Wildlife memories

[Alan]

Like the recent post on favourite object, what are your favourite British wildlife experiences/memories? Here's some that spring to mind for me:

First time I saw and watched Badgers emerge from their sett. You could have almost cut the atmosphere as I sat there frozen to the spot (getting bitten by Mosquitos) as they jumped about wickering and fighting.

When walking to a Badger sett up in Scotland, something ran accross our path and we put the torch on to see what it was, and a big white-whiskered Wildcat sat there staring at us only two metres away.

Watching Red Squirrels at a feeding station when a Weasel jumped up and tried to nab one. It didn't succeed the squirrel was too fast.

When as a child I spotted a Stoat and began to chase it through the grass, when all of a sudden the Stoat turned into Stoat's as about six of them nose to tail dissapeared into the grass.

Seeing my first Golden Eagle as it skimmed the top of a mountainside at Findhorn, Scotland.

While I was sat fishing, watching a Stoat take thirty minutes to drag a Rabbit it had just killed, from the middle of a poughed field into the hedgerow.

After spotting a Short-eared Owl I laid down in the grass and began to squeek like a mouse. The owl then made a beeline for me and proceeded to almost dive on me. I don't know who was the most shocked!

The first time I saw a Sparrowhawk take a bird. A Great Tit from two metres away as I sat in a hide.

The first time I visited Bempton Cliffs and took in the amazing site, smell and sounds of the seabird colonies.

[BM]

I have a couple. Seeing my first Sea Eagle on Mull. I was sat on fairly sharp ridge line leaning against a rock scanning the loch below. All of a sudden the Eagle swoops right over my head .......... it could only have been about 3 meters above me. It must have been gaining height on the other side of the ridge and just happened to skim across the ridge line at the exact point I was sitting . Must admit that I got the fright of my life ..... almost jumped out of my skin!

I also remember solo biviying out on a hillside up Glen Etive. I woke early and rolled over to find a spectacular view down the loch which was covered in mist (the whole valley was filled with it) as I lay there admiring the view I felt a "presence" up hill behind me . I slowly rolled over (still cocooned in my bivi bag) to see what it was. There was a herd of about 10 - 15 red deer no more than about 30 meters away! They hadn't smelt me and were happily going about their business ....... I watched them for a good 5 mins before I made a move to get the camera and frightened them off!

But above all I remember my first Kingfishers sighting. I was quite young and was out for walk with my father. I'd gone ahead to have a look at a pond that was on the track we were walking along. I saw a blue flash streaking from right to left accompanied by a high pitched call. It landed on a branch and it took a few moments for me to register what it was! Heart thumping in my chest I had to make a decision do I stay and watch or do I shout/run back to get my Dad (who hadn't seen one either!). I ended up slowly backing off hoping not to disturb it, I returned with father in tow and luckily it had stayed put on exactly the same branch! Fantastic.

[nicole]

Here is some of mine Alan:

Seeing my first Peregrine falcon was 1 of my highlights, especially because I saw it in the Hackney marshes in East London, it was amazing seeing this symbol of wilderness flying in an urban setting.

I was also very lucky to see an otter in Essex a couple of years ago whilst driving; well actually I think the otter was the lucky 1 as we just managed to stop the car just in time.
I was transfixed watching it scuttle off into the dark

The sights and sounds of the red deer on Exmoor during the rutting season is a moving experience that always manages to make your hair stand on the back of your neck.

Seeing my first basking shark in Cornwall at lands end was a magical experience.

I think 1 memory that sticks with me the most and always brings a smile to my face was the first time I saw a bittern. There were loads of people there, all waiting with anticipation on seeing this bird. When it finally did emerge I couldn’t believe how clumsy it was as it actually managed to fall over in the reeds, everyone was laughing at the poor little thing

[Wild-Woman]

One of my earliest memories of an encounter with wildlife was when on holiday as a child, I always collected shells from the beach. I remember carrying a full bucket load back to the guest house, we were staying at and carefully arranging them in types and size, then all of a sudden one of the whelk shells I had, walked off! I soon discovered that I had transported a tiny hermit crab back with me. My Mum wasn't exactly pleased as the beach was about a mile walk to get back to.

I rescued a sparrowhawk that had come down in a childrens play area. It was taken to a vet but it's fractured wing was beyond help. That was a sad one.

I helped a frog from the clutches of the local moggy but on putting it in my pond, I went accidentally in with it! That was a smelly one....never quite been the same since.

Think my most favourite memory was when a seal popped it head out of the water when I was in a boat on the Thames!! Very unexpected. Beautiful animal that was. ww

[John]

I have so many memories that I could go on for a very long time but following is an account of one amazing experience I witnessed.

One very cold day in Mid January a few years ago the ex missus & I visited a place called Belvide just north of Wolverhampton. The Reservoir was virtually covered in ice with the exception of a small patch of clear water in the middle. All the wildfowl and geese, etc had congregated in that small place and it was heaving with birds.

Suddenly pandemonium broke out. Birds were flying everywhere, some were diving and the noise was deafening and screaming out of the sky was a Peregrine at full pelt.

Birds scattered everywhere but a few were left on the water. Amongst them was a Little Grebe and it was obvious that the Peregrine had taken a fancy to this bird. The Little Grebe dived just as the Peregrine made its attack. The Peregrine just missed. The falcon then seemed to do a loop de loop and came back for another try, again the Grebe dived. This went on 7 times and each time the falcon timed his attack that little bit better until on the 7th attack the falcon clipped the head of the Grebe and either knocked the bird out or killed it outright. The Peregrine came back and deftly plucked the bird out of the water and onto the ice.

You would have thought that that was it, but oh no. 2 Buzzards appeared on the scene and landed quite close to the Peregrine. Straight away the Peregrine seemed to sit back onto its tail, grab hold of the Grebe and stretched out its remaining talons towards the Buzzards, as if warning them to stay clear. One of the Buzzards edged closer and the Peregrine seemed to hop backwards, still holding the Grebe, still with outstretched Talons. This went on for quite a few minutes when two Ravens (yes I know - what more can go on) appeared and started to harrass the Buzzards by flying just over their heads. The Peregrine seemed totally distressed by now and dropped the Grebe and flew off, whilst the Ravens drove home their attacks on the two Buzzards. Eventually the Buzzards got the message and took off, with both Ravens chasing them, leaving behind the now dead Grebe on the ice.

Definitely a moment in time I will never forget.

John

[Imaginos]

Ahh so many.

In no particular order:

Sitting watching an otter fishing 10 feet from me for half an hour on a sunny day in Ireland.

Watching a juvenile male hen harrier & a merlin chasing the same meadow pipit on a blustery day in Wales (the harrier would flush the pipit only for the merlin to swoop in to try & grab it, this happened five or six times before all three were frightened off by some kids).

Seeing my first goshawk and then two minutes later watching a peregrine stoop over my head on a (rare) hot day in Wales.

My first barn owl on a summers evening in Somerset.

An evening spent in a ruined church set in the middle of an ancient ring mound in Dorset with glow-worms sparkling all around.

Nearly getting trodden on by a fleeing fallow deer as I hunched over doing a weed count in an oil seed rape field in the Cotswolds.

And two from further afield:

Watching one million wrinkle-lipped bats leave their roost in Thailand attended by two very acrobatic peregrines.

Standing stock still & not daring to breathe as a large bull elephant pulled up grass from by my feet in camp in Zambia - he was about two feet away on the other side of the chicken wire mesh.