Today's Wildlife Encounter

[noel]

I had a strange wildlife encounter yesterday. We were out walking by the Crag Inn in Wildboarclough and the dog frightened a bird from the road verge. It hopped along the ground and didn't look right to be where it was so we called the dog away. It turned out it was a kestrel. I'm not sure if it could fly or not, but it wasn't doing. I tried to pick it up but it kept making little hops away when I got close. So I threw my waterproof over it and lifted it up so I could take it away from the road. We let it go in some nearby woods but it didn't fly away. I hope it was a temporary lack of flying ability; otherwise we knew it wouldn't last long.

It was a shame to see such an iconic bird not flying. We had to re-explain the survival of the fittest concept to rationalise that it might be dead in a day. This was partly for the benefit of the kids and partly for ourselves.

[Travs]

I saw my first ever wild Rat today whilst running alongside the Coventry Canal (hardly headline wildlife news I know, but a first for me....)

[Penguin]

Today saw a Heron, Kingfisher! A pike bout 20lb a few dozen trout! A tawny 🦉! Total run distance half a mile as i got dragged by 4 paw drive x2 down a bank.. to Llynpadarn..

[wheezing donkey]

Today saw a Heron, Kingfisher! A pike bout 20lb a few dozen trout! A tawny ��! Total run distance half a mile as i got dragged by 4 paw drive x2 down a bank.. to Llynpadarn..

Not Mr Pudge's mutts, Pengy? Haven't seen them (or him) for a while now; but they were always headstrong.

[MattPo]

Rebuilding some gaps in a field wall in the Washburn valley today. Cold start, but OK when the sun came up (what else is there to worship?). At one point there were 4 kites circling and 2 buzzards. As I sat down to eat my sandwiches one of the buzzards came across with a squirrel for its lunch. It landed in a nearby tree and we both ate.

[Derby Tup]

Nice encounter. I heard a robin singing this morning at 4am. Spring is definitely on its way

[anthonykay]

As I sat down to eat my sandwiches one of the buzzards came across with a squirrel for its lunch. It landed in a nearby tree and we both ate.

So buzzards are the solution to the grey squirrel problem? Maybe not, they probably eat reds as well.

[noel]

So buzzards are the solution to the grey squirrel problem? Maybe not, they probably eat reds as well.

Reds are more bitter - a bit like lollo rosso lettuce.

[Travs]

On the Trigger today I was taking a very unfrequented route from near Snake Pass down towards Within's Clough. Completely remote and trackless. As I was shuffling along, from out of the heather in front of me, a huge arctic hare. Never seen one before, pure white. I watched it speed off and could see it for well over a quarter of a mile, such was the contrast against the terrain.

[ba-ba]

I saw one on Bleaklow, then almost stood one heading down above Withins clough. If it was the same one it will have got a good amount of exercise in today!

Was up on Bleaklow (between wain stones and shelf trig) in the summer when I bumped in to Carl Bedson (Chesire hillbillies and FRA statistician) counting them, he does quite a bit on hare conservation - his twitter feed often has pictures of roadkill on the A57 (as well as youtube vids of him playing the flute in the mountains!)