Thin tail and hovering - that would be a kestrel. Only three raptors really hover in the UK - buzzards are much bigger and ospreys only do it over water. Kestrels are common and hovering is their standard tactic, whereas the other two just do it in bursts.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7221 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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Kestral:avg. 35cm long(females larger than males), mottled marks on underparts.
Sparrowhawk:avg. 30-40cm long (females larger than males, )bars across underparts.
The giveaway though is the hovering. Sparrowhawks don't tend to do that unless there's a strong wind holding them up, the same with many other non-hovering birds. Kestrals are of course well-known for their hovering ability.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Forgot to add last week:
Last Thursday night, first frog or toad of the year. As it was on the pavement just along from my house and I was in a rush to get to the airport, I didn't stop to identify it. I only just avoided stepping on the poor thing in the dark!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Co-incidentally, after discussing the non-hovering nature of buzzards...
From the "lovely ride" thread:
Wildlife highlights were a buzzard sailing in the high wind and managing to 'hover', and an alpaca on a farm, whose curiosity led him to come over a small hill to see what I was all about. He wasn't interested enough to come close though, and soon trotted back over the hill. Lowlight was a dead badger :-(
Posted 10 years ago # -
Singing chiffchaff seen and heard on my way to work today, canal opposite Sykes ish
Posted 10 years ago # -
Sunday
Bud picking
Wild? Fine specimen.
Green shoots of spring - will survive until the first grass cut
Posted 10 years ago # -
Local heron flew over the garden while I was in the kitchen, elegantly ignoring the sleet and rain.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Two long tailed tits in the garden just now collecting feathers, presumably as nest material. (The feathers appeared on the lawn a few days ago, presumably the work of the local cat)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Last night on the canal towpath I had the pleasure of rescuing a pair of common toads in amplexus from imminent danger of being flattened under the wheels of the commuting hordes.
Picked them up and put them on the verge and set off. Realised that I am at best a halfwit, turned round, went back and put them on the canal side of the towpath.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Mallard, wren, dipper and pair of heron on brief saunter down WoL path this evening. Whindust runs from bridge road down path for maybe 1km. Dry at moment.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I saw a heron on the canal this morning for the first time in a month. Other than that it has been the usual ducks, swans, moorhens, coots and the odd cormorant. I have pretty much given up looking for the kingfisher...
Posted 10 years ago # -
I think the kingfisher has eaten all the fish on the Heriot watt stretch of the canal and has headed out west beyond Ratho? My spots of kingfisher on canal have been further west. (These are not recent spots)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Buzzard being very casually mobbed by a couple of gulls over the SW corner of the Astley Ainslie estate.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Woodpecker drumming in Arniston estate heard yesterday and today.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Three foxes Thursday aft/evening on the nepn. 8 hens today in Hopeton.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Musselburgh to Penicuik cycle path...the first swallows of the year.
The swifts will be three weeks away...
Posted 10 years ago # -
I spotted a kestrel hovering by the Pollock Halls side of Arthur's Seat this afternoon while walking round the road (fortunately closed) to enjoy some sun and pass some time until my bike was ready to collect from The Cycle Service.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Lot of crows up at Harlaw cawing at their nests. Also many anglers. Some frogspawn. Tomorrow is pond dipping day for kids 13.30pm at the Harlaw ranger centre - cycle up the WoL path then through Balerno and up Harlaw road. This gets you up there without too much ascent. Descending via kirkbrae very steep route one back to WoL path at currie Kirk or round by tor duff by following the top road until it ends at farm then skirts behind the cottage is a lot of gain for little pain. Steep down to Bonaly then from there to colinton. Depending on children, maybe best to go back via Harlaw road.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Three buzzards circling upwards on a thermal over Balerno right now. We've been watching them for the last 5 minutes. Absolutely beautiful, especially against the clear blue sky.
(I really must buy those new binoculars that people have recommended - the "toy" ones I've got just don't quite do it).
Posted 10 years ago # -
A deer wandering across the road mid afternoon half way up Barnton Avenue. I knew house prices there were a little dear, but that is ridiculous.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Two then three boys on motorbikes on the WoL path, went up at lunchtime and down at tea time. I would give aforementioned hard Paddington stare to their parents.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Troglodytes troglodytes on my patio yesterday evening and again this morning. Should not be surprised as britain's commonest breeding bird. However as either very small (tho not the smallest) or very far away I am always pleased to see one darting about.
Posted 10 years ago # -
On subject of the smallest, and also having seen a wren yesterday I also saw the two most vividly-coloured male Goldcrests I've ever witnessed. They had the most amazing bright orange caps, as though coloured by the setting sun. Tweeting quite loudly at each other, I suspect they were vying for territorial rights.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Saw dipper, like a pumped up wren, on WOL this morning. Also massive heron. Before my trip to Just Bike Repairs of Juni Green also elegant collared dove in might ours tree,
I have friend who made a wooden doocot and bought some elegant doves. The dirty so and sos mated with the local pigeons
Posted 10 years ago # -
First ring ouzel and house martin spotted by the Blackhope Water.
Swifts now two weeks away. They have reached Spain according to a chap I was talking to on Saturday.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Saw the Balerno buzzards on Saturday, on thermals and higher than normal buzzards, still not ospreys.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Along with the usual mocking-birds, oven birds, woodpecker and burrowing owl, I spent a good hour or so in the company of soaring black-chested buzzard-eagles today on my circuits of a race track. Just wonderful. And a hummingbird in the garden just now.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Amir I am guessing you are not in Scotland at the moment?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Nope - so not a commute but still cycling!
Posted 10 years ago # -
First ducklings of the season on the canal. Still at the teeny weeny and very cute stage. One mother duck with just one duckling causing a holdup on the towpath, the other with a huge army of little babies behind her on the canal.
Lowlight of the day (and of last night, in particular) is the clouds of small flies by the canal. I ingested quite a few through various orifices today and yesterday.
Posted 10 years ago #
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