CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7223 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Sad story with a happy ending - for one bird at least. Mutilated toucan gets prosthetic beak. Complete with cute video of her munching a grub with the new beak.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Deadgehog on Willowbrae Road the other day - unfortunate that it was dead, but it's still only the second hedgehog I've seen this year. Hopefully it means there are still some locally, unless it had been wedged in the wheel arch of a car and carried from far away.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I am mildly ill just now so may have been hallucinating (I completely misjudged high-fiving gembo on the cycle home last night for instance), but I seemingly cycled past three families of swans on the canal this morning. The family of six cygnets was at Harrison Park and the other family of eight cygnets was at the westerly end of Wester Hailes where the towpath heads north, but a third family of (I think) five cygnets was hanging around in between them near the random Wester Hailes totem pole...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Saw five cygnet family tonight, worried that six cygnet family had lost one.
There were thirty swallows on the telephone line across from my house this morning. Are they getting ready to fly south?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Saw three swan families on canal today. 5, 6 and 8 bairns
Posted 9 years ago # -
There must be a fourth family with 2 cygnets, I've seen them several times on the canal (unless I hallucinated,too??).
Posted 9 years ago # -
Two could be a break away from the main swan peloton?
Posted 9 years ago # -
At 2pm this afternoon I had to give way to one speedy hedgehog traversing the cycle path through Parkside just before entering the Innocent tunnel. Moments later when we emerged the other side of the tunnel we were briefly accompanied overhead by a bird of prey. My passenger assured me it was an owl, but he's only been to school for 7 days in his whole life and I didn't go into school the day we did birds, so we're none the wiser. (He has a habit of being right though.)
It did feel like the two spots were connected.
Posted 9 years ago # -
A gulp of swallows swooping about in Leith Links yesterday morning.
Rat sauntering across the NEPN under Wardie Road.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I spotted a fat rat scuttling along the narrow ledge at the far side of one of the Wester Hailes canal bridges.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Probably the horses that were peering inquisitively over a hedge, possibly the furry catapillar that was crossing the road (I fear that it may well have failed to complete its journey however) or perhaps the swallows that were helping us to believe that it is still summer, but definitely not the huge body of a badger which was up on the verge by the side of the road somewhere between Glasgow and Linlithgow.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I met this critter on my way to work on Friday. I moved him to the verge but given how easy he was to approach I don't hold much hope of his survival.
Far cuter than the dead rat I passed later.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Three kingfisher spottings recently, one near the waterfall on the Almond (just up from Cramond), one on the Water of Leith in the Dean Village and one under the By-pass bridge at Juniper Green.
Also, came across very un-furtive creature wandering unconcernedly about on the towpath at Ratho. After some research, it turned out to be a water-shrew.
Posted 9 years ago # -
A small copper butterfly.
Posted 9 years ago # -
A pair of marsh harriers, a great white egret and a slice of St. Clement's cake were the highlights of a visit to RSPB Leighton Moss today. We were also subject to a sustained attack by a territorial male pheasant...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Big Saltoun Wood, two stoats chasing each other within a yard of our feet, oblivious to our presence.
Also some great spider action, and some Gorse Shieldbugs with their nymphs. Comma and Peacock butterflies. Couple of types of fly that I haven't ID'd yet.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I surprised a sparrowhawk(?) [I'm not good on birds, but it was about the size of a big crow and had a lovely steely blue back] on Gogar Station Road this evening. It was on the verge on the other side of the road and flew off as I approached, and I then realised that there was also an unhappy-looking pigeon flapping about on the verge. I don't know if I actually caused the the sparrowhawk(?) to flee or if it had decided that the pigeon was a bit too lively to deal with. I hope I didn't deprive it of its tea.
This morning in a similar spot I heard a very loud 'pew pew' that sounded like a buzzard very close (although I couldn't see it). I often see and hear them floating around that area, which always lifts the spirits.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Blue upper parts and barred underparts (stripes) would be a male sparrowhawk
Posted 9 years ago # -
"
Garden birds: Feeding brings blackcaps to the UK
"
Posted 9 years ago # -
I've had a Blackcap in my garden just the once, but there are usually a few in the Figgate Park. Lovely birds (and if anything I think the female is prettier with her ginger noggin).
Posted 9 years ago # -
A bat flew into my head in the pentlands yesterday - just near harlaw. Was a bit of a shock for both of us I imagine.
Posted 9 years ago # -
But was the bat wearing a helmet?
Posted 9 years ago # -
No but I didn't have any high vis on so it was probably my fault.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Wow, that is really a bit of a myth about bats flying into your hair! Must have had a glitch in its radar system.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Caught a mouse snacking on my peas last night as I was planting some winter veg. Seemed oblivious to me until I clapped my hands, after which I didn't see it again.
Posted 9 years ago # -
After a slightly disappointing day in Fife yesterday (didn't see sea eagles), we had a fantastic day today in the run up to the chimney demolition. We managed to secure seats in the Levenhall bird hides, with a great view of not only the ash lagoons but the power station and sea.
Besides the human life spread along the coast and in the sea, there were hundreds of oystercatcher s, some godwits curlews and other smaller waders, a gang of herons, geese etc. How ver the highlight was a peregrine. It dived three times at the waders but they didn't take flight (they did when the chimneys went). However on the last attempt the falcon caught one. This was all within a few metres of the hide- one of the wildlife highlights of my life.
Posted 9 years ago #
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