Nature is almost always surprising, and often when you're out observing something happens that you're not expecting. Sometimes it is an animal you weren't expecting to see in that area or at that time, sometimes it's an animal you were expecting to see do something amazing.
What is the most remarkable thing you've seen in the UK?
I think mine was last year when in Surrey I saw Red Kite. I wasn't expecting to see one at all in the South East, although I had heard (I think on this forum actually) that they are very occasionally seen there.
Its funny how remarkable things can sometimes be quite gruesome. I once saw two Carrion Crows take down a Teal in flight then kill it while they had it pinned down!
Saw a polecat in Wales while on holiday some years back.
Was out looking at the night sky and heard rustling in the bushes, so went to have a look and there was a polecat.
Gruesome things do tend to stick in your mind the most!
Senua that must have been amazing, I've only been to Wales once but never had the luck to see a polecat.
Saw a polecat in Wales while on holiday some years back.
Was out looking at the night sky and heard rustling in the bushes, so went to have a look and there was a polecat.
They have become fairly common around my village, which is really exciting. But a heavy myxy outbreak and a new stinking By-pass has pushed them around a bit. They are now turning up in Gardens, mine included
I have seen many remarkable things. One that always stands out is a Blackbird.
I was crossing my local river by the means of an old gas pipe, it was high up off the water so the sit down and shuffle techique was employed, can be a bit painfull
.
Anyway..as i was crossing i noticed some movement at the other end, i could see a Blackbird picking leaves off Knotweed and placing them down on something. When i finally got across i found that the bird was placing the leaves on top of it's nest, attempting to hide the contents of the nest (four eggs) from me..a potential predetor.
That really is remarkable! It is quite an interesting thoguht process for a bird. I wonder how effective it is if you were a predator?
That really is remarkable! It is quite an interesting thoguht process for a bird. I wonder how effective it is if you were a predator?
I guess it could be effective against Magpies and such, but do birds leave their nests unattended when in egg (when not disturbed that is)? The bird saw me coming and had time to respond, with other predators the Blackbird may not be so lucky? And i often wonder if it did this when there were chicks?
Yes often it wouldn't have had time to cover the eggs if a predator was about, but I would think that if they did have time it could be quite effective if the predator wasn't aware of the bids presence.
I lived in a converted outhouse in a garden, in a seaside resort in Devon a couple of years back . I had a wildlife pond and 2 rabbits who lived free in the walled garden complete with their own burrow in the compost heap (I had a catflap in the door and the female would come in and sleep near the radiator on cold evenings and she used to come in and jump all over the bed to wake me in the morning so I would get their breakfasts. Seagulls, pigeons and garden birds would wait for me to come into the garden and all hell would be let loose with screechings and flutterings.
Anyway, one afternoon a loud thump on the roof alerted me to something strange. I opened the door and on the threshold a beautiful sparrowhawk had its gingery wings spread wide over a pigeon which hung lifeless from its beak. It observed me in a 'Make my day, punk!' kind of way so I quietly withdrew.
20 mins later I found the body of the pigeon at the back of the garden though its head was gone. Of course I was saddened that one of the flock was gone but I still felt so priviledged to have seen the sparrowhawk so close up and had to admire its audacity and courage in staying its ground.
Well quite a few years ago I went out one january day and came across a hawthorn bush full of Waxwing. Managed to get one photo (which i sent off to a bird recorder) but I only had my 50mm lens at the time so they were tiny.
Another time while at Belvide reservoir in Staffordshire with my brother we saw 21 Black Terns,all at once. Quite an amazing sight!
Would certainly have to include seeing (much to our amazement though I'm told it's common to see many more at one time) eight Buzzards flying over our heads displaying to each other but...I think the most remarkable is seeing two Red Kites, which are hopefully nesting or going to nest. They often seem to come down low specifically to have a look at us and when the sun is out and they are displaying overhead, they look magnificant. At first we only saw a single Kite who would appear along with two or three Buzzards and then suddenly we saw it with a second Kite. We've now been walking in the same area for three years. The first year we saw only a single Buzzard for a long while until suddenly there were three each week, the second year we saw what seemed to be the same three buzzards as they always flew over the same field and over the same stand of trees plus at least one other pair further along our walk. We now regularly see at least five Buzzards. It's difficult to tell exactly how many there are in the area as they cover so much territory but obviously their numbers are increasing rapidly. The Red Kite have only appeared this year, hopefully are here to stay and hopefully will have young. Actually, I think everything we see on our walks is remarkable, the hare who we nearly tripped over, the pheasants who never seem to learn that if they just stayed still, nobody would know they were there, the eyes of a deer peeping out of the corn where it's laying in the sun, the fox crossing into the farmyard, the skylarks singing, a new born lamb in the snow...it's all fantastic
Your walks sound very eventful Ausjen! I've never seen so many Buzzards together, and it's good to hear that they are increasing in numbers in your area. Seeing a red kite is always special, and to see a breeding pair even more so. When did you see them?
Your walks sound very eventful Ausjen! I've never seen so many Buzzards together, and it's good to hear that they are increasing in numbers in your area. Seeing a red kite is always special, and to see a breeding pair even more so. When did you see them?
I won't guarantee that they are a 'breeding pair' but there are certainly two of them and we are keeping our fingers crossed! We saw them last Sunday and have been seeing regular sightings in the last few weeks. They are a fantastic sight when they fly overhead. My daughter is at this very moment on a trip to the Colca Canyon to see the Condors - I am feeling green with envy.
Lucky her! She will have a brilliant time. Red Kites are amazing birds, and made even more special by the fact that they are such a rare sight in most parts of the UK.
A few years back a rare bird ( Bluethroat -Luscinia svecica) turned up in spring , and stayed for a week on my local beach.
Because the weather was cold and very windy, it developed the habit of sitting under a group of rocks that formed a shelter.
One day a weasel started to approach the entrance and the bird disappeared deeper into the rocks, as the weasel entered the Bluethroat came out the back and sat atop the rocks and the weasel turned round and i had a cracking view of the bird sitting inches above the weasels head.
Just wished i had been into photography then.