Your Wildlife Sightings!

I haven't seen any butterflies yet, but we have a chiff chaff here piping away from her singing post atop a tall conifer.
Sand martins already ? We don't usually see them arrive until May in Glasgow, you see them down Pollok Estate and Linn Park returning to their old nest holes in the river Cart sandbanks.

 

Believe it or not i had a Sand Martin on the 20th March up in the Highlands,they do arrive early but tend to hang around large bodies of water when first arriving to feed up ready for the breeding season on river banks etc.Yesterday hundreds were seen feeding over Loch Insh near Aviemore by a friend of mine.

 

That's amazing mate, sand martins in Scotland in March. There is something to be said for Global Warming after all.
At least for Scotland.

 

This morning on a stroll on my local small headland Kittiwakes,Guillemots,Razorbills all back in force on the cliffs,ultra close up of a perching Peregrine,founded their nest site further down a cliff,also a Sparrowhawk noted.
Tomorrow i am off on a Hill,Forest,Moorland hike,i will let you know how i get,the better the list the more beer and cider i can have,and i am passing the Trefriw Luxury Butchers in the Conwy Valley!!!

 

I top them all lads !!! on my round today driving past a farm and standing in it was a fekkin Zebra !!!
took a photo but when I connect to laptop I get a message " doesn't recognise usb device connected "

 

I went for a 8 mile walk in Snowdonia today,must admit it was a bit warmer than i thought,anyway got fantastic views of Male Hen Harrier,a superb female Goshawk stole the show,but also 2 prs of Red Grouse,and a very cheeky Common Lizard..............When i got back 2 cans of Pils and then 5 strong Cider pints in my local,cool!!

PS Still feeling weird and upsetting without my boxer dog Jasmine,but love he forever!!

 

Today on a fine local morning walk i notched 6 species of Butterfly,also several Jays seen,a Kestrel and a Peregrine.

 

My daughter is just back from Amsterdam. She thought Amsterdam Zoo is superb. She said it's miles better than Edinburgh Zoo. She told me she was watching the Penguins, when GANNETS appeared for a feed. They do it all the time apparently. I was so jealous. She also seen Avocets, Spoonbills, and her first ever Ring-Necked Parakeets. She said the birding in Amsterdam is amazing.
On another note, I had to take my son's car in for a service for him this morning, he's also now in Amsterdam. My wife and I went for a walk along the River Kelvin while we waited for the car. Beautiful walk, and seen lots of Blue *, Song Thrush, and heard my first Chiff Chaff of the year. Superb.

 

There's a Gyrfalcon been seen a number of times around here,extremely rare and the biggest of the falcons.

 

The female Osprey , at Loch of the Lowes , has managed to lay two eggs so far . This is according to the STV news . I haven't been out there for a couple of years , although I did spot an Osprey whilst fishing last summer .

 

That's superb mate. Stunning looking birds

 

Today on a fine mid morning to late morning local stroll i got 3 species of Butterfly,2 cool yellow Brimstones,so superbly yellow! A equally lovely Orange Tip and 4 Holly Blues.
8 Wheatears passed through,all fresh spring males,perhaps heading to the Highlands?? May see one of them again up there in June.

 

Today on a fine 2 and half hour local wildlife check walk,the resident Green Woodpecker was calling,the local pair of Peregrine called and displayed overhead.Also a number of Swallows back on territory and 3 Chough called as they flew over.
Oh for good measure a male Sparrowhawk was busy hunting and the brisk semi chilly wind restricted to just 1 species of Butterfly.

 

I managed a sizable mountain walk today in Snowdonia and was rewarded with 4 superb Dotterel right at the tops,ultra cool,2 more stunning females in near full summer plumage.Dotterel unlike most birds it is the female that is the brightest,lovely birds!
Also noted on the way up in the Wooded Valley a superb close up of a ever so handsome singing Pied Flycatcher and a fine singing Redstart.A female was noted flying over the first mountain.A Ring Ouzel was busy singing,plenty of Wheatear and Stonechat in the area and a Kestrel was also seen hunting on the way back down.

 

Pheasants and more flyey birds.

 

Found a dead badger tonight. No sign of injury .

 

I've got a pond in my garden...it's just coming to life now.
Yesterday I turned a stone at its edge and there was a newt sitting there...strangel no frogs /spawn this year.

 

Saw a pair of blue jays this morning in the garden

 

The pheasants were fighting last night (one had a green head and the other had a red one) usual deer as well.

 

Goldfinches