Today's Wildlife Encounter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brett

Nowhere near your head, I'll be bound :D

---

Predictable, but fair :o:p:D

To be fair, no where near mine either :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Multiterrainer

Two quite young deer strolling nonchalently across my path today in Danefield Forest(Chevin).

---

Wonder if it was you I saw heading up Chevin towards Danefield today?! I saw two roe deer at Hackfall woods yesterday on my run and on my drive back from Richmond cinema this evening: a barn owl & a tawny owl as well as loads of rabbits and rats.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Al Fowler

A question for all you twitchers.

Whilst out running y'day...i passed a small flock of birds ive seen before but no idea what they are.

They are maily black, abit bigger than a blackbird but with huge wings. The underneath of their wings is white and their call reminded me of a dogs toy being sqeeked.:D

---

Could be Lapwings ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mouse111/4202199841/

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Al Fowler

I was definetly of no relation to a crow etc etc.

I was running across a very open, rural set of boggy, fields.
The fields where ploughed late last year...i'll have a google and see what i come up with. - no trees about. They would fly about sqeeking like a dogs toy and land. Strange wing shape.
Ive got a british countryside book upstairs from when i was a wee nipper...i'll have to find that and see if i can find it.


....its not in the books and ive googled and used some free bird search thingys and cannot find it.

---

Lapwings? Also they sound like dogs toys being squeaked. I think the reference to blackbirds put people off. When you get close to them they're very different to blackbirds, but you normally see them in flight, with their big strange-shaped wings and odd calls.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alf

Could be Lapwings ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mouse111/4202199841/

---

You beat me to it. I should have added a shorter explanation.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hes

Wonder if it was you I saw heading up Chevin towards Danefield today?!

---

Probably wasn't me Hes -I was up there Saturday 2pm onwards, saw just one other runner (male) pulling up into Danefield car park as I was setting off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alf

Could be Lapwings ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mouse111/4202199841/

---

Might even be a green plover or peewit? (tee hee!):)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by William Clough

Having been enroled in the" Young ornithologist club"at the age of 8 (complete with a metal eagle shaped YOC badge),my Barn owl sightings have been very poor.Today i was treated to a 2 minute display of swooping floating effortless flying.I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful things i have seen.

---

They are beautiful aren't they? Similar experience to you...Mum is a Dr of Zoology and I've spent most of my early life on nature walks. However, until last year I hadn't seen a barn owl since my teens. Saw one being mobbed by crows at about 4pm last summer and it ducked down to escape and flew alongside my car for about a minute. I was so excited I nearly drove through a hedge. Then last weekend I saw one hunting at night and watched that for about a minute too. They are are so ghostly and gorgeous. I feel very privileged to have had those experiences.

Red kite soaring above Ilkley moor whilst on rombalds recce this morning. (me doing the recce,not the bird)