CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Leisure

Wildlife highlight of the day

(7161 posts)

  1. amir
    Member

    Twinder?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. Frenchy
    Member

    A frog in the middle of Claverhouse Drive. It had a human chaperone making sure it didn't get squished, and several kids were excitedly telling passers about it.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. jdanielp
    Member

    A bird of prey perching on a branch of a tree looking out towards one of the fields between the canal and motorway beyond Gorgar Station Road Bridge. I would have assumed that it was a sparrowhawk, but its back appeared to be of a rather darker plumage than I would have expected.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. gembo
    Member

    went for WoL path this morning as frosty but was mostly muddy apart from the Ultitrec section which was frosty.

    Towards canal I had a rottweiller attack the rear wheel and then a Border Collie almost go under the front wheel (chasing a ball that the owner watched roll towards me).

    Then a Snowy (greater Spotted) at junction of Wol and Towpath then on the aqueduct Two saucy Mallards who boldly stayed on the path - there was a hawk ascending the thermal maybe putting them off going in the water, or they are just bold.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. jdanielp
    Member

    The swan is on the nest in the lagoon at Wester Hailes.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. gembo
    Member

    Somewhat discombooberated Heron on the grass at the football pitches at Kingsnowe. Confused by the weather it looked lost.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. jdanielp
    Member

    The Kingsknowe Rat looking lively as it crossed the canal towpath near Boroughmuir Plaza yesterday evening.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. bill
    Member

    @jdanielp thanks for the info about the Wester Hailes swan. Spotted it yesterday and today again.

    Don't know if the Ratho swans expecting any babies this year. Both of them still on the move most of the time. However they seem to have adopted a white goose. Been seeing them hanging out a lot since January. One of the mornings this week the three of them were heading somewhere in the following formation: swan, goose, swan. I didn't think swan couples could befriend other beings.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. jdanielp
    Member

    @bill sounds cute so I hope that they head east sometime (just so long as that doesn't lead to conflict). Several years ago, one pair of swan parents who had six or seven cygnets abruptly vanished from the canal, at which point another swan family of six or seven cygnets adopted them and a random young goose. I now regret not having taken any photographs of that massive flotilla in formation...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. bill
    Member

    @jdanielp WOW! That must have looked very impressive!

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. amir
    Member

    Plenty of lambs around now. Hope the weather isn't too bad for them tomorrow

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. gembo
    Member

    @jdanielp, are you saying 2 parents,m12-14 wee ones and a goose? Like some swan version of Oliver Twist?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. jdanielp
    Member

    @bill @gembo yes indeed. I'm sure I've mentioned it before. That was back in the realms of 2010-13 before I CCEed.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    The idea that wild swans might keep a pet goose is incredibly heartwarming. I am watching snow fall on my pet cat's grave and fighting off haikus.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. gembo
    Member

    @iwrats, you were the pet of that cat, let's face it.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @gembo

    Unarguably. Like the inverse of Klee's etching 'Two Men Meet, Each Believing the Other to Be of Higher Rank'.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. gembo
    Member

    National Gallery of Scotland postcard of Paul Klee's Ghost of A Genius is about same size as the painting. Wee guy, mostly golden. Love it.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. ejstubbs
    Member

    A total of five dippers on the Braid Burn in the Hermitage this morning. One of them was singing, though I didn't realise it at first. I was standing there watching the wee fellow perched on a rock in mid-stream, then I heard this birdsong which sounded as if it was coming from somewhere in the trees above. I looked around but couldn't pinpoint it. Only when I looked back at the dipper did I realise that it was actually him - I could see his throat and beak moving in time with the song. At least I now know what dipper song sounds like.

    Also, three clumps of frogspawn in our new garden pond today. I've been out most evenings checking for activity - we had the pond re-dug and enlarged just before Christmas and I was unsure whether they'd come back this year - and the other week I counted FOURTEEN of them in there! Good to see that they've finally got their act together.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. gembo
    Member

    20 llamas or maybe alpacas out in south Lanarkshire beyond Braehead. Then a little bit further on 20 or so pigs. Either Tamworth and Gloucester old spot young pigs or some sort of mature pot belly minature piggy wigs. In a very muddy field they seemed happy.

    Many domestic and wild geese. Some domestic ducks also. Possible small flock of fieldfares too.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  20. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @ejstubbs

    There is a dipper on the braid Burn at Cameron Toll. I sometimes keep watch to see if it goes underground with the burn at the shopping centre. Its territory-end stone (well splashed with guano) is visible from the Gilmerton Road bridge.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  21. unhurt
    Member

    Got bitten by an almost adult swan in Inverleith Park on Saturday because it hoped I would have unhealthy snacks for it and I did not offer any. Nature, orange in beak & foot.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  22. bill
    Member

    Wee lamb frolicking on a farm I pass on my way.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  23. jdanielp
    Member

    A kestrel hovering over the canal east of Meggetland last night.

    One of the Wester Hailes swans (I think) looking menacing as it swam east past Meggetland this morning. I'm not sure why it was agitated and so far from its nesting partner.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  24. ejstubbs
    Member

    @bill: <pedant mode>Lamb ≠ wildlife</pedant mode> Cute, though, especially when frolicking, and a welcome sign of the new season.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  25. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    A friendly little sausage dog wandering around the Bike Station. You don't see many of them these days.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  26. unhurt
    Member

    Stockbridge has hordes of them! Long-haired ones are the best. Little trotting ruglike beasts. Very cute.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  27. jdanielp
    Member

    I spotted a cat stalking in the vegetation on the far side of the canal opposited WHEC this morning. It ignored me as I tried to attract its attention.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  28. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @unhurt

    I like a smooth dog. Normally.

    @jdanielp

    Cats, eh? Wild little beggars till they need us.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  29. bill
    Member

    @ejstubbs you are technically correct (which is the best type of correct). My apologies. There will be no more mentions of cute lamb frolicking about despite the fact I counted six this morning.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  30. acsimpson
    Member

    I can only imagine that ejstubbs is plotting a new today's domesticated(ish) animal highlight thread after all this mention of lambs, cat and dogs. Perhaps the Kestrel was also a falconers pet.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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