Hi, folks.
After a walk in Wales and a lung-searing climb up Sugar Loaf mountain yesterday afternoon, I saw a new species of bird - for me, anyway. What I mean is, I had my first sighting of a species.
Isn't it great, when you excitedly identify a 'first' in your nature log? This got me to thinking that I would share this excitement with you wonderful people on this forum, as soon as I had driven home. As it happens, what I actually did was watch Springwatch, have a cold beer and then crash out oafishly on the sofa for several hours.
But I was thinking some more today and I thought, what if.... what if we had a link on this forum - a single thread - for everybody to share their first sightings of a species? We all love birds, so it is a given that we would add any new avian sighting to this thread, but actually, we could add a first of anything that we can identify, either by ourselves or with help from this forum. Birds, mammals, beetles, butterflies - anything in the natural world that thrills us and is a first for each person could go on this thread and the enthusiasm be shared by everyone. The best part of it is that even a humble Greenfinch (and beautiful they are) could be a first for a new wildlife enthusiast and end up on this thread. We could literally have anything from a Wren to a Wryneck, a Dormouse to a Dung Beetle. What do you think? I would love to hear of your personal discoveries on this thread and I don't mind getting the ball rolling. I started this off by telling you that I'd seen a first of a species yesterday, so here goes;
HOORAY! I saw my first........ WHEATEAR! I was taking a rest on the ridge of Sugar Loaf mountain and gazing down a steep tumble of grass, Gorse, scree and boulders. I suddenly became aware of a couple of birds running and soaring from boulder to boulder down below. Handsome birds - the most distinguished having a grey back, a bandit stripe of black across the face and a very obvious white rump. The wings flashed black in flight and, from this distance, the front looked an offish white (later seen to have quite an orange blush). The other bird looked browner and I later found out was a female. I then saw another male in the vicinity. Fascinated, I watched them sprint and swoop among the craggy rocks for some time, but they also seemed to perch in a very obvious manner on the top of the rocks. This is the first time I had seen Wheatears and it made my walk complete. I just wanted to share this new experience with you all.
Corriepaw.
On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it - Jules Renard
Great idea Corriepaw. I have really enjoyed reading these and looking at the photos.
I also saw my first puffin recently but have posted about that previously.
I would like to tell you about my first sighting of.................................................can you tell by the footprints?
Kind regards Jane.
Hey Jef.
Looks like no one took you up on this 'guess what'.
So my feeble effort would be....
Hmmm looks like 5 toes not 4 so not a cat or dog/fox
Could it be an otter??????
Pipit x
Hiya Pipit
I had forgotten I posted this, it is so busy on here at times that threads just disappear into the vast expanse of time and space............................................
An otter would be amazing!!!!
It is actually a badger which visits my garden (equally amazing to me) :-)
I put the sand down to confirm my suspicions before I saw it. It dug a large hole under the house and when a certain spoilsport (only joking) worried about this and eventually filled it in, the badger dug another 'bolthole' in the garden, hurrah!. This was about two years ago and a badger still visits but I don't think it is the original. Previously I had only seen dead badgers by the side of the road and could hardly contain my excitement when this one appeared.
Thank you for having a guess Pipit xxxxx
THREE TIMES I have tried to upload a photo of the badger, OK it is a very poor one and probably not fit to be seen..... but isn't it frustrating? Sorry, I will try later, but don't hold your breath as it is VERY poor quality.
[PS I hope your brother is feeling better after the awful events in Whitehaven, he was really in the thick of it and you must have been very anxious].
A badger - almost as WOW as an otter!! x
I know what you mean about uploading photos - I have to try several times usually until it works.
Thanks for the good wishes for my brother. He came to stay this weekend. I think he needed some family tlc. He was sort of numb about it all. Horrible.
Thanks Jef
Hooray!! Isn't it great when you hear a bird call and you instantly know what it is. I've seen this bird once but never heard it before tonight. I'm just taking the cheese out of my sandwiches as we speak!!!!!!
What could it be, then???!!!
Pipit
A Yellowhammer by any chance?
Cheers
AL
If its no fun Yer no doin it right!
There's no yolk on your face Sir Good Egg xxx
Hello,
Two for the price of one! Hooray!! I saw my first.....Tree Pipits and Linnets.
I was doing conservation work on Thursday (11th June - I'll write it up on a separate thread) and one of our teamleaders pointed out a bird that looked a little smaller than a Starling and, from this distance, a modest brown. It flew with some authority to the top of a tree, paused dramatically and then launched itself downward, Stukka style, wings fanned out in quite a distinctive manner. It then disappeared into another tree. This repeated itself a few times throughout the afternoon. My first Tree Pipits. During lunch break from raking straggly vegetation, the same teamleader airily waved a hand toward a bunch of fluttering Sparrow-sized birds and announced, "Linnets". We watched them capering about in the same bunch of trees that the Tree Pipit was regularly hurling itself from. As a first sighting, I have to say that it was unspectacular. They flew from one tree to another. Then they flew back. They occasionally twittered. They weren't even close enough for me to distinguish any marks. All the same, they were my first Linnets. Nick told me and he's the expert.
Good work Corrie. That sounds like a classic Tree Pipit encounter. Hope you get a better look at Linnets soon, the males are really beautiful.
We saw what Mr aiki said was his first Barn Owl at the weekend. I reminded him of the two previous Barn Owls he'd seen (one of which was when I wasn't even there) and he said 'oh, oh yeah.' I think it's only the ones he photographs that really stick in his memory :)
My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/
My Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/
aiki said: We saw what Mr aiki said was his first Barn Owl at the weekend.
We saw what Mr aiki said was his first Barn Owl at the weekend.
Oh aiki, I'm green with envy! I've been on stake-out every evening since last Wednesday trying to spot our local barn owl. No luck as yet.
Lovely photo - and with a kill I see. Aren't they beautiful birds.
Thanks