Your day's wildlife
- Thread starter Flick of the Elbow
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Poacher
Gravitationally challenged member
As promised, some pics from Madeira: no idea what species this is, but a rather attractive (IMO) moff:
A Ruddy Turnstone
As promised, the biggest, darkest Madeiran lizard I've ever seen (most are light brown, with longitudinal beige stripes)
A very proud-looking Canary
Two specially for @potsy : a Little Egret and a Grey Wagtail
On islands, isolated species develop very differently from their mainland ancestors. I think this must be some kind of pigeon....
Actually, Madeira does have its own endemic pigeon species, the Trocaz Pigeon, which I've seen, fleetingly, on previous visits, but it's a bugger to photograph, and for various reasons, including the difficulty of of rousing Mrs Poacher before about 8:30 in time to catch a bus to the north of the island, I didn't even get to the relevant areas on this holiday. Here's a distant shot of a female Kestrel around the grounds of the hotel complex.
Followed by a bird which is probably a first for this thread, a Berthelot's Pipit (endemic to Macaronesia)
and finally, a sunbathing crab of some kind
Happy New Year everyone!
A Ruddy Turnstone
As promised, the biggest, darkest Madeiran lizard I've ever seen (most are light brown, with longitudinal beige stripes)
A very proud-looking Canary
Two specially for @potsy : a Little Egret and a Grey Wagtail
Actually, Madeira does have its own endemic pigeon species, the Trocaz Pigeon, which I've seen, fleetingly, on previous visits, but it's a bugger to photograph, and for various reasons, including the difficulty of of rousing Mrs Poacher before about 8:30 in time to catch a bus to the north of the island, I didn't even get to the relevant areas on this holiday. Here's a distant shot of a female Kestrel around the grounds of the hotel complex.
Followed by a bird which is probably a first for this thread, a Berthelot's Pipit (endemic to Macaronesia)
and finally, a sunbathing crab of some kind
Happy New Year everyone!
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
I saw a fox this morning near the space centre. First one I have seen for a long long time.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
We get foxes all the time, night or day. But I did manage to see a kingfisher and a fox at the same time in pretty much the same place. I'm going back at low tide tomorrow for the kingfisher.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
We used to see them pretty much every day, but for whatever reason a couple of years ago they all seemed to disappear.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
Deptford at low tide. I saw this one yesterday but didn't have a camera with me so I returned today.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
[QUOTE 5500300, member: 9609"]its always a joy to see a Kingfisher, for the first time in my life I seen one catch a fish a few weeks ago - i was watch it sat on a branch like yours, then it suddenly dived into the water then reappeared back on the branch with a little fish, she twizzled it about in her beak then swallowed it head first.
What sort of environment did you see yours in ? I so often see them in the most unlikely places like little streams under busy road bridges - yiy certainly don't have to be in remote tranquil places[/QUOTE]
You're right about the environment - it's in Deptford, only a few hundred miles from the A2, in a narrow park that's sandwiched between the Docklands Light Railway and an A road. I have seen them right down by the mouth of the river Thames but over the last couple of days I've not seen it go that far - it's gone to the downstream end of the park, then returned to the same perch before flying back upstream. To see them in what counts as inner city London adds to the pleasure because it seems such an unlikely place, and the river has a few fairly long tunnel stretches that they must have learned to navigate.
What sort of environment did you see yours in ? I so often see them in the most unlikely places like little streams under busy road bridges - yiy certainly don't have to be in remote tranquil places[/QUOTE]
You're right about the environment - it's in Deptford, only a few hundred miles from the A2, in a narrow park that's sandwiched between the Docklands Light Railway and an A road. I have seen them right down by the mouth of the river Thames but over the last couple of days I've not seen it go that far - it's gone to the downstream end of the park, then returned to the same perch before flying back upstream. To see them in what counts as inner city London adds to the pleasure because it seems such an unlikely place, and the river has a few fairly long tunnel stretches that they must have learned to navigate.
booze and cake
probably out cycling
@deptfordmarmoset wow the kingfisher spot is a surprise, I've never seen one in London, well not a real one, only street art ones
I got the same sense of shock and delight when I saw a seal sunbathing on the banks of the Thames last year, I did not expect to see a seal in central London when I set of for a bike ride that day, seeing things where you least expect makes it extra special.
I got the same sense of shock and delight when I saw a seal sunbathing on the banks of the Thames last year, I did not expect to see a seal in central London when I set of for a bike ride that day, seeing things where you least expect makes it extra special
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deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
@deptfordmarmoset wow the kingfisher spot is a surprise, I've never seen one in London, well not a real one, only street art ones
I got the same sense of shock and delight when I saw a seal sunbathing on the banks of the Thames last year, I did not expect to see a seal in central London when I set of for a bike ride that day, seeing things where you least expect makes it extra special
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
I've been there 3 times since last Friday, around late morning/midday and each time I've seen it. I only wish I had a proper camera because it's at the limit of my compact's range. If there's anyone local with a decent camera lens, I'd be happy to show them its favourite perch in the park.
philk56
Guru
I'm back in Perth for a few weeks and there is a colony of Rainbow Bee-eaters that migrate down here for the summer to breed. They nest in tunnels in the ground and return to the same spots every year. The area is well signposted to avoid the nests but apart from that is busy with families and dog walkers but the bee-eaters don't seem at all bothered - they just go about their normal business.
