For the second day in a row we had a hummingbird hawk moth in the garden, feeding on some flowers. I've seen a few before and I just love them, they behave just like a hummingbird but with a bit of a straw like mouth instead of a beak (never seen an actual hummingbird). And they're beautiful too! Pic from last time I saw one a few years ago...

Cath went for a bit of a swim in the River Wharfe this evening. I remembered a spot, Loup Scar, that I'd visited to climb (in 1984!) which had pools beneath. Turned out that the best pools were just downstream but whilst I was sat on the bank a kingfisher flew the entire length of the pool, about 100m, and after sitting on a rock for a bit flew all the way back. Only the third kingfisher I've ever seen.

Also noticed a slice of bread floating on the river and behaving strangely. No, I hadn't been taking anything or consumed psychoactive plants. When I looked closer there was an absolute swarm of minnows nibbling at it and pushing it around. Then the ducks arrived and ate the bread

Cath went for a bit of a swim in the River Wharfe this evening. I remembered a spot, Loup Scar, that I'd visited to climb (in 1984!) which had pools beneath. Turned out that the best pools were just downstream but whilst I was sat on the bank a kingfisher flew the entire length of the pool, about 100m, and after sitting on a rock for a bit flew all the way back. Only the third kingfisher I've ever seen.

I saw one earlier this week too Bob. Only my third one as well.

I also saw a baby squirrel this week. I don't recall ever seeing one before. Its mum was carrying it across the yard.

Not wildlife per se, but an amusing rodent encounter. A few weeks back I'd left a bag of snacks out the night before my July BAM. On grabbing it the next morning, the bottom fell out along with a half gnawed snickers. Grrr bloody meece. Then last Saturday as I was getting ready to go out, this little bleeder trotted across the kitchen floor behind me as casual as you like. Then on Tuesday as I was working, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and saw a similar (the same?) mouse trotting across my downstairs spare room floor right where I was sitting. There then followed 20 minutes of mouse hunting before I got it cornered between the door and the wall. Oddly it let me grab it and sat quite happily in my cupped hand. It was ejected firmly but politely out the back door.

An hour later here's another one. It evaded me but the next morning I found it lying deid in the Living room, cause unknown...

And speaking of rodents, a couple of grey squirrels ran across the road in front of me last weekend. I can't actually remember the last time I saw a grey as all I seem to see these days are those pesky reds!

Riding along Kennett and Avon Canal after and overnight trip with my son, saw this this little fella swimming about, couldn't get out. Was just about to push my son in to save it when it just swam up to me and I could pull it out!

I saw an otter in the River Vlatava , near King Charles bridge, Prague
My good lady asked 'Is that an otter or beaver?'
I pointed out 'There were still trees about and no gnaw marks so that ruled out the beaver...'
He seemed to have a best in a upstream bridge flood defence peer.
The photo is a bit distant but it shows the urban environment , [hint: mid-stream..]

I assume there is more than one colony as the YouTube vid https://youtu.be/K1Yddqny-ZQ was on the other side of the river. I guess top right

Otter spotter[ hint above blue bag..]

On my commute I often see either a Heron or and Egret as both frequent my route. Today I was struggling to decide which it was, which is odd as they are quite distinct, but the bird in question looked wrong to be either of them

Turns out it was a White Stork

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/2307 ... WZ0c3NY3BA

Badger last night on the night ride. Ran a fir distance down the trail in front of us [ 15- 20 m away] before darting under a gate
Never seen one before both a large animal and a small [ as its so low to the ground] one.

Lazarus wrote: ↑Wed Oct 26, 2022 8:59 am Never seen one before

You need to ride with my mate Aston, he's a Badger magnet. On our night rides they used to appear out of hedges in front of him all the time One even once came out at speed and we were going slowly (uphill) and I'm sure it ran under his bike between the wheels

Just sat having my dinner in the van and a fox ran across the field in front of me all of 15m away

Heading over to The Lakes this morning and just at the top of the local hill when I noticed a number (murder?) of crows mobbing a buzzard. As I got closer I realised it wasn't a buzzard but a red kite.

It was probably one of the descendants of the Harewood House release (in 1999) but mostly they've spread eastwards and this is the first time I've seen one locally, in fact I can't remember seeing one west of Wharfedale.

2 crows were arrested the other day and charged with attempted murder.















IGMC

Seen a fair few more kites in the last few years - still quite rare up here (although I have seen a couple) but quite a few in Dumfries and Galloway; and my last sighting was going south out of Swaledale from Muker.

Lots of Redwings in our local park today.

Saw all the creatures on the road bike today. Most excitingly, an otter in the Tyne. Directly under the A1 western bypass, of all places. It didn't seem to mind the rowers going back and forth, and was still there half an hour later when I came back down the other side of the river.

A couple of birds: a bird of prey that was probably a buzzard, and a siskin, I think.

Less salubriously, a huge rat, that I very nearly ran over.

And various non-wildlife: alpacas, turkeys, a peacock and his harem of peahens.

Seemed to be the day for it

Bit of a 'life complete' moment for me today. Not sure if my other 3 walking/hiking partners - 8; 12 and 46 yr old - felt the same. I did explain that these experiences don't come along too often in the hills.

Backdrop of Holme Moss and this gorgeous (tawny?) owl made an appearance. I remembered someone on here mentioned that bird watching is a sit and be quiet affair. So we all knelt down and let it do it's thing whilst we managed to scope it with my broken binoculars.

Tried to digiscope it (not good for the eyes apparently, so be careful!) it but I think my excitement meant a poor alignment.





Massive wingspan (which probably means it wasn't a tawny?) and amazing flying/hovering tech. For some reason it felt much more exciting than when seeing various owls at a/the bird of prey displays!

Here's one from last month. 'S not very good, but an unusual one...


A white pheasant! It's a bit far away in this shot but I know it's a pheasant because when I first saw it it was standing on the top rail of a gate beside the lane. By the time I'd got my phone out it had decamped across the field. It was definitely a pheasant coz its alarm call and flight sounds were those of a pheasant. If it shouts like a pheasant and flies like a pheasant...

And here is our ghost pigeon...


It must have tried to fly through the kitchen window, startled by something I guess, and left its imprint on the glass. Ouch!

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 2:22 pm Bit of a 'life complete' moment for me today. Not sure if my other 3 walking/hiking partners - 8; 12 and 46 yr old - felt the same. I did explain that these experiences don't come along too often in the hills.

Backdrop of Holme Moss and this gorgeous (tawny?) owl made an appearance. I remembered someone on here mentioned that bird watching is a sit and be quiet affair. So we all knelt down and let it do it's thing whilst we managed to scope it with my broken binoculars.

Tried to digiscope it (not good for the eyes apparently, so be careful!) it but I think my excitement meant a poor alignment.





Massive wingspan (which probably means it wasn't a tawny?) and amazing flying/hovering tech. For some reason it felt much more exciting than when seeing various owls at a/the bird of prey displays!

Could have been an Eagle Owl if it had a massive wingspan

They have been a fair few sightings in Yorkshire recently

https://www.robertefuller.com/diary/eag ... yorkshire/

Beautiful that

Just had a red kite and a crow/rook battling it out 30' overhead in our back garden, so that was terribly exciting. Nobody won or lost but a few feathers certainly got forfeited.

First Cuckoo yesterday int' forest ... must be spring.

Jen and myself went for a run at Kingley Vale on Sunday. Once we cleared away from the grockled area, we saw a herd of deer. You occasionally see 2-5 of them in this part of Sussex, but this was a full on herd of 20 plus. They just hopped off across a field into some hedgerows. Also there was lots of bird song and, pheasant noises, although we only saw one that looked to be asleep or dead, in the middle of another field. No pictures as we were too busy enjoying the experience.

Hundreds of roe deer round my way this year (ok slight exaggeration but I've seen way more than years past recently) I was speaking to someone involved in land management who reckons it's down to an increasing reluctance by farmers to allow people to shoot on their land due to the liability hassles along with increasing cost and hassles of gun ownership. I'm slightly on the fence with this as I don't personally agree with shooting fluffy creatures for the sake if it, whilst being OK if it puts them onto a dinner table. But as roe deer have no predators (other than cars) then no shooting means their numbers will increase, they will over-run habitats and chomp their way through young trees, plants etc....

Wolves are the answer

I was out for a run yesterday and there was a herd of 15-20 odd roe deer all over the bridleway. I was running up hill so they were in plain sight for quite a while before sauntering into a copse of trees to stare at me as I stumbled past. They didn't seem too concerned that they wouldn't outrun me I don't think I've seen more than 5-6 deer together before on the Chase though normally I'm on a bike so they scamper away quicker.

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 10:03 pm Hundreds of roe deer round my way this year (ok slight exaggeration but I've seen way more than years past recently) I was speaking to someone involved in land management who reckons it's down to an increasing reluctance by farmers to allow people to shoot on their land due to the liability hassles along with increasing cost and hassles of gun ownership. I'm slightly on the fence with this as I don't personally agree with shooting fluffy creatures for the sake if it, whilst being OK if it puts them onto a dinner table. But as roe deer have no predators (other than cars) then no shooting means their numbers will increase, they will over-run habitats and chomp their way through young trees, plants etc....

Wolves are the answer

Wolves definitely are the answer (along with Lynx) but this government aren't interested (wealthy elite against it maybe?)

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/202 ... -hold.html