CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
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Posted 10 years ago #
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Posted 10 years ago #
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Went out to Aberlady yesterday. Lovely views of grazing Wigeon, as well as a couple of Teal, lots of Curlews and Redshanks and Carrion Crows and a small flock of Goldfinches.
The Figgy first thing in the morning still has little groups of Goosanders and Gadwalls, which both seem to be hanging round a bit more than previously. There's still a lone Shoveler as well, who seems quite happy messing about with the Mallards for the last couple of years.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Do llamas count as wildlife if they're obviously being farmed?
Came across a field of them in the Bathgate hills today. Hadn't been expecting that.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The eiders are looking very splendid in their breeding plumage at Gullane - lots of woo-ing as well. Also a guillemot in winter clothing.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Pheasant at Duddingston loch. We then made the mistake of carrying our bikes up the stairs/path to the higher road, and encountered the triathlon.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Saw a skylark today, it was sort of doing its song flight but without the song. I no idea that they overwintered here.
Posted 10 years ago # -
There's a small field of alpacas with some exotic geese in East Fortune.
I also saw a large group of shooters crossing the road east of Fenton Barns - a little scary! And a roe deer at Aberlady.
Posted 10 years ago # -
11 mergansers and a dipper above the weir at Fords Road / Saughton Garden
Posted 10 years ago # -
Sounds like the annual merganser convention. The canal mergansers meeting up with the fords road contingent to see who has the best quiff, discuss the often floated merganser merger with the gosanders at the thriepmuir bird hide. They never agree that one.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Are we really talking about mergansers and not female goosanders ?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Good point, all these sawbills look the same
The goosander (mergus merganser) is the most likely in these parts - males on WoL look to me to have black heads, female brown
The merganser (mergus serrator) more likely to have a red breast?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Yes male and female goosanders to be specific.
All goosanders are mergansers, but not all mergansers are goosanders.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Yes inshouldnhave said the red breasted merganser more likely to have a red breast
Posted 10 years ago # -
I read on one of the birding sites that all the male goosanders disappear off to Scandanavia I think it was at the end of the breeding season to moult. So from mid summer onwards we're only likely to see females in Scotland. The males return as winter starts but having said that I'm still seeing loads more females than males. The males reward a good view, their heads are a beautiful dark green rather than black and their front and flank a delicate cream with a hint of pink. Very handsome unless you're a fisherman.
Posted 10 years ago # -
This morning walking to Porty for some breakfast provisions there was a Great Spotted Woodie in the Rosefield Park, then coming back along the Christian Path on the return leg a mini-flock of Bullfinches.
Controversially I actually prefer the female goosander to the male, beautiful little punky things.
Goosander_1 by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrPosted 10 years ago # -
I think I spotted a buzzard yesterday, which swooped out of one of the trees by the edge of the canal towpath as I was passing, just before exiting onto Hermiston House Road, landing on one of the trees by the edge of the M8.
Today I spotted a kingfisher (again) on the far side of the canal before the bridge leading to the section where I saw the buzzard. I may stop reporting every kingfisher spotting since they are becoming increasingly regular :)
Posted 10 years ago # -
^ Jealous !
I see loads of buzzards, I wonder if I could swap some of them for one of your kingfishers ?Posted 10 years ago # -
+1!
Posted 10 years ago # -
If I ever get close enough to a kingfisher without it flying away as usual I will have a word to see if it's up for extending its territory for your benefit... But seriously, I reckon that you would have a pretty good chance of spotting one if you were to hang around the canal by the Hermiston House Road bridge at a weekend and observe the low-hanging branches on the far bank.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Excellent, l'll keep an eye out :)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Hmmm, early morning Saturday ride perhaps... See them very very very occasionally in the Figgate, and used to be close enough to the WoL for a lunchtime wander and spot them. Just beautiful things - one holiday in france we were cycling along a canal in Brittany and had around a dozen sightings, they were blinkin' everywhere!
Posted 10 years ago # -
A house fly! Perhaps not so remarkable but it is January
Posted 10 years ago # -
The was a woodpigeon calling this morning, it feels almost like summer :)
Posted 10 years ago # -
PS. WC, on another forum somebody reporting an excellent view of a female kingfisher at Figgate Pond this morning
Posted 10 years ago # -
Yeah, spotted that on Lothian Bird News. Sitting on the walkway with him - grrrr! Right enough it's usually this time of year that sightings of them increase in the Figgy.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I used to live outside Delhi. If we stayed really still in the pool the kingfishers would swoop down to eat insects on the surface. I had a difficult childhood.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Figgy King (I think I'll stick to the local patch tomorrow morning).
#39 Kingfisher (alcedo atthis) by blackpuddinonnabike, on FlickrPosted 10 years ago # -
Should really find out more about birds. See lots that are new to me since moving near the coast.
Often see a heron at our 'duck pond'. For the last few months there have been 3 'chicken' like things running around our front garden. They really are fun to watch for a few minutes.
We also had a swift nest on the side of our house for 6 months of last year, hoping they come back this year.
Posted 10 years ago #
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