In my kitchen ten minutes ago - a monstrous great house spider out for a walk. I'm not bothered by spiders - in fact, some are quite lovely - but this thing seems to have been feeding on mice. I may have squawked. Anyway, apparently it lives under the washing machine, and I shall not be using the kitchen barefoot again until I forget that!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
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Posted 8 years ago #
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I spotted the Heriot-Watt woodpecker from the Tree Trail just now after having heard it pecking on and off for the past few years. It wasn't green so it was probably of the greater-spotted variety, but it was quite a long way away.
I then bumped into a colleague walking around the loch who casually informed me that she had seen a kingfisher in that area in recent weeks. I then bumped into another colleague who apparently saw an otter in the burn by the Research Park from the top deck of the bus a while ago...
Posted 8 years ago # -
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Water of Leith Trust (@WOLCT)
14/03/2016, 10:31
Otter Video footage from Redbraes weir"
Posted 8 years ago # -
The Blackbirds are getting excitable and there has been much whistling and twitting outside the last couple of evenings.
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Watching and photographing an otter in the Figgate this morning. Jerry Mandarin is still around, no sign of the Water Rail anymore.
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I stumbled upon a rogue fawn on the backpaths in Livingston at lunchtime today. Seems to be becoming a yearly event for me on this particular stretch of footpath!
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Saw three or four deer on the saw pit wood path which is a continuation of the car park road at malleny house on Friday afternoon on walk up to Harlaw reservoir with my kids. Quite tame, the deer, not the kids. And I think more of them.
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Four mountain hares on Redstone Rig on Friday. Still mostly white.
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Watched impressive aerial display of the jackdaws before their nightly roost at the Astley Ainsley.
Less amorphous than usual - more paired off.
Must be Spring.
(More before I got the camera!)
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A swallow over Melrose yesterday that will surely have a hungry few days if it doesn't retreat south.
Points do make prizes, but one swallow does not etc.
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A pair of amorous swans on the canal near Harrison Park this morning. I wonder where they will nest given that the fairly quiet spot by Viewforth bridge is now gone.
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A pair of herons sitting on the ridge of the roof of a house in the Inch. The seagulls and crows were going mental - I thought it would be the buzzard they were excited about and actually snorted out loud when I saw the two herons slouched like hoodlums on the coping stones.
Posted 8 years ago # -
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Living Edinburgh (@EdinLandscape)
04/04/2016, 6:31 pm
New map on the River Almond walkway. Photo by @EdinBirdwatcherhttp://pic.twitter.com/K1kgRdQhZ7
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Posted 8 years ago # -
A very smart treecreeper on a blackthorn bush in Craigmillar Castle Park.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@IWRATS hug a heron?
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@jdanielp
I'd rather jug a hare.
Posted 8 years ago # -
It's become commonplace to see a buzzard on Craigmillar Hill. However, I just saw a group of four flying West about fifty meters above Inch Park.
Four buzzards over a suburban park. Made me think of the red kites in Aylesbury - they go into people's back gardens. (And would do the same here if they didn't have to cross driven grouse moors to get here.)
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I had siskins in my garden the other day. I thought they were greenfinches but they were difinitely siskins two males and a female. Delighted!
Posted 8 years ago # -
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THE surprise birth of rare wolverine kits at Highlands Wildlife Park has delighted staff.
As well as being the first time in Scotland, this is only the third time this vulnerable species has ever been born and reared in the UK.
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http://www.scotsman.com/news/baby-wolverines-born-in-scotland-for-first-time-1-4091069
Posted 8 years ago # -
The buzzards in Craigmillar woods are well established and later on you may see as many as eight at a time as the juveniles take to the wing. There are red kites in Penicuik so they are getting closer being well established in Dumfries and Galloway and extending their terrain slowly but surely.
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Posted 8 years ago #
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@Claggy Cog
Penicuick? Fantastic! I'm very familiar with the kites round Inverness. They started on the Black Isle and spread out to the edges of the more 'aggressive' estates. They'll need body armour to hook up with the Argaty kites....
Odd you mention siskins - maybe explains the 'tiny greenfinches' that swept through the garden yesterday?
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Posted 8 years ago #
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Struth, that is one fork-ed tongue
Posted 8 years ago # -
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"This crime will not be tolerated within East Lothian and anyone found to be involved will be robustly dealt with."
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-35987789Posted 8 years ago # -
For anyone near to (or even far from!) the Figgate Park, we should be having a photo exhibition of wildlife in the park in the ATC hut there. Still trying to sort out dates and logistics, but will be part of a day with various things going on (including continuing with a load of willow structure building (we've a tunnel and three wigwams so far) and some yarn bombing (a giant spider's web is planned).
Should know more after the next committee meeting next Tuesday.
Posted 8 years ago # -
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explores the ever relevant theme of human migration, with lyrics by Karine Polwart and Aidan Moffat among others. Polwart deals with a different aspect of migration in her new piece Wind Resistance, inspired by the mass migration of pink-footed geese to Fala Flow, near Edinburgh, while Moffat undertakes his own unpredictable musical road trip in witty documentary Where You’re Meant To Be.
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Posted 8 years ago # -
Big Aidan is bringin his miserablist shtick to filmhouse tomorrow (he is funny). He will be there and so will the film. Alas the star of the film has died - Sheila Stewart of the tinker Stewart family fae Blairgowrie, who entranced Euan McColl in sixties (Aidan following in Euan's footsteps).
I love Aidan's musical monologue about The Coppertop Pub near the canal in Falkirk, ...ye see the trouble wi you is you're top heavy, charcoal gray he said, looks like black to me.
Posted 8 years ago #
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