Thanks all :) I was too surprised to notice any bristling neck hairs but it was very exciting... I'm unlikely to make it tomorrow, although if somebody could update the thread with the departure time back into town, then I might just be able to intercept depending on what time the Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative AGM finishes in Currie.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure
Wildlife highlight of the day
(7221 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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I'll be stirring things up in the Figgate tomorrow (no, not because of that), by putting up 'Please don't feed bread to the ducks' posters.
Put the mock-up on our FB page and it went semi-viral, has so far reached 47,500 people, which is about ten times as many as photos of the Mandarin Duck reached when he was about.
Fingers crossed for the first ducklings arriving soon (though the Lesser Black Backed and Herring Gulls have been gathering for a few weeks soon, and I've seen more than one wee quacker being carried off into the air).
EDIT: in fairness the majority of people online have been very very supportive of the message on the poster (which tries to be informative and friendly).
Posted 8 years ago # -
WC - what can you feed ducks? They are unfortunately found of bread but don't seem like at least some types of seed
Posted 8 years ago # -
That's the problem, bread is like their version of fast food and they love it. But it's not just about protecting the birds (it has been linked to various ailments, especially heavily processed white stuff, and 'angel wing' deformities in ducklings and goslings).
Uneaten bread attracts rats; and uneaten bread, as well as bread which has passed through, effectively pollutes the water which can lead to increased algae growth (a real problem in the Figgate at the end of every summer); that can cause illness in the birds, but also in dogs.
Someone on the FB page swears by kale, but lettuce and peas are apparently big favourites (both of which are mentioned on the poster, along with seeds). A lot of it is trying to break the habit of bread, because they'll ignore the new stuff for a while and hold out for the bread.
Posted 8 years ago # -
You know I'm good for it man, just one more hit of Mother's Pride.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Actually, having chickens, and seeing how mental they go for sweetcorn, I can see the birds heading into Trainspotting territory.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"
WIND turbines have contributed to an 80% drop in the number of a protected bird species, a charity has warned.
An RSPB Scotland study examined the number of golden plovers at Gordonbush wind farm in Sutherland for five years before, during and after its construction.
"
Posted 8 years ago # -
Apparently wind turbines wipe out a lot of bats too. :-(
Posted 8 years ago # -
While pootling about West Lothian yesterday I passed a skylark doing his thing above the field next to me. There was no traffic so he was the only sound, and it was a glorious one.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Juvenile cormorant on the concrete plinth of Ratho marina swing bridge this morning on my lng way round to work this morning.
Water rat a wester hailes ran straight across my path and dived straight into the canal on my way home
Posted 8 years ago # -
@chdot - oh that's wretched.
When power-lines were first erected they killed a lot of birds but they eventually learned not to earth themselves when sitting on them. Will birds evolve to avoid wind-turbines?
Of course hedgehogs haven't evolved to not curl up in the middle of roads...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I'm sure I'd read somewhere that hedgehog behaviour had changed. Will need to research this.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Buzzard and crow having a barney over the house (Duddingston) a couple of days ago; brown rat looking shifty on the roof of the chicken run last night.
Five days till Skye and then Lewis, bring on the otters and white-tailed eagles and cuckoos (if there are some early arrivals) and minke whales.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Cycling through the Lammermuirs in the night last weekend, we saw plenty of rodents, rats, rabbits, voles ....
Posted 8 years ago # -
Am I just imagining it, or are there a lot more crows in town than there used to be?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@ PS
I have seen 'more' recently, but with such sightings I usually assume its seasonal or they are 'on tour'.
Not near nesting/roosting places, so no 'evidence'.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Definite Chiffchaffs (and not Great Tits doing Chiffchaff impressions) plus Peacock butterflies.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A wee Willow Warbler.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've had a long-term plan to incite a friend to cycle that has come to fruition. He is part of the raptor monitoring group that keeps an eye on golden eagles in the wilds of Strath Conon. Many of the eyries are a considerable slog from the tarmacadam road and some of the terrain is cyclable. Myself and Madame IWRATS tagged along with him and spent the day watching the nest site for the change-overs that demonstrate that the couple is sitting on eggs. Eagles can be incredibly discreet despite their gargantuan size, but we saw them and this is definitely what bicycles are for;
Posted 8 years ago # -
Several buzzards circling over the Grangemouth plant this morning while I was on my lovely ride. A crow was going for one, but the others were just lazily riding up the fume-laden thermals from the flare.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Red kite down at St. John's town of Dalry. Yesterday.
Also reliably informed that the swifts have reached calais
Posted 8 years ago # -
House martins up at Harlaw reservoir twice today. Not swallows or swifts but house martins
Posted 8 years ago # -
Some great wildlife in the last couple of weeks on Skye and Lewis, back home and the Figgate Cygnets made their debut yesterday. Out at Hopes reservoir today hoping for cuckoos (as some had made it to the Isles) but sadly none. A few Red Grouse, loads of Buzzards and Tiger Beetles though.
20160429 Otter_16 by Anthony Robson, on Flickr
20160429 Otter_9 by Anthony Robson, on Flickr
20160502 Carnish Headland Seal by Anthony Robson, on Flickr
20160501 White-Tailed Eagle by Anthony Robson, on Flickr
Cygnets2 by Anthony Robson, on Flickr
Cygnets4 by Anthony Robson, on Flickr
Posted 8 years ago # -
Great photos Anth. I heard a cuckoo at the Joppa entrance to Newhailes last Friday, about 8.45am.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Tis but a fraction. Got Godwits in breeding finery, dunlins, stonechats... but don't want to bore :)
Nice to know the cuckoos have made it here! Not had a decent shot of one in a couple of years, so fingers firmly crossed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Lovely photos.
Cuckoo heard but not spotted thriepmuir yesterday.
Swifts also heard but not seen
Posted 8 years ago # -
Love the photos (especially the cygnets - so cute).
Posted 8 years ago # -
We saw a small group of Eider ducks floating up the river at Musselburgh at the weekend. Three of them were minute wee fluffy ducklings. Thrilled!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Nice pictures WC!
I've recently spotted house martins (I think) nesting under the Cultins Road canal bridge, swallows nesting in the roof of the cafe at Callendar Estate cycle trails, a furry caterpiller making good progress along the towpath near Falkirk and I'm fairly sure that I saw a swift swoop by a little before the caterpillar spot. Last week I saw a cormorant seemingly hanging out with the swans at Wester Hailes one evening and then the following morning.
Posted 8 years ago #
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