FANTASTIC WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
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Never mind ‘Spring Watch’ on the tele, I reckon you lot have a programme in the making! 🐆
This is a very small world, the memories of both Bill and Liz being very similar to some of my own.
I am trying to dig out a photograph of me surrounded by a group of Spotted Dolphins off the Bahamas. The photo was taken by another snorkeler from above, I was about 4 metres underwater on my way up.
I have also been within boat-hook length of numerous Sperm Whales North of the Azores and off Biscay, Finn Whales off St Kilda, Minke Whales North of Skye and Pilot Whales in of all places the Thames.
A young Atlantic Grey Seal once attached itself to my finn whilst snorkelling of Skye and continued grabbing it for about 15 minutes.
As for Liz’s Bottlenosed Dolphins, which are often visible as she say’s they can also been seen on regular boat trips from Avoch on the Black Isle. We have also often seen them when staying on the Beachside Campsite East of the golf course.
Wonderful Cold – That was home ground up there for me I was brought up in a little village across the water from lighthouse near Avoch. Skye is one of our favourite places. So much sealife around it.
Have you done the Corryvreckan – another spectacle?On one occasion we had gone out on our boat and anchored off Bournemouth Bay (about a mile out) and my daughter and her uncle dived into the water she surfaced yelling at us to tell her uncle to stop swimming underneath her! It was a 15foot Basking Shark!!! You never saw anyone leave the water so fast! Harmless creatures though…..smile.
The one thing many of us have in common is that we are all obvious animal lovers. Nature never fails to amaze and thrill me.
Liz
Yes, did the Corryvreckan and many many other wonderful places off Scotland. Had the great fortune to work as mate abaord an 80 foot Ketch for a very famous Scottish School. Almost every day was a new experience and a new wildlife adventure. One one visit to St Kilda there were literally thousands of Puffins in Village bay. the water was flat calm and crystal clear, as the boat slid slowly through the water the nearest birds fled, some flying up, some diving down. It was as if we were surounded by them in a 3 D way, above below and all around. as we passed the birds alighted or surfaced and the next batch dived or took off. Fantastic! On the way back we saw Killer Whales of Tolbermory.
There are some nice pictures of the dolphins off Fort George on google earth.
Wonderful place St Kilda, was lucky enough to have the weather to spend 3 days anchored in Village Bay with my boat, also, to have a Dr Bryan Nelson with me, the World Authority on Sulids, Gannets etc, happy days
Was that the Gordonstoun boat c?, seen it on the W COAST
Memories keep flooding back.
Yes Bill, that’s the one.
Do you have a boat here now?
No sold the last one, a Nic’ when I got involved here, had a Rival when in Scotland, and a Roberts 44 I built inbetween.
Lovely boat the School one, I was a mate with the OYC, long time ago
World is still small Bill.
I sailed with the LSP years ago and were good friends with some OYC afterguard. We probably knew some of the same people.
I seem to recall the School boat started with OYC and we often sailed in company with another ex OYC Oyster, a 72 I think who was also based on the West Coast.
Luckily, I still have a small yacht we sailed from Essex to Finisterre a few weeks ago, so plenty of new exploration and adventures ahead.
Sorry getting off topic now
The OYC boat was ‘Taikoo’. Predecessor of the Oysters.
As you say we are off piste
I have seen a Buzzard flying really low over the road with a wiggly snake in his talons! I was in a friends open top car at the time and a bit worried the snake would be dropped in my lap! Liz I am really jealous of your eagle owl, just amazing birds! There is a barn owl who roosts in the house up the lane, just beautiful. The owls have been incredibly quiet of late, normally hear them every night but the last few weeks, nothing.
Red squirrels are also not to be seen at the moment but a few months ago one raced across the lawn and shot up the poplar tree, much to the dogs annoyance. He then made himself comfy and had a siesta for the afternoon, gorgeous little thing!
Anyone seen any news about the lion?
One thing that I miss since the local Ostrich farm closed is to see them all flying south to roost of an evening. I often watched them after a bottle of red wine or so.
A Gendarme has seen a large Feline in La Manche.
I was sailing S across Biscay, in v strong Easterly winds when one night in the loom of the navigation lights, I saw a large owl, heading West, next stop ?
Poor Bugger, wonder how many migratory birds fall victim to adverse winds, had lots of wee birds land on the boat, have a breather then disappear
Our grandson now 12 has been visiting our “hovel” in 29 land since 5 months of age. Once when he was about 3 we were mid channel Plymouth to Roscoff when he shouted to me, ” Look Grandad ducks!” I couldn’t believe it! They were gulls!
Once had three exhausted Goldcrests land aboard mid channel on a cold February day, they were migrating North. Not only were they too early, they were also flying into a NE 4-5
We put them to perch on the radar set in the wheelhouse and even fed them dried flies we found at the base of the wheelhouse windows. Sadly they did not make it. it was a huge pity.
As for WP’S Owls, they will have been breeding, some may still be feeding a second brood, as such they will not have been drawing attention to their presence. They will though very shortly be more vocal as they seek to establish territory.
Oh I love reading these articles……fascinating. At least you tried to save the birds Cold.
@BE bless the wee lad…..amazingly many children who live in cities have never seen a live pig, cow, sheep or hens etc They miss out so much. I like the idea of petting farms for little ones to visit.
They just see lumps of meat in supermarkets and have no idea of where they came from.Today I saw a pigeon collecting nest material. They must be planning another brood! Surely its a bit late for them to start laying at the beginning of August?
out on my bike a couple of years or so had a wild boar jump off the hedge in right in front of my bike , don’t know who was the more frightened ! He was huge
When I lived in Portugal, used to go swimming in a tributary of the R Guadiana, lots boar around there, I had a little terrier type dog a heinz 57, afraid of very little, the kerfuffle when she disappeared into a thicket to sort them out was hilarious
Sitting on the Terrace, at beer o’clock, watching the bumbles, honey bees and papillon colibri making the most of our lavender 50cms from me
Seen Boar racing across a field, couldn’t belive how fast they can run. Another time driving back from shopping nearly home and a load of deer leapt across a hedge, straight across the road, must have been around 8 to 10 , so fast couldn’t count them! Beautiful
Loving all these stories and accounts of the wonderful wildlife. Looking forward to discovering what we have around us here.
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