on balance I'm prepared to side with the predator this time.
Posted 4 years ago # -
We saw a big salmon leaping in the River Tilt above Blair atholl yesterday. Several eagles spotted today by other members of the party.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Two dabchick on Blackford Pond this afternoon. First time I've seen them there.
Also a total of six brown rats counted. They seem to be tidying up the scattered food left uneaten by the ducks (most people do seem to be feeding grains/seeds rather than bread these days). They seemed to be very habituated to being in close proximity to people. Missus thought they were cute.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Not a highlight of today but a memory that just came to me. About 20 years ago I was cycling round the islands with a friend. We were on our way back from Islay and had camped on the beach at Catacol Bay in Arran. We'd finished eating whatever it was we'd rustled up for dinner and were sitting about in the tent. A rat came wandering up the beach, walked right into the porch of the tent, briefly looked at us is if to say 'aw right' from about 3 feet away, then grabbed something out of the bin bag in the porch and ambled off back down the beach again.
Posted 4 years ago # -
We've been on holiday on the West Side of Findhorn Bay. Great place for a break, very quite apart from geese overhead and the odd fighter jet. Ospreys are still hunting in the bay. There are the odd lizard yet a variety of fungi are out. If you trek through the Culbin forest you get to an rspb reserve. Highly recommended.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Post-Glen Tilt wildlife highlights: three red squirrels, one stoat (or greater longmouse), several flat hedgehogs (lowlights for them but means they are reasonably common in area), a nuthatch, and a very forward female mallard grabbing crisps and intimidating labradors.
Lowlight: vast amounts of Himalayan balsam spreading along the Tay valley.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I spotted a lovely toad which appeared to be contemplating crossing the canal 'toadpath' yesterday morning on my walk to collect a long and wide car from Newbridge (the last 15 minutes of the walk after I backtracked from lunch by the Almond Aqueduct were distinctly disappointing)... I didn't see or hear any sign of kingfisher or otter unfortunately, but I did hear and briefly spot a small squeaky mammal in the undergrowth by the towpath at one point, and I enjoyed some tasty blackberries from conveniently placed brambles.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Spotted the Roslin mouse on my way home today. It dashed across one of the wee roads and hid itself in a big patch of soil.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Suspected kestrel just down from where we were on the north side of Norberwick Law this morning. I shall examine the markings later when I fish out the photo.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Young male osprey mooching about the Highlands before heading to Senegal. Slavonian grebes feeding late chicks. A brown long-eared bat bimbling around gorging on the one billion midges.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Someone filmed an otter in Dunsapie Loch this morning! https://twitter.com/dvrh9/status/1298519019998371845
Posted 4 years ago # -
Otter still present in Dunsapie Loch this evening!
Posted 4 years ago # -
Sounds like The Dunsapie Otter has been around for most of August. I have passed the loch a few times without seeeing it, but perhaps it is becoming braver: https://twitter.com/search?q=dunsapie%20otter&src=typed_query&f=live
Posted 4 years ago # -
I love the 'do you know how it got there?'. I mean there's no bus goes up there right enough.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Active travel the only way (unless it arrived by air of course).
Posted 4 years ago # -
I was just about to say air drop is the obvious answer.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Posted 4 years ago #
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The stunned yet stoical parachuted beaver
Posted 4 years ago # -
Sake, not again.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Sounds like another otter has been airdropped into Dunsapie Loch.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Kingfisher! First spot since well before lockdown.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Been hang8ng at the aqueduct on the town side
Posted 4 years ago #
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