May Top Trumps....wildlife geeks step this way and get your spots in here!

[ArielThePiraticalMermaid]

I'll start - I'm hoping that someone will do better than an infernal wood pigeon and obnoxious noisy herring gull. Before the morning is up, hopefully.

And remember, cast ne'er a clout til May be out.

[GrimmaTheNome]

I see from your profile we're the same age, GO .... so, did you get taken to see Ring Of Bright Water at the age of about 8 and (a) want an otter (b) still remember the Spade

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

Love the otter story! I saw a pair of otters in the sea loch off the coast of Skye last year.
House martins here, always a bit later than the swallows. Goldfinches and a goldcrest have been the high spots of the garden this week, plus a couple of midnight hedgehogs quacking like ducks!
Have seen bluebells (a bit peely wally), campion, lady's smock and stitchwort. The same cowslip plant has flowered continuously in the garden since Christmas.
Orange tip and lesser tortoiseshell butterflies.
Rain by the bucket.

Love this thread!

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Grimae - I am a year older. And I have never watched Ring of Bright Water all the way through. I did read the book though.

[GrimmaTheNome]

a couple of midnight hedgehogs quacking like ducks!
really? extra points for a spot at midnight, surely.

And I now know (having looked it up) what 'peely wally' means. This thread is an education in itself.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Sorry - that should have said Grimma not Grimae - tis my age you know.

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

Yes, truly a loud quacking sound and such a regular huffing it sounded like a a a a huffing machine!

[GentleOtter]

We lived in the Highlands (near Maxwell's home) when Ring of Bright water came out and I think everyone fell in love with the otter then broke their hearts at the spade bit. A bit of you died.
Same with Kes. I think I cried for weeks.

My daughter received a lovely letter and otter picture from a man who was closely associated with Gavin Maxwell and I took her up to Kyle to see where Mij lived. Sadly, we never saw wild otters when we were there but they are around.

We saw porpoises though.

[ArielThePiraticalMermaid]

I WANT AN OTTER


We went to the Sandaigs when I was about 11. I still remember the peace and melancholy feel of the place, the ruined cottage and absolutely bloody FREEZING water! We hired a boat and puttered amongst the seals. Gorgeous place.

[GentleOtter]

Mum and I stayed in Dornie - Mum was relief district nurse and we lived in the nurse's house which overlooked Eilean Donan and yes, the lovely letter was from Jimmy Watson!

We are going back to the otter hide on Skye, I hope, during the summer holidays.

You are welcome to break your journey here if you make the drive as we are midway between the A9 and the Crianlarich road. It takes us about 2 1/2 hours to get to the Mallaig/ Armadale ferry.

[iseenodust]

Loving the otter story .
Cried at Ring of Bright Water.
Cried at the lion reunion clip on One show last night.

We went to the Skye hide summer 2010 and saw seals (and from the fab little ferry) but no otters. However a couple of days later saw otter in the water when driving north from Applecross. BTW Applecross pub does fab lunch and local seals kept popping heads up to see if we were enjoying the seafood.

Stayed in old Skye ferry waiting room - excellent waters' edge location! google Scottish National Trust holiday accom.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

I want to go on holiday to Scotland.

This minute.

[GentleOtter]

Oh, come to Scotland!

The sun is shining and the countryside is alive with wildlife.

hides rat on bird feeder

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Tempted

Oh - have to take DD to dentist this pm as she was hit in the mouth by a rounders ball yesterday.

Maybe tomorrow.....

[iseenodust]

Exit your poor DD that must have hurt.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Just one incident in a long line of hurts.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

GentleOtter your otter in the past out trumps my cuckoo in May by a million million points! East Anglia is so pants and Scotland is so lovely! I'd be living in the Shetland Islands if it wasn't for DP! curse him

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

Thank you GentleOtter! If I ever run away they will know where to look for me.
Saw a pair of otters playing in the kelp beds to the left of the ferry point crossing, by the little harbour place on the way up to the hide. Saw the same ones from the hide too, but much clearer from the path.

EastAnglia is not too pants Norfolk way! I was watching marsh harriers there at Easter. You should try the midlands!

[GrimmaTheNome]

Norfolk broads in May is fabulous - we had a boating holiday may halfterm two years ago and the birdlife (plus a swallowtail butterfly) was incredibly rich.

Saggy mightn't like it though... DH accidentally set the alarm for 4am and we had a duet of cuckoo and bittern boom!

[violetwellies]

We have mud and dampness and squelch, swallows have vanished, but two yellowhammers turned up at hen feeding time. 3 of my 5 newly hatched arucunas have been squashed flat Feel totally inadequate and unable to compete with G. Otter.

[Northey]

Squashed? What by? Are they dead, or just a bit... flat?

Large thrush sitting on the washing line post and watching the cat below.

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

I have ten thousand yellow snails living high up on the buddleia where no hedgehog will ever reach them.
Two buzzards, going up on the thermals. (How that sounds like bigknickerclimbing)
A wood pigeon the size of a turkey


I'm sorry about the squashed chicks. Squelch here too.

[violetwellies]

I think its my fault for not removing the nest box earlier, she's a big Croad Langshan hen, surrogate mum. But she has two live ones and Ive got some Croads in the incubator so if they come off soon she can have some of them.

[GrimmaTheNome]

My spots today are further entries to the procession of seasonal flora. In addition to all the previous stuff, my local riverside woodland now has wood avens, wild strawberry and bird cherry.

[5318008]

GO awwwwww

onto my news:

dead stoat (roadkill)

orange tip butterfly

bluebells are out at LAST hurrah