I saw a sparrowhawk today too and have seen roedeer and a nuthatch recently but am really envious of you and charlieB on your goldcrest sightings. They are such gorgeous little birds.
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Originally Posted by The Navigator
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I saw a sparrowhawk today too and have seen roedeer and a nuthatch recently but am really envious of you and charlieB on your goldcrest sightings. They are such gorgeous little birds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Navigator
Four Snow Buntings on Calf Top yesterday morning at the start of the Dales Skyline. We were the ones feeling cold whilst they were blown away.
Saw A pair of owls hunting on Meltham moor this aft. They were just below the snowline and were very active. Found this poem about Barn owls hunting:
A Pair of Barn Owls, Hunting by David Wagoner
Now slowly, smoothly flying over the field
Beside the orchard into the after-light
Of the cold evening, the ash gold owls come sailing
Close to the branches, gliding across the arbor
Where the bare grapevines ripen only shadows
In the dead of winter, and at the end of a garden
Suddenly flare their wings, hover,
And swerve, claws first, down to the grass together.
Hes; it was nothing to be too envious of, fleeting would best describe it!
A good dozen buzzards on a field just up the road, looking for worms I guess after last nights rain.
Interesting thing was the white buzzard amongst them, which I haven't seen before. Could hardly miss it standing there!!
Snow Buzzard? ;) We saw 2 short eared Owls last night, we disturbed them and they flew through our torch beams ...very ear-ie :)Quote:
Originally Posted by molehill
2 Pine martens Friday night, a first sighting for me
The Reality Of Life Is Inevitably Death
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/3...dec2011033.jpg
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5...dec2011035.jpg
this totally shocked Starling didn't survive the Sparrowhawk's attack
i saw a bird today that def not kestrel or sparrow hawk(too big).
checked my bird book and a looks similar to buzzard or hen harrier.
it was a lighter colour and larger than wharfeego's pics
there was a lot of 'white' to its feathers and a distinctive hooked beak amd yellow legs/claws.
it was about 50 cms head to claw.
it was between pontefract and featherstone alongside the railway.
i have spotted a great spotter woodpecker around here quit a few times
A parrot on our doorstep being mauled by a neighbours cat. The poor little fella didn't make it through the night.
Not every day you have a red, green and yellow bird in your house.
2 herons flew over (at the same time) our house yesterday afternoon. don't think I've ever seen 2 together before - anyone else? they were really low as well.
I think they pair up around this time of year - at least I've often seen 2 or 3 together in winter months round here. My record is 7 at once, all perched together.Quote:
Originally Posted by cyclops
This is a lovely story with a nice ending
The Best Day Of Fishing Ever!
I've heard of salmon jumping into boats, but never anything quite like this...Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel when four juvenile Black-Tailed Deer swam directly toward his boat...
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4554/deerco.jpg
"Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the vessel, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed. I opened up the boat's back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it! Once onboard, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering."
The rescued bucks on the back of the boat, the Alaska Quest...
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/1657/deer2j.jpg
"We headed for Taku Harbour. Once we reached the dock, the first buck that we had been pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say 'thank you' and disappeared into the forest. After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help."
This is Tom carrying the little guy...
http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/9947/deer3w.jpg
"My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. My daughter later told me that the experience was something that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!"
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5433/deer4.jpg
All's Well That Ends Well
Aye
A bit of kindness at any time of the year is all ways welcome.
brilliant
saw green woodpecker between low moor(alloid colloids) and wyke railway tunnel(bradford)in quite a built up industrial area.
when they fly its as though there half hearted,dropping,flapping,then dropping again.
That's a really lovely story Wharfee! It also makes me think that the story could be expanded to become an illustrated children's book. :)
What a lovely story, non-fiction as well, well done them fishermen.
First Daffodil (out in flower) - at my sisters place near Rhandirmwyn (Wales). What the hell is going on there then :confused: ???
A Mistle Thrush was in full song this morning. It was a heart-warming sound. I haven't normally heard them until well into January. It's said that they are one of our earliest breeding birds, laying eggs as early as February.Quote:
Originally Posted by molehill
A few years back we had a nest in an apple tree in the garden, can't remember the date, but they had fledged long before any leaf on the tree - the nest was so exposed on the branch it was a wonder they survived, but they are pretty good and agressive parents to other birds (crows, maggies etc.). Will start listening for them, obviously a strange winter!Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
slightly off thread but stunning pictures of rare clouds over Leeds and Huddesfield
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-16302606
Saw a decent size murmuration of starlings this afternoon near Silsden reservoir. It was interesting seeing small group of birds joining into the action :cool:
this was our visitor yesterday,we watched him for over 30 minutes.
Attachment 5464
good photo....where's the location? lucky to have him for so long.Quote:
Originally Posted by dylan
neighbour of ours was walking his dogs near Chew reservoir and they were barking mentally....he'd stumbled upon 2 deer!
A Splash Of Colour On A Mucky Winter's Day
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/3...jan2011026.jpg
"Cocky" lives in the field over our yard wall
I fancy a bowl o'cornflakes now
A cormorant, a pair of goosander, decent size flock of LTTs, one little grebe plus a heron by the Wharfe on this afternoon's run out. Sadly no dippers seen
last night i was sat at mills hills station facing castleton direction.
a big dog fox came to the rail head 25 yards ahead,stood on the track,looked me straight in the eye and wandered off.
he was on of the biggest i have seen in a long time and his chest was a brilliant white.
First time in a while I don't actually know what I saw. North Wales, middle of no-where, by a dam and a river, we startled a bird and it flew off up the river. I think it was of about jackdaw sized, but with slightly more pointy wings, wing beat was about the same as a jackdaw, and it had dark wings with bright bars- dusky yellow or orange as it flew (this is looking down on it, not up).
Couldnt tell you what it sounded like, or beak shape etc. I just know ive never seen one before.
Thats how I remember it... though Grouse saw it too, and might have a different recollection...
What the heck was it?
a few alpine Chuffs hovering around.
Couple of pheasants in the woods today - can't rememember seeing any around there previously??
A red squirrel in Matterdale (NE Lakes) yesterday - the first I've seen in a while.
Almost hit a female Roe Deer between Appletreewick and Storiths late this aft, just before the ford. They're everywhere along that stretch.
A badger digging on the lower slopes of Gt Dun Fell above Milburn at 1 oclock this afternoon. Ran within 6 foot of it and past before it realised I was there.
A herd of 15 fallow deer (assorted ages and sexes) went close past me today.
Yesterday's actually: frog spawn:confused: in January! a clump of the stuff on the road leading to the scout camp near Hardcastle Crags.
2 kingfishers,
the river is flooded heavy so they come to the pond to fish
unsure if in courtship or one invaded the others territory.
terrific watching the ducks and other birds fly with and against the wind
Aha! the unidentified bird in wales (from earlier in the thread) has been identified. Its a Female Goosander. There you go Grouse. We got there eventually!
I was just emerging from a wood today when a kestrel took off from some long grass about 20' away clutching a small rodent in its claws. Never seen one so close doing a bit of raptoring before :cool:
lots of Buzzards yesterday 10+ and then this morning a huge ???????? of lapwings at least 60-70 of them heading west just north of Luton
Nearly ran a red squirrel over! :o