Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1034216 times)

Deano · « **Reply #4125 on:** 07 August, 2015, 07:45:49 pm »

Couple of stoats today - including the same one twice, as it took the short cut across the field and crossed my path twice.

Andrij · « **Reply #4126 on:** 07 August, 2015, 09:31:41 pm »

A cat crossing the road - using the pedestrian crossing. No, the crossing was not the shortest distance between two points.

woollypigs · « **Reply #4127 on:** 07 August, 2015, 10:07:00 pm »

While out walking our mutt, I often see: A man who walking his dog, by kicking a ball where he wants the dog to go. Followed by his cat about 5m behind them. When his partner walks with them, yet another cat about 3m behind the first cat. Both cats waits at junctions and waits behind, when dog is doing its business or the owner is too busy on the phone to cross the road safely. It's a jolly sight

Which reminds me of our old cat used to come on evening walks with us with I was a wee nipper.

Kim · « **Reply #4128 on:** 08 August, 2015, 12:49:42 am »

Ah, while we're on the subject, a BloodyCyclist attempting to trackstand, facing the wrong way in the bus lane here:

https://goo.gl/maps/m6nVX

As I got closer in my unwanted game of Chicken, I noticed a dog (one of those ugly ones that are so popular with people who shouldn't be allowed dogs) wandering in the road in front of him. As I got even closer, I realised the dog wasn't even on a lead.

Being no fan of uncontrolled ugly dogs or their owners I slowed down, and watched him herd the dog - via the medium of tactical bike positioning and loud swearing - through the traffic and onto the side road on the right. At one point as I got closer the dog clocked my unusual bike and looked like it was going to turn and launch a barking attack (as dogs tend to do) from the path of an oncoming car. Fortunately the owner delivered some more, even louder, swearing, and the dog obeyed.

Peter · « **Reply #4129 on:** 08 August, 2015, 10:35:25 am »

Not today, but last week and on the subject: out on a ride I was nearly up-ended by a chicken playing chicken.

woollypigs · « **Reply #4130 on:** 08 August, 2015, 10:44:54 am »

Sadly while out walking the mutt, I often see two staffies. Walked by people who like to shout at, hit or even throw things at their dogs to "get them in line". I just hope the day they blow, I'm far away and so are others.

David Martin · « **Reply #4131 on:** 13 August, 2015, 12:46:20 am »

Many bats - some soprano, some common pipistrelles. I even have a video. https://youtu.be/BPsbjzAXYkg

And then we stopped to see the persuades but that is a different thread.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4132 on:** 14 August, 2015, 12:55:30 pm »

A kingfisher in the park this morning. That's the second one I've seen, or more likely the second time I've seen that one, this summer. I haven't kept an accurate record, but I doubt if, in the 11 years that we have been taking Morphy to the park most mornings, I have seen kingfishers more than about 10 times there.

David Martin · « **Reply #4133 on:** 17 August, 2015, 11:12:34 pm »

A brown long eared bat (maybe two). The first was in the ranger centre in Templeton Woods.

Brown long eared bat at the Templeton visitor centre by David Martin, on Flickr

Then when heading home through the park a bat that could well have been a brown long eared - bigger than a pipistrelle and flying with flappy wings rather than the frenetic beat of the pipistrelle. And it was not picked up on the detector. I was impressed by how quiet the BLE are.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4134 on:** 18 August, 2015, 09:13:51 am »

A sparrowhawk in a tree outside our window in central Vienna.

Another sparrowhawk above the meadow in Poland (this time a rural setting!) being mobbed by a flock of daring swallows. I presume they counted on out-nimbling it. It did make a grab for one, but unsuccessfully. Unless it was a different type of hawk, but it didn't look like a buzzard, which is the only other type out there.

Also a huge flock of starlings (well, quite small by starling standards – and they don't murmur, it's a large volume of cheeping and wing brushing) eating the pears on the tree. A few storks, the usual deer (internet identifies them as Capreolus capreolus, roe deer) and buzzards, but most surprisingly at least four small, brown frogs in the forest! This was surprising because it was incredibly hot (38C) and dry there. All the leaves are yellow, like late October.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4135 on:** 18 August, 2015, 07:34:09 pm »

Forgot to mention: some beautiful fat yellow spiders with black stripes, sitting head-down in their webs on the meadow near the streamWell, more of a drainage ditch than a stream.
Barn owls screeching.
Black woodpecker with red head (ok, I didn't see this, I only heard it, but Little saw it and described it).

I'm envious of spiders. I admire their ability to sit motionless for so long.

rafletcher · « **Reply #4136 on:** 18 August, 2015, 07:41:14 pm »

Three rats exiting our compost bin!

Bledlow · « **Reply #4137 on:** 19 August, 2015, 09:32:34 pm »

A frog in a bucket.

It was sitting in an inch or so of water, apparently unable to climb (smooth plastic sides) or jump out.

So I tipped it in our pond.

Ruthie · « **Reply #4138 on:** 20 August, 2015, 09:30:50 pm »

A huge, graceful, beautiful hare, and a slinky slender fox.

I didn't see the massive fly before it hit the back of my throat. I choked on the thing all the way home.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4139 on:** 23 August, 2015, 09:18:54 am »

I find that having a luxuriant moustache does a great job at keeping unwanted insects from finding their way into my gob.

Which is actually the first two lines of a poem.

Andrij · « **Reply #4140 on:** 23 August, 2015, 10:20:27 pm »

Camera shy.

Peter · « **Reply #4141 on:** 24 August, 2015, 01:05:18 am »

It's not, it's mooning at you!

benborp · « **Reply #4142 on:** 26 August, 2015, 02:21:13 pm »

Not all today, but some of the distractions of the last few weeks:

IMG_6962 by benborp, on Flickr

IMG_6933 by benborp, on Flickr

IMG_7003 by benborp, on Flickr

IMG_7001 by benborp, on Flickr

IMG_6994 by benborp, on Flickr

Feanor · « **Reply #4143 on:** 29 August, 2015, 05:52:17 pm »

Is there such a thing in the world as an Albino Buzzard?

Spotted perched onna post, on a back-road North of Ellon ( to the North of Aberdeen ).
It was most certainly a Buzzard; it let me get very close before it flew off.
It's size, shape, wing and tail profile and general behaviour were all 100% Buzzard.

But it was pretty much pure white, with the exception of a few mottled patches of the lightest brown.

<Tappity-tap>
Hmmm, yes, it seems there is such a thing. Odd-looking to say the least.

Andrij · « **Reply #4144 on:** 31 August, 2015, 07:31:07 pm »

A cricket on my doorstep!

Bledlow · « **Reply #4145 on:** 01 September, 2015, 02:10:11 pm »

Apodemus sylvatica (yer common or garden Wood mouse AKA field mouse) on the allotment. Mrs B suspects it was after all the ant larvae under a weed-clearing plastic sheet she was checking under for toads.

Also a small frog (I think), instead of the usual toads.

Andrij · « **Reply #4146 on:** 04 September, 2015, 02:35:38 pm »

On my early hours trip around town I spotted 14

foxes, and two cats. There is a possibility I may have spotted the same fox twice, but even 13 is still a lot.

woollypigs · « **Reply #4147 on:** 04 September, 2015, 03:09:54 pm »

Moved to the country side about 2 and a half years ago and yet to see a fox. I have seen a poop that I pretty sure is a fox as it is not cat or dog. Right outside our SW6 flat we had a fox family that kept us awake at night. And we often saw them out the kitchen window. But up here zip, nada ...

SteveC · « **Reply #4148 on:** 04 September, 2015, 05:09:27 pm »

Urban foxes have learnt that urban humans are not really much of a threat.
Rural foxes on the other hand...

We did see two running down our road a few years ago mind. And we're on the edge of a small village.

SteveC · « **Reply #4149 on:** 05 September, 2015, 04:15:32 pm »

I rescued a small slow worm when I was mowing the lawn. Not seen one that small before (about 10cm) so I assume it's a youngster.