saw my first choughs on the Lleyn, north coast.
Never forgotten.
saw my first choughs on the Lleyn, north coast.
Never forgotten.
....it's all downhill from here.
For me choughs are more from my rock climbing days. Notably at Pembroke and a few Spanish crags. And then on family holidays in the Alps.
My favourite birds from these days were crag martins. You could be 150 feet up a Spanish limestone cliff and a crag martin would swoop up to level with you, give you a split-second close-up view, and then do a quick stall-turn before hurtling straight down the cliff again.
I am originally from Guisborough so the sound of fell (ish) running on the North York Moors was grouse laughing as they flew away having disturbed them. In the Lakes there is something evocative about ravens soaring over crags
Around 2013 I was running over black hill heading to down towards saddleworth one evening when I sensed a shape above me. It was an eagle owl and it was huge, and it circled at a low level around me for about 10 minutes as I trotted along. Must've thought I was about to peg out 😂 an amazing experience though. I guess it must've gone off course or something...
When I was in Fuerteventura (not strictly fellrunning, although I was running up and down the extinct volcanoes outside the town, then back through the dunes)…. I witnessed an Egyptian Vulture soaring above, at the very least 6ft wingspan.
Was an unbelievable sight, impressive even to me, who is far from an avid twitcher...
Saw Griffon Vultures in Sierra Nevada in Southern Spain - Large birds. Mind you a Sea Eagle is huge. Seen them a few times in Scotland, Nicest was looking down on one on Rum on my 60th birthday.
I'd like to see the Bearded Vulture, aka lammergeier that's currently doing a tour of the Peak District.
https://www.birdguides.com/articles/...ct-lammergeier
If I could see that, it would rank alongside my sperm whale in Oban harbour !!