They are beautiful aren't they? We saw some last year south of Toulouse.Quote:
Originally Posted by luverlyjuberly
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They are beautiful aren't they? We saw some last year south of Toulouse.Quote:
Originally Posted by luverlyjuberly
Didn't see them, but heard at least one, possibly two or three, Cuckoos whilst descending Crag Fell at Ennerdale today. Another first for me.
Hey Noel. Was biking about 1/2 mile from your old house and saw a little owl on a wire. Magnificent, not seen one for about 2 years. I know they are diurnal but 1pm on a hot summers day, really ..
Yes, we sometimes see them going over the steep hill from Heron Crag to the Hanging Gate pub. Lovely little things, with their furious-looking stares.Quote:
Originally Posted by Elgol
Having said that, I've never seen one in the middle of the day. Cool.
Three Swallows dive bombing a hawk.
Just managed to avoid running over a Snipe fledgling on my way home from Bosley Fete Fell Race
The first one i ever saw was in France in 1991.Quote:
Originally Posted by William Clough
Today I saw a Red Kite over Back Tor above Ladybower! Amazing. Not sure there has been one there for quite a while. I was so enthralled I totally missed my path and ended up somewhere over Strines haha. Got back on track eventually. Surgeon said "no strenuous exercise until stitches come out on Wednesday." It's only a walk I thought, no running. 4 hours later I got back to Ladybower :-) So worth it though when I saw the Red Kite. Also 6 baby grouse following mum. I had a word and told them "do not learn to fly, keep on tottering along on the ground." <3
Those baby grouse will not be following mum for long once the Red Kite is on the case. Fancy missing your path Sue.GPS not working?
Please don't laugh and burst your stitches!
oh for the call of the Red Kite, the chirping of the baby grouse the beeping of the GPS .... what am I missing? ;-) hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
I've seen very few butterflies this year. In fact my first Peacock was at about 900m in Scotland a few weeks back. However, last night we had a walk from Castleton, along the ridge from Lose Hill to Hollins Cross and we saw Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Wall, Red Admiral and maybe some others I've forgotten about! Where have they all been?
Apart from that, though, devastating scenes above Dove Stone Reservoir on Saddleworth Moor. It's going to take years for the wildlife to recover from this.
Buzzard perched on a fence post near the road from Copt Oak to Beacon Hill.
Cormorant on the Peak Forest Canal near New Mills, both this morning and yesterday morning.
A wildlife non-encounter. Has anyone else noticed the lack of moths around during these warm, balmy evenings.Very strange.
My office is right on the busy Birmingham ring road. Hardly wildlife central. But we have a few nests on the roof. One is a seagull nest and one of the young ones appears to have fell out. I understand that the mother will no longer look after it when it falls out. So it has been moping around on the ground for a few days, we have been feeding and watering it. Didn't see it yesterday, and there were a fair number of young feathers around on the floor, so sadly I suspect a fox or cat may have got it in the night.
21.00 yesterday evening, around the top of Alder Gill Syke, on the upper slopes of Burn Moor, northern edge of Bowland, a merlin flew within 30 metres of us, just skimming along, a metre or so above the heather
It has been moth bonanza back in mid Wales, wife has the trap out several times a week and recording up to 50 species in a night. But has to be perfect conditions, warm, muggy but also dark as they don't like a moon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Llani Boy
Its been warm but not muggy here yet, so maybe that's why. As soon as the moths are about I'll be off to spot some nightjars.Quote:
Originally Posted by molehill
We went up Carnedd Dafydd from Bethesda yesterday and were surprised to find several Chough feeding up there. Does anyone know how unusual it is to find them so far inland, and at about 650m?
Great spot Geoff. I had no idea they were seen in the UK inland but have seen them on the Brévent while I was walking the TMB
Pair of loggerhead turtles.
Largest about 1m long.
Presumably they were Alpine Chough? (Yellow bill, red legs). We were quite puzzled at first. We saw and heard this corvid, sat on a rock, but its call wasn't one that we really recognised. It flew off, so we followed it and found it with its friends, feeding on a grassy area. Then we got close enough to see the red bill.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
Interesting. We saw some near Llithfaen (on the coast) earlier this year. So more like their normal habitat - grassy areas near sea cliffs. I've never seen them in the hills in the UK.
Misinformed on the turtles.
They were in fact Nile Turtles (Trionyx Triunguis)
That's still a good tick where you live. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stagger
Great tick for the Aire and Calder
Ticks are one form of wildlife we could do without.
Well, had a walk up on the north side of Nidderdale - up above Ramsgill. Best get it done before the Grouse shooting starts. I had a word with all the grouse I saw and reccomended they took a short vacation!
The heather was purple and grouse, stone chat, kestrels, buzzards and merlins were seen. Lots of swallows all over. Highlight was a female hen harrier flying around as we had our lunch (pies from the Pateley Bridge butchers - I can reccomend the pork, black pudding and apple, though the pasties were also good). So rare to see this highly persecuted bird in Yorkshire, made my day, if not week. Lovely sighting looking down on it as it hunted low over the moor.
Visibility was great today, North York Moors round to Emley Moor (two masts now!) and great views of the Nidderdale side of Grt Whernside. Memories of the effort of Black Fell race.
Great day out
Sounds like a great day out MattPo. Yes the heather is starting to look good.Quote:
Originally Posted by MattPo
This thread seems to have been quiet of late, so I thought I'd waken it up.
Cycling to work this week I saw a Kingfisher on Wednesday, heard a (confused?) Chiffchaff singing on Thursday and saw a fox this morning.
Not seen a Swallow for a few days but the House Martins still seem to be around.
Did you see the Kingfisher on the canal Geoff? Having lived next to the canal for over 30 years and walking along it pretty much every day,I have only ever seen a Kingfisher twice. A bit lower down the valley by the river Goyt I see at least one most days on my lunch break.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
Yes, I've seen one on the canal at least a couple of times this summer. Somewhere near Disley I should think. There's clearly plenty of food in the canal as I see a Heron most days.Quote:
Originally Posted by William Clough
Love seeing the Kingfisher on the Wharfe at Otley. see it fairly often and it always cheers me up.
Marsh Harrier (female) , Peregrine, Kingfisher, and lots of various ducks, geese and swans. We were at Martin Mere for the day. Very expensive, but lots to see if you're into that kind of thing.
Continuing the journey to work along the canal theme...Yesterday I was very surprised to see a Dipper flying along the canal. They normally feed in shallow rivers I'd have thought. Maybe it had lost its way to the Goyt.
3 Red kites wheeling over Burnsall this aft.
Great to hear they’re udging their way up the dale wharfee lad
I keep looking out for pinkies but haven’t seen any yet. Redwing are imminent
Earth worms, ear wigs, spider's and snails. Been pruning hedges and turned over topsoil.
Wild ponies (well I assume they're wild) up on the Long Mynd today. I've never noticed them before despite racing up there solidly since 2015. Usually I'm blowing out of my arse too much to notice anything.