Wildlife

[Sportsman]

Not really on the subject but sitting here looking out of the window at the moment at a big and very old Rowan tree in the garden. All of the leaves blown off in last weeks gales but loads of berries and at the moment there are around 10 blackbirds, at least 6 song thrushes and a Jay all making the most of it. Nice to see so many Thrushes and very rare to see a Jay this close to the house.

I am supposed to be working but it's hard to take my eyes off the window. We have woodpeckers on the same tree most days and two days ago a Red Squirrel came to visit.

I think I am going to set my camera up out of the window

[gordyboy]

kingfishers are great,a falsh of blue and their gone!

 

rats are funny,they just have no fear,and they know i am king rattus

 

robins are cool spend alot of time feeding them in the winter, barn owls in the fens always amaze me.

gordyboy 2/11/06 doing a alnight stint at loch long scotland at dusk spotted a field mouse darting about some rocks put out some cheesy cheddards i had the little fella seemed to enjoy them at dawn saw the same fella go in to a hole only to appear a few seconds later chased by i can only describe as two bald moles

[Janet]

This is the best thread I've read in ages. Lets have some more.

 

Janet

 

PS. You're all a bunch of big softies at heart, aren't you? Very nice.

[Colin Brett]

watching a grebe swimming underwater, about as manouvrable as a seal underwater, chasing fish at speed.

 

this one time when i was fishing at a small river, these two swans came into land on the river, they didnt see us, and were going too fast, it looked like they were putting their airbrakes on, and started backwards flying to slow them down, they made a hell of a racket, and it did look like they were going to land on us fishing. but they managed to control their landing and splashed down a few feet away from us.

 

and a badger running head first at speed into a metal gate, at night, i could just make it out, but you could hear the clattering sound from 100 yards away.

 

Steve,

I saw a similar incident on the Gt Ouse several years ago. They got close enough that I could reach them and swotted the aggressor with my landing net handle and broke up the fight. The lesser of the two stayed fairly close to me for the rest of the day.

 

Colin

[Colin Brett]

Four Kingfishers in line astern flying across our club lake!

 

Osprey taking a trout about 30 yards in front of me at Rutland Water!

 

A Bull laying down beside me and watching me fishing??

 

This summer while fishing in the Killary [sea] in Co. Mayo being surrounded by a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins for about 15 minutes. Getting the same pod to return to my boat by slapping on the side and then riding the bow wave. Big animals!!!

 

Watching returning Canadian Salmon swimming between my legs whilst fishing the Harrison river.

 

Hopefully even more wonderful sights to come soon.

 

Colin

[Ferg]

Club pond - Three young weasels playing on some flat grass on the other side of the pond. They were there most of the summer and I saw them regularly but the day I brought my camera as well they didn't show. Always have a camera on hand now.

 

The River Weaver - Some rustling in the long grass next to me and a large mink stuck its head out and stared at me. It then dived into the river, swam all the way across, about 20 - 30 yards ran down the bank about 20 yards and then swam all the way back just to get round me.

 

River Eden - First thing in the morning whilst there was still mist on the water as I looked across a huge salmon came right out of the water in mid stream - it was one of those slow motion moments where it seemed to hang for ages.

 

Numerous kingfishers which are always a pleasure to see.

 

Another of our club ponds making friends with a water vole by feeding it titbits from my bait tray.

 

And people wonder why I go fishing!

 

[basshead07]

it was early morning and a ripple on the water i looked a bit closer and a otter had a fish in its mouth the same day i sat down about 12:00 and 2 red dragonflies landed on my nose and stayed there for about 3 minutes

[SpenBeck]

As a kid fishing a local lake. I heard a terrific splash about 30 yards to my right, on my side of the lake. As I looked around a little fluffy moorhen chick pop up about 10 feet away and swam back to it's mother. Pike, I thought! But then the soggiest looking cat dragged it's self out of the lake between some reeds and then splodged off. It must have been stalking it and couldn't resist lunging at it!!

 

Fishing in winter at Cooper Bridge on the Calder while eating an apple. I turned round and dropped the core on the steep bank behind me. 5 mins later I heard a noise, turned around and a little mouse is sat behind it, munching away. After a couple of minutes, he dragged it off and down his hole.

 

Having a tame robin land on my welly-boot end at Raskelf lake (twice). He'd also land on the edge of my bait box next to my elbow.

 

Fishing the river niidd at cowthorpe in early summer. It was very misty and I could hear a wooshing noise. It came in bursts and got louder and louder. I was just starting to panic when the mist vanished down the river, revealing a hotair balloon which had just landed 50 yards away!

 

I find kingfisher are always great to see. I always feel i'm going to catch when I see one - my lucky charm!

 

regards, SpenBeck

[Ken L]

As everyone seems to love them, this is a white throated kingfisher.

[Bobj]

A bit off the thread, but to do with a kingfisher: A tree fell over down the back yard and I was cleaning up and came across a small gecko ; caught it and put it on a nearby tree. As I took my hand away to let the gecko free, a kookaburra swooped down and got the poor gecko. The kooka musta bin watching proceedings and launched itself immediately my hand was away from the lizard....