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Thread: Today's Wildlife Encounter

  1. #3741
    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MattPo View Post
    Could have been short eared owls. Quite common thereabouts.
    Yes - quite likely. Seemed too small for a barn but similar colouring.

    A pair of very large birds of prey today in central Lewis. Too far away for a positive ID but quite magnificent.

  2. #3742
    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    A pod of about a dozen dolphins on West Loch Tarbert, Harris.

  3. #3743
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    Four red deer on this morning's walk through Kintail.

  4. #3744
    Senior Member DangerMouse's Avatar
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    Totally surprised to see 2 viviparous lizards while out on a mountain bike ride on the moors above Hebden Bridge today.

    I saw each one on two separate occasions, really small, probably quite young, brown things zipping out of the sun into the undergrowth as I approached. The first I wasn't sure exactly what I had seen, presumably because I was not expecting to see lizards! The second I got a good look at and it was clearly a common brown lizard and this made sense of the first sighting.

    The really nice thing about this is that I had no idea whatsoever that they existed in this part of the country - yay for lizards!!

    p.s. I would also like to acknowledge the abundance of butterflies this year - it's wonderful!

  5. #3745
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    I’ve really got into butterflies for the first time this year after decades of birdwatching

  6. #3746
    Moderator noel's Avatar
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    Allegedly it's a swarm year for painted lady butterflies, but I've not seen to many of them. I remember about thirteen years ago (perhaps?) there were loads of them.

    Jersey tiger moth in Devon last week, and a rock pipit. The latter unremarkable other than I've not really seen (or perhaps noticed) these before.

    Also a siege of herons flying past us along the dart river near Dartmouth. My daughter counted 27 of them all flying together!

  7. #3747
    Master GeoffB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by noel View Post
    Allegedly it's a swarm year for painted lady butterflies, but I've not seen to many of them. I remember about thirteen years ago (perhaps?) there were loads of them.

    Jersey tiger moth in Devon last week, and a rock pipit. The latter unremarkable other than I've not really seen (or perhaps noticed) these before.

    Also a siege of herons flying past us along the dart river near Dartmouth. My daughter counted 27 of them all flying together!
    Siege of herons - not heard that one before. Thanks, Noel!

    Echo the comment about the butterflies - loads of them, including plenty of painted ladies. After Sunday's Kong Mini MM we went for a swim in Crummock Water and went past a damp meadow that had hundreds of Peacock butterflies on the devil's bit scabious.

  8. #3748
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    I’d never knowingly seen a painted lady until recently. They are less spectacular than I expected I think

  9. #3749
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    A box, drift, screaming frenzy or swoop of swifts at Kilmartin Glen this afternoon. More than I have ever seen together in one place - innumerable.

    Later a solitary owl (undetermined species) bounced off the top of the van on the way through Glencoe. I hope it survived....

  10. #3750
    Senior Member DangerMouse's Avatar
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    I'm no expert, but I think they do that when they are flocking to fly South Pete.

    Swallows do it maybe every other year on the barn roof next to where i live, hundreds of them. They sit there for ages, some coming, some going, then they seem to have any number of practice 'take offs' where they will all suddenly rise into the air and land again, before finally, they all take off, up and away, not to be seen until the spring - amazing!!

    I am also lucky enough to have nesting swallows every year in the barn, their nest just a few inches from my nose, it's lovely to see the the nests feathered, eggs laid, then break, the most wretched looking golem like things turning into fluffy little fledgelings in just a few weeks. The first day they leave the nest is hilarious. Swallows known for their graceful arcs in flight spend just a few hours 'learning to fly' the tumbles through the air as they lose control are few and short lived, but an absolute delight to watch

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