This morning I saw a white wallaby. And I got a photo to prove I wasn't hallucinating......

Apparently Colin the white wallaby is known in Warwickshire and there is a group of wallabies (only 1 white one though) resident... When I got to Leamington to meet the local club a couple of them knew about Colin.
I did think it was a lamb at first when I saw it through the hedge, but it was sat on it's hind legs and would have been a massive lamb for early March.

Links:
https://www.strava.com/activities/6816346863
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/ ... e-23103403

Gotta love a Wallaby A few years ago when Chew, Zippy and myself were on the IoM we pitched up late one evening in some dense woods that were inhabited by Wallaby at night ... it would seem that they jumped the fence from the wildlife park next door after everyone went home.

Spring is in the air, so to speak! Was down the town last week and noticed that all the Long Eared owls had disapeared from their usual roosting haunts. (They roost in towns usually December - March) I think these ones will be heading up to North Poland, NW Russia.
Also saw a skein of geese heading north, first of the year.
Was out for a longish walk the other day about 30km to the north of here and saw 8 hares, which was a bit of a surprise as immediately around where we live hardly ever see a hare. Lots of deer, too, coming out of the wodland to nibble at the emerging crop, I guess.

Over the winter I made up a few bird feeders and nest boxes and the other day had a pair of long tailed tits at the feeders, first long tailed tits I've seen in a long time. Good to see and maybe when nesting season starts we will have more visitors than the usual tits.

Went on a long (mtb) ride today. First a commute from home to work, then a commute back home with a couple of extras. I left work about 1 hr late, missed the sunset ontop of a hill, but...
I spotted a lynx

And he/she spotted me.
Was dark, 45 min after sunset, I was looking for the hiking path and then saw the feline some 15 - 20 m below me. It ran off to the right, stopped and looked back for what felt like minutes.

Pure magic

This was the third time for me to see a lynx in the wild.
Now feeling good about leaving work 1 hr late.

Was a long and otherwise lovely ride. My second > 100 km ride in 2022.

Just heard my first cuckoo of the year. Swallows back next

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Apr 16, 2022 6:31 pm Just heard my first cuckoo of the year. Swallows back next

Ha! Ours came back yesterday. I thought I’d posted it on “Cheery Friday” but obviously not.

Did a 450km gravel race from Barcelona to Valencia yesterday and this morning. The course follows the Via Augusta roman road that runs from Cadiz to the French border and beyond. A section used forestry trails near Tarragona's high speed rail station and I was riding along when a group of 4 wild boar decided to join in the fun. One of these hitting you at full speed would really hurt so I was quite relieved when they dived across the track and away into the woods.

Multiple* Swallows just outside Y Fenni this weekend.

*At least 2.

Multiple* Swallows just outside Y Fenni this weekend.

Still no sign here yet but I've just been watching a Merlin hunting up and down the river ... lovely.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 2:15 pm

Multiple* Swallows just outside Y Fenni this weekend.

Still no sign here yet but I've just been watching a Merlin hunting up and down the river ... lovely.

A wood pigeon has just tried to fly through the bedroom window - but it was shut.
Boom- - whirl- flap- flutter - recovery
- dazed flight to nearest tree.
its vying for a Darwin award

Swallows here now - a couple arrived last week apparently, but I've only just seen them.

And the blackbirds nesting in our carport now have chick's.

Saw some seals in the harbour last week. They're generally in the area but it was still ace to see!

Bluebell central now too

Recent highlights

Saw a Dipper in stream down road in Shropshire, first time I’ve seen one local, and I do like Dippers.

We’re in southern Hebrides this week, saw a pair of Marsh Harriers yesterday. First Cuckoo of the year today. A good bunch of Starlings in the outbuildings nearby - they’ve become a rarity back in Shropshire.

Wheatear.

Oh, was in France about 6 weeks ago and saw a Humming bird hawk moth, first ever for me. What an absolutely stunning critter. Had never heard of them and was blown away, sat and watched it for a good half hour.

Stopped in a local wood to admire the early spring growth at the weekend and for a sip of water and a mid-ride Kit Kat. (other mid-ride snacks are available) and had a stunning male Tree Creeper scurrying about on a tree 15 feet away completely oblivious to me.

The lizards were out in the forest yesterday - seemed quite oblivious to me and the dog.

Still waiting for the swallows but I think the Flycatchers might be eyeing up a nesting spot in the barn - it's their usual one but last year they didn't use it.

Last time I saw an owl on way home from work was through Covid when the lockdown were in. The first wave I think. Before that and in around the same 10mile square radius one had flown with me in the pitch black as I rode from Church Fenton station to join my usual commute back from York. It must have been intrigued as to what I was so rode past then sat on the verge to take a good look. It was an amazing feeling but happened so fast.

Fast forward to current months... I've always hoped to see an own enroute back from work (York) and its enough to entice me to ride my back there and back. But yesterday on my drive home (sorry, too soft for bike maybe!), it happened. Straight across the A64 it gracefully did it's thing. Didn't look as big as the Church Fenton one but I'm gonna guesstimate that it was a barn owl.

Commute home... made

Alpinum wrote: ↑Tue Mar 22, 2022 10:41 pm Went on a long (mtb) ride today. First a commute from home to work, then a commute back home with a couple of extras. I left work about 1 hr late, missed the sunset ontop of a hill, but...
I spotted a lynx

And he/she spotted me.
Was dark, 45 min after sunset, I was looking for the hiking path and then saw the feline some 15 - 20 m below me. It ran off to the right, stopped and looked back for what felt like minutes.

Pure magic

This was the third time for me to see a lynx in the wild.
Now feeling good about leaving work 1 hr late.

Was a long and otherwise lovely ride. My second > 100 km ride in 2022.

Solid... ... was that 2 minutes (feeling) a tad scary or are they not as dangerous as what sits in my head.

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:41 am Solid... ... was that 2 minutes (feeling) a tad scary or are they not as dangerous as what sits in my head.

Definately nothing to be worried about. Some have claimed they had been attacked by lynx in Switzerland, but that was folks being paid by hunters and farmers to have 'a reason' to shoot them.

It was a pure and majestic moment. Felt like minutes, must have been only a few seconds.

I've since nearly ran over a marten, saw a bunch of chamois, heard a deer one morning, smelled a male ibex (didn't go and look for it, was exposed terrain and I was a bit cold due to freezing wind) one day later and saw two common mergansers just behind our house. Love their airborne profile. Pure elegance.

Gian.... wow

We were riding around Swaledale yesterday as things warmed up. Sat having a rest by a shooting hut when we heard a cuckoo. Sounded close by and when we turned round we saw the bird fly away from one fence post to another maybe 20m further away. It was then chased by a small bird (one of those lark/bunting type that are hard to tell apart unless you are really into birds). Presumably the bird's nest was the cuckoo's target As the cuckoo moved from post to post the small bird and its mate kept harrying it.

I've seen this once before, on Skye, but it's not something I've seen mentioned on nature programmes.

Right on the towpath.


Then a little while later a kestrel barely getting airborne under the weight of a baby rabbit.

While 'riding' the Tollie path out of Poolewe on Wednesday, an eagle flew towards me. It's wing size/shape looked odd and as it got nearer, it clearly had a pale head and whitish tail - a White tailed or Sea eagle
I've only seen one before, on Trotternish, Skye.
It seemed to be being followed by a Red Kite too.
I was too slow for a decent pic, but will try to crop and zoom what I got.
Saw several cuckoos too.

I’ve been glued to the Robert E Fuller YouTube live feeds

https://youtu.be/NYkUySSjJog

Mother Kestrel got into a fight with Tawny Owls and hasn’t been seen for 3 days, so father Kestrel has taken over feeding duties - something that they never do!

Spot the Curlews.

Spot the Curlews.

Yay