Just walked neighbours dog and coming back on lane home a beautiful red kite soared ever so gracefully over us, fairly low, tree height. Farmer mowing fields so guess it was circling for mice. Will try attach pics, not that they show much.
Had one of those special moments doing a bird survey on Monday. Barn owl landed on a fence post in touching distance of me, looked me up and down decided I was no threat and started looking for mice. Watched him for 10 mins then reached for my phone to take a pic and off he glided. Once in a lifetime.
I went up onto the moors on Monday night and slept out at a place called Crow Stones. I had a tent but didn't use it as it was so warm. I had roast chicken and a bottle of red for my evening meal, and a passing red kite took an interest, hovering not too far away. I was worried it might swoop and nick my wine, but it didn't It was a magnificent sunset surrounded by the boulders, and a great night.
A couple of weekends ago we walked Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby. Something in the sea caught my eye - it was a school of dolphins giving quite a display of jumping out of the water / flips etc. Amazing sight.
Thanks for the correction, never knowingly seen a red kite before. It pointed itself into the wind and trimmed its wings so that it appeared to hover, without flapping.
Love watching and listening to birds and wildlife in general it's so relaxing and does wonders for my mental health it's the very best therapy, I was lucky enough to confirm I've an hedgehog visiting the garden I'm overjoyed I'd suspect the night before but confirmed it last night when it came and drunk out of a bird bath I've got on the floor then it walked straight between my feet while I was sat watching it, it scurried off when it sensed me finally but it was so heartwarming and also answered why I hardly ever have trouble with slugs or snails
Had a couple of walks this week around St Aidans nature reserve at Allerton Bywater. Really worth going if you get the opportunity.
I went on a walk with the missus this morning. As we walked back up towards Denmark Hill, I looked up at the big sally army building and said, I wish we could see the peregrines that nest up there. Within seconds, unbelievably, a bird swooped by the tower. It was just a little too far away to know what it was but it was pretty nippy. As it passed the openings in the tower, two more birds flew out. Peregrines! Fairly young ones who then treated us to a display as they play fought with each other. One twisting on its back, claws fending off the bird from above then rotating so the other could do the same. All while the parent glided above watching on. A joyous start to the day.
I've had a lifelong love of Hedgehogs ......... til I was shocked on Springwatch last week by that one predating three fledglings from a nest. Still ......... nature.
Yeah I saw that, well looked away it was quite distressing but like you and they said it's all nature
The flip side of mindfullness: After my walk and low quality pics of the Red Kite last night, sat in the garden with a beer and listened to the plump young thrush that sits on the roof. I 'think' Mistle Thrush, but might have been just a colourful common thrush. Anyway, got a couple of low quality mobile pics to send my mate - below. But sadly this morning I was woken at 5am by a loud thud. Poor thing had hit the window and died, probably instantly. Upsets me that it had fledged, avoided cars and predators (and cats - I don't count them as natural predators I count them as man-introduced mass murderers) and was on it's way to surviving youth, only to hit a shiny window of a house on a man-made estate that was once beautiful countryside.