[dave lamacraft]

Mr Fatneck - seems I know people here I didn't realise I knew, so just checking.....struggling with all this pseudonym stuff!

Saw a ring ouzel at Burbage North the other day  , not such a remarkable thing perhaps , but still very nice  .....

Fantastic birds, you're lucky, seeing them is getting more remarkable by the year - some sources suggest a 70% decline in the UK since mid-1990's which is a bit on the bad side

[grumpycrumpy]

Fantastic birds, you're lucky, seeing them is getting more remarkable by the year - some sources suggest a 70% decline in the UK since mid-1990's which is a bit on the bad side
[/quote]

Wow , I didn't realise the figures were that grim , I used to see them all the time when I was growing up in Hathersage ..... Which is why I didn't see the sighting as anything particulary special .....

[chris05]

Nice on the Capercaillie, where was that? I've heard them, but never seen any. And unless the fulmars drew blood it wasn't a proper attack. mate of mine got a scalp wound from one at Logie Head when he topped out right next to a nest (unwittingly).
[/quote]

My dad see's them semi-regularly near their house which is about 8 miles inland from nairn. You may be right about the fulmars, will have to try harder next time

[SA Chris]

Nairn, fastest place in the UK. Naaaaaaaairn.

[chris05]

Nairn, fastest place in the UK. Naaaaaaaairn.

hmm... oh dear 

[Durbs]

Went for a red kite wander near Hambledon recently.

There's so many of them around the Chilterns these days they're actually hard not to spot.
This was probably the best of many.


But I like the atmosphere of this one:

[Johnny Brown]

Had a Goshawk up Bretton clough on Sunday. Get the fuck in, seems the grouse-killing bastards haven't succeeded in eliminating them entirely. Fairly sure it was a juvenile too, so the possibility they have bred here.

[Nigel]

Just back from bonnie Scotland, had a good trip for wildlife. A boat trip to Mingulay was perhaps the most productive in this respect, we stepped of the boat and had a bunch of seals to our left, a load of puffins to our right, and a golden eagle overhead. There were all the usual seabirds in attendance (kittiwake, fulmar, gulls, terns, shag, cormorant, guillemot, razorbill), plus an abundance of very scary looking great skua lording it at the top of the cliffs. Just leaving Mingulay Bay we were circled by a basking shark, it came within feet of the boat. Impressive beast.

A couple of days later I spent about half an hour in the company of another golden eagle in Glen Bretadale on Barra while it scared the nesting sea birds out of their tiny little minds. Truly majestic birds and I managed to get some so-so pics on my little shitty camera which I’ll try and get posted. Saw another at Brearnish on Lewis too.

Saw numerous golden plover and lapwings on the Reiff headland.

Corn buntings at Balranald on North Uist, unfortunately had a ferry to catch so missed the corncrakes. Damn!

A couple of golden ringed dragonflies in the Gruinard Bay area, the first one was first spotted by my girlfriend while she was belaying me on a sport route at Goat Crag, I heard a chilling scream and looked round to see her running in circles f’ing and blinding at the air. I’d never seen one and thought she was being a nonce when I got down and she said she been swiped by “a sort of massive helicopter wasp”. When I saw one I shit it too, I had no idea they were so big! Very amenable to having their picture taken too.

[Johnny Brown]

Sounds amazing. How long did you have on Mingulay? Did he take you round the western side?

Gotta love Skuas. There were loads of Arctic Skuas on Papa Stour, promptly became one of my favourites. Helen's description of the Golden-ringed is perfect! A few on Big moor but pretty rare this far east.

[dave lamacraft]

That does sound amazing, went to Outer Hebs a few years back, wanted to get out to Mingulay but couldn't.

Skuas are fantastic.  I helped a PhD student a few years back working on Skuas on Handa, we were collecting pellets to as part of diet study - one pellet sticks in my mind - it was basically a lump of gunge with two guillemot legs sticking out one end and a beak sticking out the other.

Did you see any surf?

[SA Chris]

Great Stuff Neil. Sounds like typical Scotland! What routes you get done (probably best answered elsewhere).

Dave get there for surf. We had a fantastic week on N Uist in August two years ago. Surf every day (a couple were a bit messy and onshore), and only company in water was seals and the local policeman who was a sponger.

[slackline]

Saw some chicks walking up to Marble Wall, Stanage yesterday.  Only managed one crappy shot, as they were camera shy and I didn't want to chase them away from mum, but I suspect they may be grouse?

[Johnny Brown]

Could be. Snipe is another possibility.

[uptown]

Could be. Snipe is another possibility.

That's genius. Recent wildlife sightings 11 minutes into EG. Take a wad for the snipe. 

[SA Chris]

Snipe is another possibility.

Bit unfair isnt it. At least with a shotgun they would have a slight chance.

[slackline]

That's genius. Recent wildlife sightings 11 minutes into EG. Take a wad for the snipe. 

EG? 

[SA Chris]

England Game?

[slackline]

Didn't know JB was in South Africa playing for England!

[Falling Down]

Dive bombed by very noisy Lapwings on an early morning run over Eccles Pike this morning. 

[AndyR]

Just saw the extremes of local birds this morning whilst on the deck - rufous hummingbird followed by a turkey vulture - little and large....

[SA Chris]

Why was the vulture following the humming bird?

[SpanishJuan]

Maybe the hummingbird had nicked the vultures wallet     ok, maybe not...
I was lucky enough to see natterjack toads and stag beetles on a campsite the other evening, which was kind of nice

[cofe]

bike ride round derwent last night with tlr and clocked: oystercatcher, snipe, lapwings, many rabbits, some other shit, and a big bird of prey that pretty sure wasn't a buzzard - possibly a goshawk? pretty nice really, but sadly no woodcock. boo hoo.

[Johnny Brown]

Nice, always fancied that ride, will get round to it one day...

a big bird of prey that pretty sure wasn't a buzzard

What did it look like?

[cofe]

biggish, i thought grey-brown-ish, tim thought more grey. bigger than sparrowhawk, but flight didn't look laboured like buzzard. not quite as big i think. mooching around low-down near a farm. we weren't close enough really and i can't say for sure after browsing rspb site. fuck nose.