Wildlife
Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew
Re: Wildlife
Went for a shake down ride this evening. Saw two barns owl, multiple badgers, a hedgehog (
) and had a (far too) close encounter with a large deer.
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
- fatbikephil
- Posts: 7385
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:51 pm
- Location: Fife
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife
Loads of red kites as I rode round Wales this weekend - happily circling above me when I stopped to look. Will try and edit some pics later.
- whitestone
- Posts: 8210
- Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
- Location: Skipton(ish)
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife
Yeah lots of red kites (barcud in Welsh) on the BB200, always a lovely elegant bird.
Heading back home I was pulling into Chester services when there was a mahoosive skein of geese fly past, we’ll over 5000 birds- I thought it was a flock of starlings at first as they were in the distance and I couldn’t make out the species. About twenty minutes later there was another skein go past. Even the “Ugg, if it’s not a car or a PlayStation I’m not interested ” crowd were looking up at them.
Heading back home I was pulling into Chester services when there was a mahoosive skein of geese fly past, we’ll over 5000 birds- I thought it was a flock of starlings at first as they were in the distance and I couldn’t make out the species. About twenty minutes later there was another skein go past. Even the “Ugg, if it’s not a car or a PlayStation I’m not interested ” crowd were looking up at them.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
- ledburner
- Posts: 2040
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:47 am
- Location: The worsted place in West Yorkshire,
Re: Wildlife
We've had a colourful Jay come through the garden. It cheered up a grey morning.....
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
-
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
- Location: Wrexham
Re: Wildlife
A Mouse…

This little feller woke me at 02:30 on one of my Spanish bivvies last month. He’d found a packet of biscuits that I’d left out, with four biscuits left. He’d had the lot by morning, greedy beggar.
This little feller woke me at 02:30 on one of my Spanish bivvies last month. He’d found a packet of biscuits that I’d left out, with four biscuits left. He’d had the lot by morning, greedy beggar.
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
- RIP
- Posts: 9674
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
- Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife
Good luck to him!
"Last month". You back now then Lu? I've lost track.
"Last month". You back now then Lu? I've lost track.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - WW
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - WW
-
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
- Location: Wrexham
Re: Wildlife
Good luck to him indeed. “Nature Tax” my daughter calls it.
I’m back. Flew back in on 11th Oct. 'T was a long Ride (740 miles - 19 days riding) and made longer by my losing my down hoodie and cycling back 26 miles each way to get it. Didn’t work - it wasn’t there - so that day I rode 63 miles (a record for me) to advance a mere 13 along the Camino. Serves me right, I s’pose for not being careful with my stuff. In all, on the ride, I lost reading glasses, cycling glasses, sun glasses, (I found these on the trail, they weren’t mine), two eye masks, my Bearbones light backpack, a stainless water bottle and the aforementioned hoodie.
Best described as type 2 fun because of the heat, distance and climbing. Going OTB and landing on my shoulder blade and riding the last 60 miles in pain didn’t help, but I’d do it again without hesitation. I doubt I could get Mrs Frog to let me out again though.
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
-
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
- Location: Wrexham
Re: Wildlife
A Spanish deer..

The only wildlife shot I got because they were all too quick. I saw a few, including a trio including a big horny stag that dashed across the trail and leapt a 6 ft fence. Saw some wild pigs too, but again…
The only wildlife shot I got because they were all too quick. I saw a few, including a trio including a big horny stag that dashed across the trail and leapt a 6 ft fence. Saw some wild pigs too, but again…
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
- RIP
- Posts: 9674
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:24 pm
- Location: Surfing The Shores Of Sanity Since 1959
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife
Good to have you back safe and sound! Seriously impressed with that escapade. Especially At Your Age, he says patronisingly
.
Not the least surprised about all the glasses - we never did find those on the Winter Event last year did we?
You need to attach long tails of brightly coloured gaffer tape to everything like I do - easy to spot then.
Best moment?
Worst moment (apart from the hoodie)?
Most interesting person met?
Best revelatory moment?
Probably ought to be in a different thread though...


Not the least surprised about all the glasses - we never did find those on the Winter Event last year did we?

Best moment?
Worst moment (apart from the hoodie)?
Most interesting person met?
Best revelatory moment?
Probably ought to be in a different thread though...

"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - WW
"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - WW
Re: Wildlife
Blimey Lu, sounds epic. Glad you're back safe and sound.
Keep losing your glasses as often as you do and eventually you'll start finding them again.
("Blimmin' pensioners, coming over here, leaving their spectacles lying around all over the place...grumble grumble")

Keep losing your glasses as often as you do and eventually you'll start finding them again.

("Blimmin' pensioners, coming over here, leaving their spectacles lying around all over the place...grumble grumble")
May you always have tail wind.
- fatbikephil
- Posts: 7385
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:51 pm
- Location: Fife
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife

The latest laminate flooring is really convincing!
-
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:31 pm
- Location: Wrexham
Re: Wildlife
He’s a big 'un…

You’d know if this Spanish bad boy was on yer face in the night. The SAK is for scale and it’s not one of the small ones.

You’d know if this Spanish bad boy was on yer face in the night. The SAK is for scale and it’s not one of the small ones.
Konia kują, żaba noge podstawia...
- ledburner
- Posts: 2040
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:47 am
- Location: The worsted place in West Yorkshire,
Re: Wildlife
I'm glad you departed inscathedfrogatthefarriers wrote: ↑Mon Oct 30, 2023 4:45 am He’s a big 'un…![]()
You’d know if this Spanish bad boy was on yer face in the night. The SAK is for scale and it’s not one of the small ones.
Wellard, tooled-up slug

Tooled -up cos I couldnt spell 'Knife wielding', too stressed out

I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
-
- Posts: 10326
- Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
- Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Re: Wildlife
Yesterday under coverbof the low light due to the rain/mist there was what appeared to be a robin shaped bird. Only it was the size of a buzzard or slightly smaller. Sat on a fencepost next to the field up at Clifton.
Jumped right off and flew low into the distance as soon as I got anywhere near proper visibility distance (maybe 10m away when it went). Could it havw been a kestrel (looked a bit fat for that!).
Jumped right off and flew low into the distance as soon as I got anywhere near proper visibility distance (maybe 10m away when it went). Could it havw been a kestrel (looked a bit fat for that!).
Re: Wildlife
A couple of sightings from a week away...
This little guy in the bedroom. He was about 1&1/2" long

This little guy in the kitchen. He was about 4-5 inches long.

But best of all ..this big guy in the port. We saw quite a few of these at the same spot over a few days.

This little guy in the bedroom. He was about 1&1/2" long
This little guy in the kitchen. He was about 4-5 inches long.
But best of all ..this big guy in the port. We saw quite a few of these at the same spot over a few days.
- fatbikephil
- Posts: 7385
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:51 pm
- Location: Fife
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife
Ooof, bit more exotic than slugs....
Seems to be bunny world round here at the mo - I actually nearly mowed one down earlier - it just sort of looked at me and then ran right under my wheel - fortunately it misjudged it an missed!
Seems to be bunny world round here at the mo - I actually nearly mowed one down earlier - it just sort of looked at me and then ran right under my wheel - fortunately it misjudged it an missed!
Re: Wildlife
Red Kite ~500 metres from my house. Ten a penny when I lived down south I've seen perhaps 6 or 7 here in the south of Cumbria over the past 5 years. There's been one (the same one?) that I've spotted perhaps 10km and 5km away over the past few months and then today realised that it was no Buzzard circling above me as I walked the dog.


Re: Wildlife
This little guy in the bedroom. He was about 1&1/2" long

- ledburner
- Posts: 2040
- Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:47 am
- Location: The worsted place in West Yorkshire,
Re: Wildlife
A glorious blue sky low sun I could hear them but not see them. A directly over head 'ma-hous-ive' skein of Geese going off for winter. Fubble fingers with the phone camera then they were almost gone..
Apologies not the best of pictures, top right.

Apologies not the best of pictures, top right.
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
- whitestone
- Posts: 8210
- Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:20 am
- Location: Skipton(ish)
- Contact:
Re: Wildlife
Had a sparrowhawk fly past me this afternoon whilst I was working over at my brother's. No photo as I wasn't expecting it and it was a dot in the distance by the time I'd have got the phone out.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
- Bearlegged
- Posts: 2500
- Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 5:00 pm
Re: Wildlife
A badger, a fox, and lots of sheep this evening.
Re: Wildlife
Out for a spot of geocaching and dog walking with the family in the New Forest at the weekend. Always take my bins with me on any walk
Spotting something unusual in the middle of the field nearby and the bins confirmed it was unusual. White tailed eagle. They're resident in this area but I've never seen one, had my eyes out since we moved down South in early 2021
Amazing. And enormous. The whole family got to see it as well. Flew off before I had the chance to find my phone, plus I couldn't remember which jacket pocket I'd put it in
Spotting something unusual in the middle of the field nearby and the bins confirmed it was unusual. White tailed eagle. They're resident in this area but I've never seen one, had my eyes out since we moved down South in early 2021
Amazing. And enormous. The whole family got to see it as well. Flew off before I had the chance to find my phone, plus I couldn't remember which jacket pocket I'd put it in
- macinblack
- Posts: 682
- Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:02 am
Re: Wildlife
I was watching one of the neighbour's cats trying to catch a couple of magpies in a tree. The magpies were obviously running rings round it and it was clear that they were doing it on purpose, getting as close to the cat as they could and then flying just out of reach. Quite amusing.