Good work Geoff!Originally Posted by GeoffB
Good work Geoff!
Poacher turned game-keeper
First cuckoo last night, eventually. Bottom of William Clough as we were descending from Sandy Heys (Kinder). First one last year was 11th May.
Oh yes, here's a link to the aforementioned Tawny Owls (if it works).
I heard my first cuckoo of the year a few of weeks ago near Shittern Clough/ bottom of Lightside. They seem to return to this spot every year despite the clay shooting that goes on every Sunday.
Heard my fourth yesterday, all on/around Loughrigg. Such a wonderful sound.
I had only my second sighting of a cuckoo on Thursday in Knoydart, got o very poor picture with a phone camera and then an eagle on the way home this morning.
FIVE! fox cubs.
My god they were cute!
....it's all downhill from here.
I am known for my interest in wildlife but equally I will put my hand in the air and say I'm not a bird spotter or good at identifying small birds, I can do the usual lap wings and plovers, oyster catchers and skylarks, wood peckers, ring ouzel and some birds of prey, these are things I should know as an ML.
but today whilst driving along the Strines road on one of the bends, wooded but with a rocky stream some thing caught my eye and I do have a keen eye in the hills for spotting things, why? because it was different...very different. initially my head said Robin because I saw a flash of bright red but straight away discounted this as I was looking at its bottom and it was slightly longer also .the bird was dark with a hint of white edgeing on its wings and then it was off, I never really saw it's beak unfortuanately but its head was dark (Black).
Now I've poured over my two bird books and can only come up with one bird and it says it's pretty rare or at least scarce.
I reckon it was a Black Redstart...any thing else come to mind.?
rare, but not unknown. Could also have been the usual redstart: they're pretty similar.
....it's all downhill from here.
Pair of golden plover on Broad Law this morning, then a cracking view of an osprey this afternoon as I was coming down from White Coomb. The osprey was heading up the Tail Burn above the Grey Mare's Tail, so a fishing trip on Loch Skeen I guess. Hope it went for the trout and left the vendace unscathed!
Saw a heron yesterday at a country park on the eastern outskirts of Coventry. Although the place does double up as a heronry, so I guess that's cheating..!
Best thing I've seen when running was in Phuket, Southern Thailand, last year. Was running on a steep road up through the rainforest, and just missed treading on a 6-foot snake... luckily it appeared to have just eaten, and didn't take offence to me... on investigation I think it was a relatively harmless Indonesian Rat-snake... but in an area where King Cobras, Reticulated Pythons, Kraits, amongst others, are often seen, it was a bit unnerving...
Also 4-5ft monitor lizards in Bangkok on a morning run, although they are famously resident in a Bangkok park and seen every day in their tens, but still 'wild'...
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