Magic moments.

[sometimes]

Prompted by some comments on another thread, I wondered want people's magic wildlife moments were. I don't particularly mean those special trips to see something, but those moments when something special happens, typically when you're on you own - if you like a unshared selfish moment.

I remember one year I went to Skipworth Common (Yorkshire) to see and hear the Nightjars. I found myself a large rock to sit on (it may have been a tree stump) and proceeded to wait for dark. Sure enough there was the churring, then the flashing wings and 'claps'. I'd been watching/listening for about 1/2 hour, it was pretty dark and i was about to make my way back to the car when I saw a huge multipoint stag come out of the tree line in the distance. I decided to see where it would go, so sat very still. It came directly towards me, closer and closer. Of course the nearer it got the less I dared to move. All I could really see was the black shape and horns against the little light in the sky. It must have passed about 6 feet to my left and it stopped. The tension was excrutiating I wanted to turn my head towards it but knew it would suss me. I could hear it breathing.

I must have twitched or something because it suddenly jumped (now I know why deer fences are so high) and bounded away in the distance, leaving me shattered wreck and a memory that I'll never forget.

[diggleken]

brilliant description - I lived the moment with you, thanks a lot.
Where to start - there are so many over the years,but four stand out - Otters feedding in west scotland at close hand, bitterns at Leighton Moss feeeding 6ft away, Cairngorm closenesses to Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting at 4000 ft, and swaying over sheer rock ledges in Cwm Idwal to take pictures of Snowdon Lily - I wouldnt do it now!
Its all a great journey though.
Ken

[Tracey.A]

My magic moment happened on Ben Lawers, I was thrilled to see a female Ring ouzel. I had wanted to see one for years, but never had until that moment. I remember thinking that things couldn't get any better than that, but just as I was coming down from the summit I had a pair of ptarmigan walking about 12 feet in front of me for about five minutes Special moment indeed! I was elated! There have been many other moments, but those two will stay with me for a long time

Tracey

[sometimes]

Thanks Ken.

Tracey - Your 'moment' reminds us 'the day is never done' - as for Ptarmigan, a 'tick' I'm still waiting for myself.

[Jeapesy]

I have two magic moments that spring to mind and seeing as i'm new to wildlife watching they've both occured in the last month. The first was only a few weeks ago while i was out walking on Two Tree island when i saw an Osprey fishing in a creek right in front of me was a superb moment and one i won't forget, a truely majestic bird of prey.

The second was while i was out walking at Blue House farm in Fambridge when a Weasel popped out of some tall grass a little distance in front of me, i froze immediately and watched as he edged closer and closer. As he got to within a few metres of me i decided i had to try and get a picture and i slowly reached for my camera. Unfortunately he spotted me and bolted upright starring straight at me before making a quick exit.

[Mr Speckler]

Hi,
I'll try and tell you about my best magic moment. It was intense and I didn't see a thing. It was a couple of months ago.

I had spent the day working in woodland with my wife and it was such a nice summer day that I decided to stay the night (I often do this) just to be there at dawn. I had left a sleeping bag stashed in the wood and had a tiny meths burner, that was enough kit.

I made my bed on the floor as it got dark and listened to the tawny owls Ke-wickin around me and foxes howling and felt very comfortable. I awoke at one-thirty. the night was absolutely silent. Very slowly I became aware of a sound. I thought it was approaching rain. It was a constant patter on the leaf litter, getting louder. The sky was clear and starry.

Then I realised I was listening to a lot of animals moving through the wood together. I was in boar country, the wood is full of signs, tracks, droppings and the damage that they do as they root around. I knew what was coming.

I had made my camp in a valley and just yards in front of where I was lying was what I thought was a disused animal track. I was in complete darkness on the floor of the wood and I didn't have a torch. I felt nervous but there wasn't anything I could do so I coughed and shuffled around a bit just to let them know I was there. I had always held the belief that boar were animals with the disposition of deer, not aggressive and preferring to avoid men. Also I have often been aware of large solitary animals when I have slept out but no problems with them.

These animals weren't afraid of me. they came down the track and did a circle around me, until some were right behind me, others were still coming down into the valley. Up until then it had seemed pretty fantastic, I could hear them grunting and snuffling and in the dark they seemed so close. Then I lost my nerve.

I heard a couple of loud bark like grunts behind me (no snorting) and decided I had to stand up. Couldn't lie there on the floor. As soon as I stood up there was a barrage of noise from all around me. Every thing else I tell you is just down to my own inexperience and fear, the animals were very cool.

Once you admit fear there is not much left, you are lost. I shouted "Hey Hey" hoping to drive them away from me. It didn't faze them a bit, they just kept on coming down the track like a train, unstoppable and just carried on going about their business.

There was an old coppice stool close by, like a circle of trees but just one tree really and I climbed into the centre of it. I had my camera and I started firing off the flash, all the pictures show was my circle of trees. None of my ridiculous behaviour seemed to bother them and eventually the sound of the rainstorm passed and faded into the distance.

I checked the time, I couldn't see a damned thing and I wanted to know, how long till dawn. It was three- forty five. Even given the time it took them to approach and the time it took me to recover my composure, pretty sure it took them at least twenty minutes to half an hour to pass my camp.

What was left of the night, I spent jumping, every time a Rabbit rustled a leaf and I was so grateful for the dawn.

For me, that was fantastic. My perception of the boar changed. I had only met them singularly and hadn't expected such a big group and I had expected them to be afraid of me and these clearly were not.

The very next weekend I retuned and built a sleeping platform in that coppice stool. I have spent several nights there since, no luck so far. I am quite excited that they didn't stampede at my camera flash or my shouting or anything and they didn't do anything to hurt me and they easily could have.

I sleep up a tree these days and live in hope. Magic!

Hope you liked my tale, it's a true story and if I get the pics I'll post them.
Colin

[Tracey.A]

Colin, what a night you had! I loved your account of what happened and how you felt etc., Truth be told I would have been scared as well for obvious reasons! Brilliant account of your night. Thank you so much for sharing this fascinating tale, I loved it and felt as if I was almost there with you!

Tracey

[Tracey.A]

Originally Posted by sometimes

Thanks Ken.

Tracey - Your 'moment' reminds us 'the day is never done' - as for Ptarmigan, a 'tick' I'm still waiting for myself.

Get yourself up to the Cairngorms Thank you for your comment and yes you are so right 'the day is never done'!

Tracey

[volence]

My moment happened when I was in my local wood. I'd seen deer in there and a Fox so I wanted to film them. I got a brand new mini dvd camcorder and settled down next to a tree to watch the top of the steep slope opposite. I was sitting and shelling and eating peas (I know it's bizarre but was very satisfying) and out of the corner of my eye I thought i saw a cat. I turned around to call it over and saw a beautiful Fox just looking at me. I turned on my camcorder to film it and it slowly started walking up the slope, not even bothered by my rustling or the camcorder beeping. I picked up the camcorder only to have the message " SONY DISC RECOMMENDED" come up on the screen. Just as the screen went normal and I could start shooting, the Fox was gone. Grrrr. But at least I saw the Fox and it wasn't scared of me.

I think it knew I wasn't a threat cos the first time I went to that wood, i saw him running towards me. He swerved to another path and I saw an alsation running after him. I shouted at the dog and ran infront to distract it and give the Fox time to get away. The stupid owner didn't even try calling her dog off

[Morph]

Originally Posted by volence

My moment happened when I was in my local wood. I'd seen deer in there and a Fox so I wanted to film them. I got a brand new mini dvd camcorder and settled down next to a tree to watch the top of the steep slope opposite. I was sitting and shelling and eating peas (I know it's bizarre but was very satisfying) and out of the corner of my eye I thought i saw a cat. I turned around to call it over and saw a beautiful Fox just looking at me. I turned on my camcorder to film it and it slowly started walking up the slope, not even bothered by my rustling or the camcorder beeping. I picked up the camcorder only to have the message " SONY DISC RECOMMENDED" come up on the screen. Just as the screen went normal and I could start shooting, the Fox was gone. Grrrr. But at least I saw the Fox and it wasn't scared of me.

I think it knew I wasn't a threat cos the first time I went to that wood, i saw him running towards me. He swerved to another path and I saw an alsation running after him. I shouted at the dog and ran infront to distract it and give the Fox time to get away. The stupid owner didn't even try calling her dog off

Moments like this are pricless, when wildlife just happens along almost bumping into you.
You can't put in words written or oral that feeling inside you get, I've tried many times and fail every time. Thanks for sharing your moment.

[snake]

I have had many such moments over the years but I will tell you about one I experienced a few months ago.
It was a lovely warm afternoon in July and I was trout fishing on a small private stocked lake. I had taken my dog along with me and he was lying on my fishing platform watching a number of frogs which were sitting on a mass of floating weed just beneath his feet. The frogs were making an awful din and driving me mad, they were not at all concerned at our presence.
I then noticed a movement in the reeds at the edge of the lake, when out came a Grass Snake which swam beneath the fishing platform that I was on and stopped with its head at the edge of the floating weed. The frogs stopped croaking but did not try to move away, it was as if they were mesmerised by the snake they just sat perfectly still. I stood watching this for what seemed like ages then the snake lunged at the nearest frog and all I could see where the back legs of the frog sticking from its mouth.
My dog was lying just a few feet from this activity and had been watching it unfold. When the snake lunged for the frog my dog must have been startled because he jumped to his feet, the snake also must have been startled by the dog's movement, because it spat out the frog and swam away.
The frog jumped to the edge of the weed and sat there as if nothing had happened,

What a lucky Frog.

[Shadowstar]

While with a sadly no longer a British wild animal, my ultimate magic moment was my first nuzzles and licks from socialized female wolves - Duma and Dakota... oh, and helping raise wolf cubs

[volence]

I'm so jealous. I love wolves. Its a shame they aren't in britain anymore

[Cypress]

Lovely stories!!!

I have a couple too:

Once we were wandering around the woods collecting the beer cans & bags left by the (*^&%(&* local teenagers... on the path was something fluffy, as we approached I realised it was a small bird, wings slightly outstretched. My first thought was that a cat or dog had got it, anyway I carefully scooped the bird up, it was a robin - as I lifted her up to check for injuries, she layed an egg in my hands! I made her and egg a safe-hole, next day robin was gone but egg was still there.


The next is just a funny really.. I often sit & watch our horses, there are loads of Rabbits in the field too. The other week I was watching as 4 Rabbits quietly munched away near the horses, when one of our bossier ones decided to gently but firmly shoo the Rabbits away with her nose one by one as she grazed

[Lancashire Lad]

My magic wildlife moment happened more than twenty years ago.

I was holidaying in Cornwall, and had gone exploring along the cliffs betweeen Hayle & Portreath.

I found a steep cliff path down to a deserted cove, which I later found out was called Fishing Cove, on the Navocks headland.

As it was a hot sunny day, I decided to swim out to a large rock/island, about 100 metres off shore.

I was merrily snorkelling away, having a look at whatever marine life I could see around the rock, when I looked up to see what could only be described as an enormous fin, bearing down on me at a rate of knots.

To say that I was petrified at that moment would be an understatement, but by the time what was happening had actually sunk in, the fin, and it's owner was directly underneath me.

I was looking down on a fully grown Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin, at least 12-13ft long. The dolphin - about a metre below me, lazily turned completely upside down, and just watched me - moving its head slowly from side to side.

I couldn't resist but to stroke the animal - whereupon it swam off in a large circle before coming back again. Time and again it would let me swim up to it, and then either sink down, or swim behind me so that I had to turn around.

I'm absolutely convinced it was playing some sort of game with me.

I stayed in the water with it for over an hour, and eventually had to get out because I was so cold - I had turned almost blue, and just couldn't stop shivering once I got back onto the beach.

The experience was a once in a lifetime thing, and was the event that drove me to become involved in Scuba Diving, leading me eventually to BSAC Advanced Diver/Club Instructor level.

The dolphin became a bit of a local celebrity in the area, and there was some media interest later that year, with it being shown on national TV.

It was also apparently subject of some research by the dolphin specialist Horace Dobbs. I recall that it was said to be the second largest Bottlenose that had been physically measured.

Absolutely Magic

Regards
Mike.

[Cypress]

Wow Mike! I am envious!!

[demicav]

I have a few I can think of. Seeing a Cuckoo for the first and only time was really nice. Also finally after years of trying to see a Grass Snake I managed to spot one by chance in the Summer sunbathing with the regular Adders about as far away from water as it could get, funny how animals turn up when you least expect them to. My top magic moment to date though was in Cornwall last Summer. We spent a wonderful, clear, bright day at Lands End and looking over the cliffs in full view was a huge Basking Shark. The water was so clear we could see its mouth wide open and quite a croud gathered to watch this magnificent animal. Only a few days earlier we had taken the children to the aquarium in Newquay and the staff there had done a presentation using string to demonstrate how big Basking Sharks were. Little did we know we would soon be seeing one right before our very eyes. The children were fascinated and it really was a memorable day.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Tracey.A

I remember thinking that things couldn't get any better than that, but just as I was coming down from the summit I had a pair of ptarmigan walking about 12 feet in front of me for about five minutes

The 'magic moment' wears a bit thin with ptarmigan, when you're camping in the high Cairgorms in June, and they're yelling their heads off through most of the night outside your tent!

Jim

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by Cypress

Wow Mike! I am envious!!

Thanks Cypress,

I've since had some fantastic experiences diving abroad, with Manta Rays, Sharks, Barracuda etc. etc., I've also been fortunate enough to snorkel with a Basking Shark, and have a Grey Seal nibble on my fins (both off Scotland's Arran Isle).

But of everything I've ever seen, nothing compares to that chance encounter with the dolphin.

Regards
Mike.

[Cypress]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

Thanks Cypress,

I've since had some fantastic experiences diving abroad, with Manta Rays, Sharks, Barracuda etc. etc., I've also been fortunate enough to snorkel with a Basking Shark, and have a Grey Seal nibble on my fins (both off Scotland's Arran Isle).

But of everything I've ever seen, nothing compares to that chance encounter with the dolphin.

Regards
Mike.

Awww, seals too! It's one thing I've never really done is get into the sea-life thing, the opportunity hasn't really occurred, and I'm not a brilliant swimmer so I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to deep water - I wouldn't let it stop me if I had the chance though. The best I can do is having Irish prawns & Cuban fish nibble my feet

[Lancashire Lad]

Originally Posted by Cypress

....I'm not a brilliant swimmer so I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to deep water....

Although you wouldn't know it now, until I was around my mid twenties, I was always afraid to get out of my depth when swimming in the sea - always wanted to ensure that my feet could still touch the bottom, and was always mindful of what might be lurking below. (The "Jaws" factor - you know ).

Finally cured the problem once and for all by convincing myself I was being silly, and swimming straight out. Once I had the irrational fear out of the way, there was no stopping me.

Regards
Mike.

[Cypress]

Originally Posted by Lancashire Lad

always wanted to ensure that my feet could still touch the bottom, and was always mindful of what might be lurking below. (The "Jaws" factor - you know ).

Regards
Mike.

I have to be like that too, though I can happily swim in deep water next to a boat though so I know I can hang on if I get tired... it doesn't worry me what's in the water, except that it's me!

[tWITCH]

I have so many but the one that springs to mind is a weird one but it always makes me think of my sister and smile. We where out bird spotting at the local res and for weeks my sister had been on the look out for a Kingfisher and was getting disheartened that she had never seen one. Adding to the frustration was the fact that our weekly outing was only going to be for a couple of hours. Time had run out and we started our journey back to her car.

Suddenly I had a weird feeling. I told her we needed ten more minutes and to follow me. Over the train lines, pass the industrial units and down to the private pond. We stopped at a gap in the hedge and I told her we'ed only need a few minutes more.

A few minutes passed and there was a flash of orange and blue. She was so excited, and even though it was the first time I'd seen a kingfisher I think I was more excited for her. She was so pleased.

Later she asked me what made me stop and suddenly drag her to that spot, as we had been there many times before and saw nothing.

I just knew that she would see her Kingfisher on this outing, and I knew exactly where.

Either I'm getting more true to my name or I'm learning more about wildlife.

[werdnal]

There are a couple that immediately spring to mind.

The first was shortly after we moved here 15 years ago. We are lucky enough to have our own field in front of the house - our own little wildlife paradise infact! I took a stroll up there one day, and was enjoying the peace and quiet, when I heard a "chattering" noise coming along the hedge. Suddenly 2 Weasels came tumbling out, obviously enjoying their game and oblivious to me being there. They were chasing each other around and almost ran right over my feet! This was the first time I had ever seen a Weasel, and it was a really special experience. They moved on, still enjoying their game, and seemed totally unaware of my presence.

The