Today's Wildlife Encounter

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Originally Posted by Rodders

A Roe Deer Crossing the M62 near Junction 20! It was 100 yards in front of us and bounced off the side of an ASTRA & then leapt the central reservation barrier & crossed the western lanes too! It was one lucky deer to make it across alive, as were the occupants of the Astra which swerved & looked like it was up on two wheels.
I'm glad I don't tail gate!

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Deer are responsible for an estimated 74,000 vehicle collisions every year, causing 20 (human) deaths and £17million damage. If they weren't little "Bambis" the general public would be demanding they be 'terminated with extreme prejudice'. Eat venison and don't feel bad about it!

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Originally Posted by molehill

Deer are responsible for an estimated 74,000 vehicle collisions every year...

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I think it's us humans that are responsible for the collisions and not those "irresponsible" Deer.;)

And there's me thinkin' that you were a wildlife-friendly chap.

Some of them are not even native to UK. They are immigrants. Phone the Daily Mail Hotline.

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Originally Posted by wharfeego

I think it's us humans that are responsible for the collisions and not those "irresponsible" Deer.;)

And there's me thinkin' that you were a wildlife-friendly chap.

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Quite true, car drivers are responsible for every dead animal on the roads, just that hitting a deer makes more of a mess than flattening a poor old hedgehog. But if deer weren't managed and culled (properly), things could easily get out of hand and public start demanding erradication.

This week down at my sisters house we found, slow worms, yellow hammers nesting (nice to see), lizzards, assorted nests of garden birds.

In 3 days time the Swifts should arrive here at the house, always await their arrival as they are our favourites, the nesting boxes are up and waiting for them.

Here's one for all you twitchers - this was pottering around our back garden this afternoon.

Nice one David. Smart-lookin' bird that. Bog-standard Pheasant with make-up or what?

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Originally Posted by wharfeego

Nice one David. Smart-lookin' bird that. Bog-standard Pheasant with make-up or what?

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Looks like the Zorro of the Pheasant world!

It's a Reeve's pheasant. It's native habitat is central China.

Yes a Reeves, quite a few are out in the wild. The cock birds are right stroppy and viscous beggars at times. I've seen one rip a big hole in a welly boot with its spurs, and Missus and I used to have to fight one every day when we walked past its territory with a feed bucket :eek:.

Along with the Argus pheasant, it has the longest tail feathers of any bird (I seem to remember), we have some Argus feathers on the living room wall (Argus was the Greek god with 1000 eyes, the feathers are truly spectacular with 'eyes' on them) and did have Reeves tail feathers, but they became a bit motheaten and went a few years back.

The Reeves are pretty birds, but cantankerous sods :mad:.

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Originally Posted by molehill

Along with the Argus pheasant, it has the longest tail feathers of any bird (I seem to remember)

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What about peacocks?