A couple of weeks ago I was out riding and came across a large bird of prey which had been killed by a car. It was a large bird and I stopped to pick it up, its wingspan would be around 4 feet. It weighed perhaps three pounds. Underneath it was the rabbit it had been feeding on. I threw it to the side of the road. Today I passed it and it is still there, gently rotting away. I'll take a picture next time. How do I tell what it was?
We saw and heard a magpie on sunday. Not very unusual but it was coughing. Not sure whether it was a real cough or it was putting it on. I heard one in almost the same place last weekend making "odd" noises. Are they mimics?
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.
If you read Gerald Durrell's "My family and other animals" magpies most certainly are mimics. I don't suppose he made all that up.
Quote from: longers on 28 February, 2011, 06:36:58 pmWe saw and heard a magpie on sunday. Not very unusual but it was coughing. Not sure whether it was a real cough or it was putting it on. I heard one in almost the same place last weekend making "odd" noises. Are they mimics?If you read Gerald Durrell's "My family and other animals" magpies most certainly are mimics. I don't suppose he made all that up.
set up EdinburghWildlife in the time I've been away...
Buzzard over the centre of Edinburgh at lunchtime today
Quote from: AnthCC on 28 February, 2011, 10:56:16 pmBuzzard over the centre of Edinburgh at lunchtime todayThat's a sparrowhawk
Quote from: andrew_s on 01 March, 2011, 06:52:53 pmQuote from: AnthCC on 28 February, 2011, 10:56:16 pmBuzzard over the centre of Edinburgh at lunchtime todayThat's a sparrowhawkNow see it did bug me at the time, the wings weren't right, but it was soaring much much more like a Buzzard.
A red kite in our village. We're going to my parents' house tomorrow, so we'll probably see theirs - they feed them bacon.<snip>