# wildlife highlights of the summer??



## jonodrama (May 7, 2009)

What are your highlights of the summer (so far)??

Have you seen a particular species for the first time??
Got a long sought after photo?
Found a nice interesting site??



Mine has to be watching 3 peregrines flying about 20foot above my head while I sat on the Purbeck cliffs in Dorset with my 6 year old.:no1:


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## laurencea (Aug 28, 2009)

mine could well be the Peregrines as well. Thanks to a webcam i watched the falcon lay the eggs and hatch. saw the youngsters grow and then stood below the nest site and saw the first juvenile take to the air for the first time! i was with the girl who monitors them and we were jumping up and down and cheering.

there were three, but one was lost after it fledged (possibly crash landed somewhere) and i've been back to visit them a few times now and had great views of the youngsters playing in the sky above.

also... taking a photo of a butterfly and it turning out to be a site record for the London Wetland Centre (a green hairstreak).


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## Ged (Nov 9, 2009)

There's a field in the middle of my local woods which is always filled with marsh and common spotted orchids but for the first time this year I found over 50 Bee Orchids! I've played and walked in that field since I was born and have never seen Bee Orchids there before. Plus I live up North and I've read it's quite rare for Bee Orchids to grow here and I'm an Orchid fanatic. So that's my highlight so far.


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## henry415 (Apr 1, 2012)

Watching a pair of otters from 5 yards away.: victory:

5am on a june morning.


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## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

Basically the whole of my France fieldtrip was my highlight; saw new, exciting animals every day.


But for a UK highlight - multiple red squirrels suddenly becomming bold and visiting our feeders:

 
Red Squirrels by UmbraExhibit, on Flickr


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

This...


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## henry415 (Apr 1, 2012)

Nice Dama Vgorst...:notworthy:


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

henry415 said:


> Nice Dama Vgorst...:notworthy:


Thanks,

But he's not quite as nice as this one









(The picture quality is pretty rubbish but he's extremely pale with a bright pink nose, an absolute stunner!)

Forgot to say that squirrel picture is ace :mf_dribble:


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## connor 1213 (Apr 6, 2009)

I couldn't get to sleep so i decided to go for an early cycle in my local country park, as soon as i got there i went a cycle along the river and saw a king fisher fishing for minnows 

Also saw deer, and a female duck with baby's and the baby's were taking turns of riding on the mother's back


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## vawn (Jul 1, 2008)

i went on my mates bot to see the seals on the aptly named seal island (little carharracks) and finally got a gannet shot, kinda... :2thumb:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/394356_4550220997900_1166181_n.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4550220997900&set=pb.1362615236.0.1345847212&type=3&theater


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I love watching gannets fishing! :2thumb:


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## vawn (Jul 1, 2008)

they're awesome like missiles  there were loads of them


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yup! The speed they hit the water is awesome indeed!!


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## Lori (Aug 11, 2009)

I was in the highlands on holiday, and spotted a Scottish wildcat was too fast to get a picture but I'm happy to say that I have seen one in the wild. I work with them in a wildlife park but it's amazing to see one in the wild considering how rare they are!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Lucky you! My ambition was always to see a Pine Marten and I finally saw one on Ardnamurchin a few years ago. It came to our holiday cottage almost every night to get the food we were putting out for it. 

We've seen one most time, but not when we were there this June.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

For me seeing 50-60 red kites at the feeding station in Mid Wales, amazing


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I had a similar experience last year at a Red Kite farm in the Galloway Hills, that was my highlight last year! :2thumb:

I haven't really had one this year! :sad:


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## Lori (Aug 11, 2009)

feorag said:


> Lucky you! My ambition was always to see a Pine Marten and I finally saw one on Ardnamurchin a few years ago. It came to our holiday cottage almost every night to get the food we were putting out for it.
> 
> We've seen one most time, but not when we were there this June.



Apparently every night on our balcony when we were on holiday in the highlands there were pine martens coming onto it and eating the dogs food! We never saw them but the man who owned the lodge we were staying in said they were there. Every night! Wish he would have told us they were there, I would have loved to see them!!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

What a shame. The guy who owns the chalet we rent had it on his website, that's why I chose that one. He feeds them over winter from both his own garden and the chalet if it isn't rented out at any time, so they keep coming back.

Our chalet has a bird table outside the full length living room window and it's literally 3' from the window. Our cats used to alert us when the Pine Marten arrived, because it always followed the same route from the top corner of the garden down to the window, walk along the base of the window to the other side of the bird table and then approach it from the opposite end and our cats always knew when it was there.

So this photo was taken out of the chalet window. I used to put out eggs, chicken, peanut butter sandwiches every night and he/she would come and take something, go off back to his/her den, then come back and get the next thing and go off again until the bird table was empty.


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## Jimmy P (Mar 14, 2012)

SiUK said:


> For me seeing 50-60 red kites at the feeding station in Mid Wales, amazing


Is this the feeding station near Lampeter, Wales? My Dad lives right next to one near there and i've been a few times, such an awesome sight! :2thumb:

Thanks

James


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## hedwigdan (Apr 17, 2011)

No clue what species they were, but when I was in Spain in a sort of desert/arid area, there were vultures everywhere, gigantic ones!
They'd circle us when we went on walks, looked mad seeing them doing it in real life and not just in a movie, I saw the same species in Madrid zoo earlier on my trip but nothing compares to seeing them in the wild!


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

Jimmy P said:


> Is this the feeding station near Lampeter, Wales? My Dad lives right next to one near there and i've been a few times, such an awesome sight! :2thumb:
> 
> Thanks
> 
> James


Hi James, it was the one at Rhayader in Powys


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## Jimmy P (Mar 14, 2012)

SiUK said:


> Hi James, it was the one at Rhayader in Powys


Not the same one, there is a few around Wales though, such an awesome sight, just because you said Mid-Wales :lol2: the one I went to tbh is just someone's back garden and they have a love for Birds of Prey but at 'feeding time' there is sometimes upto 100+ Red Kites there. :no1:

Thanks

James


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## Lori (Aug 11, 2009)

feorag said:


> What a shame. The guy who owns the chalet we rent had it on his website, that's why I chose that one. He feeds them over winter from both his own garden and the chalet if it isn't rented out at any time, so they keep coming back.
> 
> Our chalet has a bird table outside the full length living room window and it's literally 3' from the window. Our cats used to alert us when the Pine Marten arrived, because it always followed the same route from the top corner of the garden down to the window, walk along the base of the window to the other side of the bird table and then approach it from the opposite end and our cats always knew when it was there.
> 
> ...



Wow I've never seen a wild one they're very dark! I've only ever seen the one we have In work and he's an orangey brown colour!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yes, they are quite dark. When I went to the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey for a visit, they have a captive breeding programme of red squirrels and I was surprised that they looked so different from the 2 wild ones I had living in my house at that time.

The guy doing the talk on the squirrels was handrearing a litter which had been rejected by the mother and he stood for about 20+ minutes doing a talk and this little squirrel just sat on his hand and never moved. I was totally gobsmacked because she was a similar age to the 2 wild ones I was handrearing and mine *never *sat still unless they were eating or sleeping. If I'd been doing what he was doing mine would have been running around me constantly as if I were a tree!


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## Munkys Mummy (Feb 23, 2007)

I follow the Ospreys at Loch of the Lowes from when they arrive to when they leave, I watch the progress on web cam. The chick this year has yet to start his first migration but I'm not surprised, his dad is spoilong him by still supplying fish. His mum is the famous "Lady" the oldest known osprey to still breed at if I remember correctly 26 years of age, in her time she has laid 62 eggs and successfully hatched and fledged 42, a truly amazing bird. Heres hoping her migration this year was a safe one and hopefully she will return to us next year safe and sound :no1:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Does anyone watch the live feed to the Decorah Eagles? It's fascinating to watch, if a bit addictive.

I was glued to the computer last year when Dad accidentally pulled one of the new newly hatched chicks out of the egg cup of the nest and it was stuck on the outside edges. Poor mum came back and it took her the best part of 40 minutes the get the chick back into the warm nest - the gentleness of such a powerful bird was wonderful to watch. 

Here's the drama on You Tube

Decorah Eagles Bonus Footage- Eaglet Out & In Happy Ending! 4-3-11 - YouTube

Sadly one of this year's chicks (No.12), which only left the nest in June has been electrocuted - such a shame! :sad:


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## Lozzypozz (Jun 25, 2011)

Watching and getting photos of otter less than 2 metres away, and also of a humming bird moth  very happy to have the pictures


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## Junior13reptilez (Oct 17, 2010)

Munkys Mummy said:


> I follow the Ospreys at Loch of the Lowes from when they arrive to when they leave, I watch the progress on web cam. The chick this year has yet to start his first migration but I'm not surprised, his dad is spoilong him by still supplying fish. His mum is the famous "Lady" the oldest known osprey to still breed at if I remember correctly 26 years of age, in her time she has laid 62 eggs and successfully hatched and fledged 42, a truly amazing bird. Heres hoping her migration this year was a safe one and hopefully she will return to us next year safe and sound :no1:


 Apparently there's ospreys around near me - Rutland water. 

I've recently had a few rabbits that seem to have taken a liking to my garden. I must say I'm fairly lucky as I often get to see alot of different animals; foxes, a pair of muntjac deer and many others.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Spent a week on the Isle of Wight and on the last day *finally* saw a red squirrel


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yeh! :2thumb: There are so few reds left on mainland Britain (and the few islands that have a population) so it's great when you see a wild one! :2thumb:


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

This year I would have to say I thoroughly enjoyed watching how close to my garden all the wildlife came in my new house :mf_dribble: 

















However, my absolute highlight was getting to watch a mother Greater Spotted Woodpecker feeding her chick for about 20 minutes. Unfortunately the only feeding shot I managed to get was extremely blurred. But still...!!


























Busted!!!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Great photos! :2thumb:


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

feorag said:


> Great photos! :2thumb:


Thanks :notworthy: really hoping they come back again next year now iv had more time to figure out how to work the camera :blush:


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

feorag said:


> Yeh! :2thumb: There are so few reds left on mainland Britain (and the few islands that have a population) so it's great when you see a wild one! :2thumb:


Seeing a red squirrel was my aim of the week, was so happy when I saw several of them  one of my favourite native species easily!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I had the sheer pleasure of handrearing 2 tiny reds in 2007 and 4 slightly older onea last year, all of which were successfully released and I totally *loved *every minute of it! :flrt:


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## jonodrama (May 7, 2009)

Currently on route to the highlands for the week. Hopefully have some decent sightings to report back


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

jonodrama said:


> Currently on route to the highlands for the week. Hopefully have some decent sightings to report back



Go find a highland tiger!! :mf_dribble:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

jonodrama said:


> Currently on route to the highlands for the week. Hopefully have some decent sightings to report back


I'm hugely jealous!!!


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## mothdust (Aug 19, 2012)

Not UK, sadly - my first trip to the States. Texas, I saw Cardinals, Blue Jays, and my new favourite - Grackles!


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## Spider Call (Mar 23, 2007)

Swimming with a shark ^^ has to be the best wild encounter this year. Probably in my whole life to be honest. 
Finally met one of my favourite animals. Only a baby, but a shark no less!


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