Pair of loggerhead turtles.
Largest about 1m long.
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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.
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)
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
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.