Spotted a hen harrier just off the A9 as we were travelling up to the highland wildife park today! Had a beautiful view of her as we drove past (fortunately I wasn't driving!). Also spotted a red deer stag playing king of the castle at the top of one of the hills, plenty of buzzards and flocks of mistle thrushes.
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
I'm soooo jealous!
Make the boy interested in natural history if you can; it is better than games [Robert Falcon Scott]
Lucky, lucky, lucky... I'm going green too!
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Wow! Sounds wonderful Kat! Lucky, lucky, lucky indeed!! :-D
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
My photos on Flickr
You are so lucky to have been able to see a Hen Harrier.
That is such a treat for anyone to see,
Great all round for you as a passenger.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
It was a lucky sighting, I almost passed it off as a buzzard at first until it started hovering and I saw the tail lol
KatTai - you seem to have quite a thing about mistaking things for buzzards ;-)
Cartimandua said: KatTai - you seem to have quite a thing about mistaking things for buzzards ;-)
Yes I do...I mistook my first ever Hen Harrier for a buzzard (well...I'll probably add that to my DOH! moments thread lol)
I've probably passed off loads of things as buzzards!
Hi KatTai
Buzzards, Hen Harrier - just to see these would be great for me.
When we were driving to the New Forest last week, I saw a huge bop flying over but alas I'm not experienced enough to know what it was - huge wingspan tho. And again in the New Forest at a place called Standing Hat (Jenny G you may know what it was) we saw the same bird but species again I don't know what it was. I was desparately trying to take a photo when a couple with a hyper dog appeared and the dog ran straight for us (not aggressively but all waggy tail and friendly) that I missed the opportunity. We stayed for ages trying to spot it but it didn't show again.
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Enjoy them while you can. A combination of last spring's dire weather and relentless illegal persecution has made them practically extinct as a breeding species in England. They're hanging on in Scotland somehow. I go to South west France quite a bit where they're fairly common among the grapevines, and if you're really lucky they occasionally turn into Montagues........
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
Hi Kezmo {edited name}
Buzzards, You just to go to the Scottish climes, and there no shortage of Buzzards there - too many to mention. I have heard, and seen them in Bedford too. {smile}
They are one of the slower fliers, and they lumber along while emitting a lot of high pitched meowing noises while they fly about in slow cumbersome circles. They look brown and dull cream coloured, and their feathers are mottled looking like they have had a bad hair day with the hair dye LOL
Quite lazy birds by nature, and like to avoid to much hard hunting. They are partial to some road kill or two - though saying that they like to hunt if pushed - but there again they like the easier targets such as injured rabbits etc.. They where one of my first BoP experience, and they still make me look up each and every time, You never tire of their presence, or their antics.
Kites: are awe inspiring and they are such as the hunting machines they are. There again it is a question of going to a place that they are there for a definate spot. It is all based on timeing and patience.
I am sure that you dreams of seeing a BoP will come your way soon! Of course there are lots of people who will tell you the best places to go on this Forum too,
Dogs in Wildlife Reserves, well that is another issue for another post here
Unknown said: Hi KatTai Buzzards, Hen Harrier - just to see these would be great for me. When we were driving to the New Forest last week, I saw a huge bop flying over but alas I'm not experienced enough to know what it was - huge wingspan tho. And again in the New Forest at a place called Standing Hat (Jenny G you may know what it was) we saw the same bird but species again I don't know what it was. I was desparately trying to take a photo when a couple with a hyper dog appeared and the dog ran straight for us (not aggressively but all waggy tail and friendly) that I missed the opportunity. We stayed for ages trying to spot it but it didn't show again.