For me, it's a kingfisher.
I'm spending a few days at the caravan in leafy North Yorkshire.
There are fewer people about during the week, and today I saw a kingfisher, perched on the handrail of a footbridge over a stream.
I first saw one in the same place a couple of years ago.
The front window of my caravan overlooks the stream, which means the kingfisher doesn't know I'm here if I stay still.
I once saw him dive in and come up with a small fish.
A truly marvellous sight.
Is there a bird or a animal you've come across which has been an unexpected delight?
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Up in Gdansk a real life hog ran out in front of me and froze, tusks and everything. And earlier this summer in Lodz, Bambi bounded across a narrow unmade road in one leap, leaving me stunned. I really wasn't expecting it.
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>> Up in Gdansk a real life hog ran out in front of me and froze,
>> tusks and everything.
You really should watch it with that local vodka Dave. A few hours earlier you were probably chatting that hog up thinking it was one of your yummy mummies and asking it to stroke your cowboy boots. No wonder it was confused.
Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Tue 28 Sep 10 at 19:28
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"A few hours earlier you were probably chatting that hog up "
I realised later Humph, that it was just a reflection in the windscreen of the mother-in-law in the passenger seat.
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Good spot, Iffy - Never seen a Kingfisher in the flesh.
The most beautiful bird that I've seen "live" is the Barn Owl. The feathers look like they are hand-painted with tiny dark jewels encrusted at intervals.
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I've seen kingfishers quite regularly flying down the river in the park where I work, and it's on the outskirts of a town.
I stayed in a house in the Highlands and a pine marten came out of the darkness and lurked around in the light from the french windows. That was amazing - it looked totally relaxed, must have been part of it's nightly travels.
Also golden eagles, basking whales and a sea eagle on the Isle of Rum.
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At our previous place, we had a decent sized pond, with some decent sized fish, I'll never forget one morning looking out the window and seeing Mr Kingfisher with one of my best fish in his mouth,
I then bought a fake-fisher and had no more raids.
At the place before the place before that, up on Bodmin Moor, we regularly saw:
Buzzard, Barn Owl, Woodpecker, Yellowhammer, Fox, Badger, Stoat, Deer, Boar etc., etc., etc.
When we lived in Tenerife, I enjoyed seeing tropical birds - that weren't in cages.
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The first lark of Summer. How can anyone not be uplifted by its song?
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A full grown antlered stag running alongside my truck cab on a uphill at about 20 or so mph in the foggy darkness was spooky and wonderful many years ago.
The woodpecker feeding it's fledgling from our nut feeders earlier this year was heartwarming.
By the way i haven't heard a cuckoo for years.
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>> By the way i haven't heard a cuckoo for years.
In most of the UK cuckoos seem to skulk in woods. Out on the Western Isles they call visibly from telegraph poles (and lay in the ground nests of Meadow Pipits). Rather similar in appearance to a small falcon or Sparrow Hawk.
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I love the sight of a Tropical Bird.
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My most memorable 'non-spot' was of an adder - whilst walking through Kielder Forest (Pennine Way, 1984).
It was basking in the early morning sunshine, coiled up on the path we were walking. My companion was just able to utter a stifled squeak as my size-10 Hawkins Cairngorm boot came down on its head. I had completely failed to notice it, being half-asleep at the time.
We looked back to see it writhing around, but didn't think it would react too kindly to further investigation....
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When we lived in Scotland we'd sometimes get deer crossing our garden in the winter months. Down here we back on to a canal so we sometimes gets ducks copulating on the patio. Quite offputting if you are on the phone.
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Large white crayfish slithering around the muddy bottom of the Basingstoke canal when it sprang a leak.
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An Owl in one of the trees in our garden at 6 feet away and 6 feet off of the ground. Happened three times. Hasn't been back for about 8 weeks now.
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Maybe it was a sign Martin...Odd creatures owls.
Or maybe it's just had the wit to woo...
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Another Beer? I'll get this one.
True though. Got two Wood pigeons (Youngsters) here in the garden now, semi-tame and nesting (I think sitting on Eggs). At this time of year I am surprised, but one old sage today said not so. He also added, they make good eating. He's right of course.
M
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I want to remember being told that when you hear an owl calling "T'wit-T'woo" that in fact what you are hearing is two owls. The male calling "T'wit" and the female replying "T'woo" if she's up for it.
That might be rubbish of course. I'm no owl expert.
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Tawny 'goes' keee--wik.
If one is living semi-rural go in to any wooded or covered area and you will usually be graced by several species, but one will do. Stillness and an attempt at some form of camouflage will help of course, but it is well worth the effort.
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My son and I were riding our bikes in a fairly remote part of a forest the other week when we heard a woodpecker. Either that or there was something wrong with my bike..
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Ah the old fag packet pegged to the frame clicking on the spokes eh?
Some boys never grow up.
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>> Some boys never grow up.
>>
SWMBO reckons that NO boys grow up!
Err......I think she has a point.
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Basking shark very close to the CalMac ferry in the Sound of Mull, a kingfisher and a bullfinch seen within five minutes of each other on our local river and a sparrowhawk eating a pigeon right outside our front door. We live close to the centre of a substantial city.
vitesse
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Not a lot of wildlife round here unless you count Rattle staggering home from the bus stop on a Saturday night !
As a lad I used to lie on my back in the warm grass trying to spot the Skylark above. I like the sound of Oystercatchers on a warm Summer evening searching the mudflats.
Some Foxes here barking at night, but they've had to move on as the old railway has been fenced off and re-railed.
Ted
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Between Looe and the Eddystone one hot summers day, with the engine turned off and doing some serious fishing, a basking shark popped up tight next to us. He looked enormous.
Closer to home, I love the dragonflies ( and damselflies) that hover over the pond, the frog who insists upon living in my greenhouse and of course, the grey squirrel, who never ceases to brighten up my day with his antics.
I'm told there are woodpeckers in a garden just a few hundred yards away, but they never seem to come into ours.
But Jenny Wren is in the privet hedge by my window again:)
Pat
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>> I'm told there are woodpeckers in a garden just a few hundred yards away, but
>> they never seem to come into ours.
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>> Pat
>>
I have three Woodpeckers now within 15 feet of me. Offer them nuts and they supposedly love cheese! and if they are as close as you say I think they'll come. fantastic to watch the youngsters at play, they are like 'naughty' children.
Martin
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I'll try that Martin, but the squirrel corners the market for the nuts, and our cars love cheese!
Pat
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>> and our
>> cars love cheese!
Must be Morris Minors.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_m17HK97M8
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:)
And the reason for my typo is a cat lying half on and half off the keyboard...again!
Pat
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...is a cat lying half on and half off the keyboard...again!...
Woody Woodpecker - or any other bird - is not going to be encouraged by the presence of a cat.
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Ten wild boar - three adult females and seven teenagers - trotting in a line along the side of the road about 200m from our house. We have to keep the gates shut when we're out in the evening in case one wanders in and can't find a way out again.
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Lower Earley has one or sometimes a pair of red kites which you can often see overhead on the lookout for guinea pigs or whatever it is they eat. One took off from the ground in front of me when walking the dog, and they're quite impressively big close up.
Running along the Kennet and Avon canal just off the A33 in Reading a few years ago I turned a corner and came across about 20 herons on the other bank.
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What's your best wildlife spot? - BiggerBadderDave
