There is a rather scrawny fox hanging around the back garden of our office begging for bits of sandwich and scone. Very tame, got a good photo earlier on.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7223 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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"to fatten it back up."
Do you remember hedgehog crisps?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Saw a beggar at lunchtime with a kitten. :( Dogs I can understand (and they always seem really well cared for, these dogs are friends for folk), kitten no - it's going to want to go wandering, and Lothian Road isn't the place for that.
I got some change to go by on my way back to the office (and find out where he'd got the cat etc etc) but he was gone by the time I walked by. Going to have to look out for him on the way home now, and tomorrow lunchtime.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hoodie (crow) seen again near P & R on Lanark Road yesterday. Normal carrion crow seen nearby.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Cool, I love the Hoodies, but only ever really see them out west. They get mentioned on LothianBirdNews a bit more now (though usually accompanied by a snippy reply of someone saying it's probably a hybrid etc etc etc - no reason why 'pure' hoodies can't be making their way east at all).
I like all the Corvids really - they get a bad rep, but that's really just the price of being intelligent and adaptable. Reminds me, I've not seen any Jays this year, might get onto LBN and ask where the best spot in E Lothian would be...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I saw a nice female Blackcap (Redcap) yesterday. I haven't seen any this year though plenty males so have been looking out for them.
Posted 12 years ago # -
It may have been a hybrid - I just latched onto its smart grey trimmings
Posted 12 years ago # -
I saw all my Blackcaps quite early in the year, then nowt, but yeah, all males (last year got very VERY close, with the camera, to a female - posed beautifully).
Completely forgot to mention on this thread, but saw a Puffin a little way off shore while walking the coast at Tyninghame in East Lothian. Pic was a little fuzzy, but nice to see from the mainland (especially given our Isle of May boat trip this year got cancelled). Loads of Gannets really close into shore there as well.
Apparently there are Cuckoos being seen around here just now. Presumably juveniles finally making their way south. One at Aberlady, one at Musselburgh, and one in Colinton, in the last week or so.
Posted 12 years ago # -
It may have been a hybrid
A blackcap with 700c wheels and a triple?
Posted 12 years ago # -
A
blackcapblack crow with 700c wheels and a triple?Posted 12 years ago # -
I semi-frequently see craw hybrids around. Don't recall ever seeing a fully fledged hoodie this far south though.
Posted 12 years ago # -
We got to the beach by bike, so I assume it counts!
Off one of Coll's many beautiful beaches, we saw a Basking Shark very close to shore:
http://129.215.142.66/shark/DSCF2310.JPG
Here's a map showing where:
There were 4-5 further out to sea.
(lots of unsorted shark photos here:
http://129.215.142.66/shark )Random facts about Basking Sharks (mostly from wikipedia): They can grow to be 40 foot long, and are the 2nd largest sort of fish in the world. They are classed as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List. They don't eat people, instead they filter tiny creatures from thousands of tons of water each hour.
Posted 12 years ago # -
A couple of years back I got one of the only pictures you will find on a Google search of a basking shark 'breaching' (jumping out of the water). It did it three times, I managed to snap one jump (in two shots). Got shown on Springwatch and everyfink (and they even managed to get my name wrong - *proud*).
I contacted a guy who runs a Skye wildlife website about it (for it was there that we saw it) and he posted on his website that a 'suspected porpooise' had been seen - he was most apologetic when, a few days later, I sent him the pictures.
They're stunning creatures aren't they? Just so immense...
Posted 12 years ago # -
@WC: Wow, that [breaching] must have been amazing to see. My photo doesn't really do its size justice, they really are huge! (I was a little frightened when I first saw it while paddling!!)
Found your photo: http://www.glendaleskye.com/basking_shark_breach_1.jpg
" the only known fatalities involving the Basking Shark occurred in the Firth of Clyde before World War II, when a breaching shark hit a small boat at the surface, capsizing it and drowning 3 of the occupants – you have been warned!" -- http://www.baskingsharks.org
Wow.
I'd still not want to go swimming near it! What if I get sucked in? (at 2000 tons/hour that's ~500 litres/second the shark's filtering [about 2 bathtubs/second]... although apparently it doesn't draw water in, it just swims and uses its movement to drive the water into its mouth.
PS I'm going to have to buy a better camera, keep seeing cool stuff that an 8 year old camera + binoculars doesn't really do justice to :)
Posted 12 years ago # -
Aye, that's my shot :)
Of course since then I've got my humungous wildlife lens - that shot had a big crop to show it that close.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Somewhat dwarfed by the amazing basking shark but one very small frog and one very large toad whilst grass cutting today. Also two huge brown slugs about the size of a small dog.
Posted 12 years ago # -
They will be loving this weather!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Woo hoo! Spotted AND photographed the Figgy Otter today :)
Figgy Otter by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrPosted 12 years ago # -
You sure it's not a hippo?!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Completely forgot this one: pine martin last week in the Highlands. Lovely wee slinky creature, but too shy to stick around after crossing the road as I approached and fumbled for t'camera box.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Many years ago I was water ski-ing off Brodick late at night ( 2200 ish) and we came close to a basking shark by accident. We were way, way out in the bay and the pilot was opening the throttle and letting rip when the observer pointed at something in the water ( the crew of a vessel moored in the bay were pointing at it too...I thought they were hurling abuse at me). Avoiding action was taken but boy, did I hing on and steer clear as I had no idea what it was. Couldn't get to shore quick enough.
2 years ago a dead baby basking shark was washed up on the shore at Blackwaterfoot. Massive thing even as a baby. At last the local polis got to use their blue and white cordon tape!
Posted 12 years ago # -
A deer running away from the A70 beyond the airfield junction as I took the longer way home last week.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Also patient - so there's a challenge!
Posted 12 years ago # -
I did actually mention to them that I was planning a stakeout one morning this weekend. Crack of dawn, couple of hours, I have high hopes...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Nice one W.C. You mustelid be very patient and otter be congratulated...
Posted 12 years ago # -
b'dum tish...
Heading up Johnstone Terrace, Kestrel swoops down from the Castle 5 yards in front of two guys carrying cameras, then circles back, catches a few updrafts, gradually edges over the Tattoo grandstands and away (presumably to better hunting on the Garden side). Both failed to register a single photo. Sometimes you've just got to watch.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Impressed by use of mustelid.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I saw a black panther in my garden yesterday oh wait I got the perspective wrong, it was one of my neighbour's cats (bob).
I read in the QI book that there is no such thing as a panther. Just black leopards or jaguars or pumas.
You can still see feint spots on the first two
Posted 12 years ago # -
A Dipper whirring under the bridge at Moredun.
Posted 12 years ago #
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