Sparrowhawk!

While driving in a lane today, a sparrowhawk flipped over the hedge and flew just in front of the car for quite a distance. Had a marvellous view.
One? comes fairly regularly to my mother's garden. Unfortunately it doesn't know its name because the last 2 items on the menu were a thrush and a blackbird, taken and demolished about 15ft from her window.

Was wondering what close encounters with wildlife you have all had recently??

a few weeks back I saw a peregrine take a starling in Belfast city centre. It comes by everynight while the starlings are coming to roost under a bridge. someone saw it take a pigeon and land on the grass outside the city hall in front of people.

Mark

beat that!!!

My Uncle swears blind he saw a Golden Eagle in the New Forest 2 years ago. Unless it was at the bird sanctuary it's highly unlikey.

Very occasionally we see the odd Kingfisher blurring away by the river. I'm still hoping to catch a glimpse of the Ring-necked Parakeet and Tree Frog colonies in the region.

Scariest thing I ever saw was a Heron standing by a stream on a nearby farm. Looked just like a man standing there, stock still. Still see a few hares, voles and shews here and there too.

The most recent wild life I saw (beyond the mad cat who I may tell you about some day) was a little shoal of Wrasse in Southampton Water and some Sticklebacks and Minnows in a local river

Stoat dancing round rabbits then in for the kill, Golden eagles tumbling together displaying while nest building, tawny owl flying out of a vertical shaft in the ground........
In somerset a buzzard took off from the verge right next to my car and its wings filled the whole windscreen, couldn't see a thing!!
I've seen the parakeets in surrey Baa, but not near you.
Love watching fish (in the wild, not just my tank LOL). Have you ever looked at them through binoculars - amazing!
Dying to hear about the mad cat.......

I haven't seen them through binoculars, maybe I'll borrow a pair next time I'm down by the Water, thanks for the tip! I love to watch the waterlife, I want to go pond dipping but I'd have to pretend I was doing research LOL. I love the pond in the garden, so many creatures appear and disappear throughout the year. Once I even saw a baby grass snake swimming in there.

Ahh so you have seen some Parakeets! I'd heard there was a sizable colony in south London, perhaps they are spreading your way more.

There is a strange, mad cat in the area, she's tall, lanky, covered in stripes and believed to be part xBengal. She has been known to sit in the bushes down by the river walk near where Mom lives and leap out at the legs of passers by. She doesn't bite or scratch, just leaps out front paws waving wildly then skips off back into the bushes. My Mom resides with this beast!

Oh heck we have loads of Herons around here as we live near the canal, they kept taking my water=hens babies but you should see them go for the fish, they catch more than the fishermen on the banks of the canal.

Herons are so elegant, i just love watching them, but as you say Sheila, pretty lethal.
The cat that allows your Mom to live with her sounds quite a character Baa! Just as well she keeps her claws in. Does she do that with birds/mice or is she the usual 'mean machine' where they're concerned LOL?

Today i heard skylarks singing. Such a wonderful uplifting sound!!


This message was edited Saturday, Feb 16th 5:28 PM

What a wonderful picture you paint Baa! Poooor meeces! Glad to hear the cats don't have it all their own way - far from it by the sound of it. Can just see the look of utter glee on the birds' faces ROTFL! And that chicken! Must be Attila the HEN, lol!!

Deblynn and DH :) (Sorry guys) Opps yes Apologies to all Viking warriors! Our chuckies are very brave and the way they fluff out reminds me of big bearded men. Frightens my poor Celtic soul anyway LOL.

Atilla the Hen! LOL Philomel

Just need two more names for the remaining chickens now!

Will have to give that some thought Baa - though that's not usually the best way (come to THINK of it LOL). The best ones just happen!!

Ha ha, Baa. You're right!! Hadn't thought of how fluffy those hens can get, hee hee. It's going to be difficult to walk down the street tomorrow without laughing. :-)

I like Atilla the Hen, too. Excellent! I agree the best names are the ones that just happen but hey, we named a chicken Hermoine once and "she" ended up being a Herman!

Skylarks!! where? when? I havent heard one in years.

forget Ringnecks a guy near me lets his Macaws fly free. they cover a huge area and you never know where you might see/hear them.

Mark

'nother reason to visit the land of the dormice then! We have lapwings/peewits/green plovers on the same fields too.

Those macaws sound fun, have visions of them landing and turning someone into Long John Silver before they know it, LOL! Oh, ok, that was an African grey........or was that Swallows and Amazons........

LOL Deblynn its so hard to sex chicks, how the big companies do it I don't know!

Macaws? that must be a sight to see!