[Paul B]

Spotted this kingfisher just by the flats yesterday. Please excuse the rubbish picture it wasn't staying still long enough for me to get a decent snap. Heavy crop:


Kingfisher by travelswithmyt4, on Flickr

It kept returning throughout the day but didn't seem to like my presence.

[Brolly]

The bird detail is nice, just a shame about the plant in the foreground.  They are super fast, quick to spook and therefore hard to photograph.

Just back from Dumfries and Galloway.  I wanted to see otters but not a sniff, the locals where quite amused I was even trying!  I did see lots of red kites, buzzards and red squirrels.  Also saw some salmon jumping the burns which I've not seen before.


Call of the Wild by Brolly99, on Flickr


Preparing for winter by Brolly99, on Flickr


Leaping Salmon by Brolly99, on Flickr

If anyone knows any good otter spots please let me know!

Cheers Ol

[SA Chris]

I know of a few spots sadly wrong end of the county. All over the Moray Firth.

Mate of mine spotted one swimming by with a large fish while belaying at Reiff. I was 20m away and he didn't bother mentioning it to me until afterwards. Git/

[Brolly]

Cheers Chris will let you know if I head up that way.

Great find today, I've been searching for ages to try and find grass snakes.  Today I found 3 grass snakes and 1 adder.  The adder was actually with 2 of the grass snakes.  As it was cold today some of them where sluggish so I managed to get a few shots.

Below is the adder with the one remaining grass snake;


Wild grass snake and adder in Yorkshire (25/9/2010) by Brolly99, on Flickr

Close up of the adder;


Wild adder close up by Brolly99, on Flickr


Close up of the Grass snake;


Wild grass snake close up by Brolly99, on Flickr

Cheers Ol

[SA Chris]

Nice snake pics.

Walked down to cliffs this morning to see how sea was looking and saw a seal bobbing about, seemed to be having fun in the swell.

[richieb]

Spotted a Pine Marten casually walking across the road infront of the car in Applecross yesterday.
The stags were roaring all day too.

[Falling Down]

Me and Galpinos watched a Weasel carrying a dead mouse above the Plantation yesterday.

[SA Chris]

Spotted a Pine Marten casually walking across the road

Did it have its hands in its pockets and a saunter in his step?

[lagerstarfish]

I enjoyed watching a big flock (50+) of gold finches at Burb North today. Thought I saw some siskins with them, but could have been juvenile gold finches?

Never seen them up there before.

very cool to watch 

[Richie Crouch]

We were lucky enough to watch a group of about 15 boars from fully grown adults to miniature ones crossing the road at Apremont in a big line as we drove out of there last week.

We had only seen a couple at Cuisiniere during daylight a couple of days beforehand, so to see this many was quite cool, especially the tiny ones 

[GCW]

I saw similar at Cuisiniere at 6am this Summer, wish I'd had the camcorder out.

[lagerstarfish]

When Vimeo have finished putting me at the back of the queue, this should show up as a bit of footage I took of some red deer out near Owler Bar the other day.

A more entertaining film could have been made by someone filming my poor attempts at deer stalking. Think Blair Witch meets Mr Bean, but still not as shit as Bare Gristle.

[Muenchener]

Llast week I was discussing the state of my project with my boss, when a kestrel and a crow started a mid-air fight right outside the window. I need to find a shaman and ask what this means for the future of the project.

[butters]

Llast week I was discussing the state of my project with my boss, when a kestrel and a crow started a mid-air fight right outside the window. I need to find a shaman and ask what this means for the future of the project.

You sure that it wasn't a crow and a quail trying to morph into the portentous beast required for calling the grit?

[Muenchener]

Last week I was discussing the state of my project with my boss, when a kestrel and a crow started a mid-air fight right outside the window. I need to find a shaman and ask what this means for the future of the project.

You sure that it wasn't a crow and a quail trying to morph into the portentous beast required for calling the grit?

Defintely a kestrel. And I'm pretty sure the crow had feet.

[Brolly]

Got me a first yesterday.  Although pretty bad news for all the other local wildlife.


Wild mink @ Fairburn by Brolly99, on Flickr

Had a few other nice sightings in the last week; little owl and an early brambling also at Fairburn and dippers at Fountains Abbey (all on Flickr if you fancy a butchers click on the mink).

Ol

[Jim]

had a quick browse. some great photo's.

[Will Hunt]

Whereabouts in Yorkshire did you see the snakes, Oli?

[SA Chris]

A more entertaining film could have been made by someone filming my poor attempts at deer stalking. Think Blair Witch meets Mr Bean, but still not as shit as Bare Gristle.

I wish I had video of the time I tried to get photos of an adult bull moose, by chasing it across a snowy field on a mountain bike in near darkness whilst very drunk. Results have not won me WPOTY funnily enough.

[DaveC]

Thought I'd post a link to this pic as I saw a similar sight yesterday. Australia's magpie is quite fearless & notoriously aggressive during it's nesting season! Just ask some of the pro-riders who were training out here before the Road Worlds the other week! The big chap is a Wedge-Tailed Eagle btw, wingspan is 7-9 feet in adults.

[SA Chris]

Wing man!

[magpie]

There are some really fantastic photos on this thread.

[granticus]

Aussie magpies aren't known as 'butcher' birds for nothing.  Used to get attacked cycling to work on the 'Goldie' and understand now, why it's illegal to cycle without a helmet on over there.   It's to prevent your head from getting butchered by these little blighters.  They don't hold back at all, their aim is to make contact and inflict damage, scared the living daylights out of me the first time it happened.

[SA Chris]

Aussie magpies aren't known as 'butcher' birds for nothing. 

Really? In South Africa the Butcher Bird is a Fiscal Shrike.

(edit - google says yes. Interesting).

[Johnny Brown]

Shrikes are also known as butcher birds in the UK, though they're pretty rare, from their habit of spearing prey items on thorns for storage.