Author Topic: Seen today (Read 1034609 times)

JennyB · « **Reply #3425 on:** 25 October, 2013, 06:21:49 pm »

A mink (I think) or maybe black stoat. It began to cross the road and then thought better of it. Also a young cock pheasant did a roadrunner impression in front of me for about a hundred yards before managing to fly off sideways

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3426 on:** 25 October, 2013, 09:13:48 pm »

A hawk of some sort right in the city centre. A little bigger than a kestrel but not hovering. Definitely not a buzzard and even more definitely not (Little Cudzo's suggestion, to the confusion of his friend who hadn't heard of it as a bird) a kite. I know there are some peregrines nesting in the Avon Gorge a couple of miles away, perhaps it was one of them? But checking photos suggests probably a sparrowhawk, its wings were rounded not pointed.

andrew_s · « **Reply #3427 on:** 26 October, 2013, 02:45:03 pm »

Urban sparrowhawks are fairly common. They have been blamed for the decline in the sparrow population, long discussion here

PaulR · « **Reply #3428 on:** 28 October, 2013, 04:59:46 pm »

Yesterday, in Southsea, a peregrine battling against the breeze. And a nice big rat running along the street - possible on its way to the Great South Run, lured by the smell of powerade.

Today, in Kings Cross station, a beautiful Harris Hawk perching on someone's gauntlet.

Snakehips · « **Reply #3429 on:** 30 October, 2013, 03:40:53 pm »

Seen today , but not by me.
There are reports of up to 17000 wood pigeon flying around London. Regular spotters have reported these birds over Regents Park , Richmond Park and London Wetlands.
I assume these reports to be true , and it's not just make up a silly story about wood pigeons day.

Pingu · « **Reply #3430 on:** 02 November, 2013, 02:17:53 pm »

Loadsa buzzards, one being mobbed by corvids. Loadsa fungi. Yet another dead badger

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3431 on:** 02 November, 2013, 03:24:47 pm »

A barn owl, whilst driving from Ashton-under-Lyne to Skipton.

Peter · « **Reply #3432 on:** 02 November, 2013, 09:51:19 pm »

Did you come through Milnrow - or use the M60?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3433 on:** 02 November, 2013, 11:02:50 pm »

M60, but I get my kicks on the M66.

Peter · « **Reply #3434 on:** 03 November, 2013, 10:47:51 am »

slowfen · « **Reply #3435 on:** 03 November, 2013, 02:08:03 pm »

From yesterday, a brambling on the norfolk nips

Crumbling Nick · « **Reply #3436 on:** 05 November, 2013, 10:15:31 pm »

An animal with a white scut of a tail was trotting along the other side of the nearside hedge on the way home. 'Twas too big for a rabbit, & definitely not a brown hare. It eventually decided to dive through the hedge & cross the road: muntjac deer.

It was less than 5 miles from my only previous sighting.

Peter · « **Reply #3437 on:** 06 November, 2013, 12:43:14 am »

Well, they've got short legs....

Pingu · « **Reply #3438 on:** 09 November, 2013, 10:08:48 pm »

Some buzzards, a couple of kestrels

, geese.

All the fields we passed today were covered in gossamer, I've never seen so much.

Feanor · « **Reply #3439 on:** 10 November, 2013, 08:17:23 pm »

Much sealage at Newburgh, at the mouth of the river Ythan.

IMG_20131109_104340 by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

I estimated about 350 individuals on the far beach, with several others in the water, popping up close to me and looking quizzically at me and having a sniff before popping back down under the surface.
Also several Herons and other birdage.

Vince · « **Reply #3440 on:** 13 November, 2013, 08:52:34 am »

A margarine of storks

Crappy phone picture, but there are about 20 storks just down the road from home

Wombat · « **Reply #3441 on:** 13 November, 2013, 01:24:45 pm »

I love your collective term for storks. They are bloody enormous, aren't they? i'd almost dismissed storks as being something in childrens fairy tale books until I saw some in northern Spain. I was dumbstruck that they really do build damn great nests on people's chimney stacks!

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3442 on:** 13 November, 2013, 02:15:30 pm »

Aren't they a bit lost? They should be back in Africa by now!

kombokim · « **Reply #3443 on:** 13 November, 2013, 07:41:22 pm »

I was out with the Colchester CTC Sunday ride. Not really sure where I was as I was just following all the others. Somewhere in Essex is about as much as I can narrow it down. At one point I saw the guy next to me do a double take as we passed a field. I took a look and sure enough the field was full of llamas. I wasn't expecting that.

Auntie Helen · « **Reply #3444 on:** 14 November, 2013, 07:45:02 am »

Possibly alpacas - if you were in Ardleigh/Dedham there are three herds of them that I know of, one belonging to my friend.

kombokim · « **Reply #3445 on:** 14 November, 2013, 08:32:39 pm »

ok, I felt I was a bit pathetic not knowing where I was so I've looked on the map and it was somewhere near Goldhanger, Maldon way.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3446 on:** 16 November, 2013, 09:55:59 pm »

A trio of jays. Not sure I've seen more than one at a time before.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #3447 on:** 17 November, 2013, 05:14:07 pm »

Quote from: Wunja on 13 November, 2013, 08:52:34 am

A margarine of storks

Crappy phone picture, but there are about 20 storks just down the road from home

Hard to tell from that distance, but are they not little egrets?

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #3448 on:** 17 November, 2013, 08:33:39 pm »

Egrets do not have the black on their wings.

Wombat · « **Reply #3449 on:** 18 November, 2013, 08:08:13 am »

I concur, having chased a strange pure white heron up the garden away from the pond, and then looked in my bird book... I also have a morning challenge here at work, catch the elusive egret (with my camera) on its visits to the swan pond.