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On way home from visiting Home to Roost in dads car today, rounded a bend and sat in the road was a Golden Pheasant, brazen as you like, gave us a dirty look for disturbing it and slowly wandered into the bushes as I was trying to wrestle my camera out of my bag. Unfortunately no picture as I wasnt quick enough but anyone who wants to see what they look like try the RSPB website here... http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/golde...asant/index.asp

 

Have now reported the sighting to the RSPB as it is a rare non native bird introduced only to selected areas of the UK and we only have 1000-2000 birds in the country which is in comparision to about 8 million sparrows!! So thanks to Roving Rangies for making my day as not only am I a cacher Im also a birdwatcher! During another caching exped out to Barbury Castle one day recently got quite a stunning view of a short eared owl, I love that I can combine hobbies in this way.

 

Whats the coolest thing you have seen whilst out caching, wildlife or otherwise... <_<

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Snow and ice are the coolest things ive seen. <_<

I think its those really rare animals like seeing grass snakes at cache for laugh or deer on cannock chase. Allways remember seeing stoats hunting at a cache which is unusual as they usually hide when humans are arround.

And of course seeing buzzards from above near to froggart edge they did the talon locking and tumbling as well which was quite special to watch.

Seeing a seal inside the whirlpool at Atlantic whirlpool has surprised some of the other visitors to that site.

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Fact

 

Muggles! These odd creatures are often spotted walking aimlessly without any form of guidance device; bizarre behaviour!

:(:(<_<

We've seen a merlin fairly close up, barn owl,fox,stoat running across the road,fallow deer,muntjac deer.

Once just walking down the pub on the way across a brook we came across a bit of a comotion in the water,turned out to be a water vole almost running across the water closely followed by a large pike at it's heels also 'running' across the water(well it looked like running),natures way at it's very best,we watched from the bridge for a while as the pike was motionless in the water watching a clump of weed the vole had diappeared into when the vole made a break for the other side of the brook closely followed again by airbourne pike.

The vole survived another day and the pike went hungry but the image will stay with me for a long time,absolutely amazing sight.

We also once saw 3 kingfishers having a squabble within 1 cubic foot of air about 3 feet away from out boat,I think they were too busy fighting to worry about the boat as they usually fly off as you spot them.

A bit of wildlife is what getting out and about is for.

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The most amazing thing I have ever seen happened whilst we were caching in the Elan Valley in Mid Wales last spring. We turned the corner of the road in the car, and just in front of us, at the side of the road was a sheep who had literally JUST given birth.

 

We retreated to a distance and got out and watched this beautiful sight with our binoculars... Never forget that evening.

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Another time we rounded a bend and there was a baby owl sat in the middle of the road. We stopped but it flew off before we could get the camera out.

 

We've also seen a young owl, we heard it, then found it at the base of a tree, it's nest high up above, guess it may have fallen out?

 

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We also had a badger run across the path some 5 foot in front of us :rolleyes: now way we were quick enough to snap that one!

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Seens lots of lovely wildlife whilst out and about caching, however just this afternoon, when maintaining one of my caches, we were treated to a very good view of a barn owl hunting (2.30 in the afternoon). We stood and watched it for some minutes and then saw it stoop down and catch a vole (or mouse) returning to a favourite perch to swallow it. Magic.

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Today on the way to a cache near Ford in Buckinghamshire - a Barn Owl was flying along the hedgeline right next to my car and continued to be close to me and a little infront for about 1/2 a mile - couldn't get a photo but what an amazing sight.

 

A while back I also disturbed a deer that then proceeded to run and leap across the open field in front of me - again, lovely to see.

 

Great thread and Deego - fantastic photos, cheers.

 

Laughalot :rolleyes:

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I've seen a few Barn Owls and loads of what I think are buzzards. I saw a kestral the other day actually get the small mammal it was hovering over. It hit the ground with a bit of a thump! We saw an adder and I've seen a couple of slow worms

 

The best ever - I was drinking in a bar on an island in the Maldives overlooking the coral lagoon. A smallish fish suddenly started hopping out of the water, like a pebble being skimmed towards me. A big toothy fish jumped out of the water on about the 5th skip and caught the fish in mid air, no more than 10 feet from the wall I was at on. Unbelieveable sight.

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Visiting my After the Picnic yesterday I stopped and watched 3 deer in the forest quite close to the cache location, deer are quite common in the area as are buzzards.

Visiting Win Green today a barn owl lifted off not far from me and flew about for a while before dropping out of sight. Just before the track leading to the cache I also saw a fox. Maybe wildlife is starting to take up Geocaching?

An small bit of info that might interest some is that Barn Owls are seen more than Tawny Owls as YSunninghistory 10 Vicky's Monumental Tawnys being lazy sit and wait for their prey whereas Barn Owls hunt and regularly quarter a regular area in search of their supper.

A couple of years ago before I got hooked on caching I was sat on top of Pile of Cley and watched a kestrel hovering as it searched one of the slopes. I realised that I was actually higher than the bird and able to see down onto it's wings rather than the silohette we normally see. Fantastic and very memorable.

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I saw an Ascot at the Rabbits everwhere cahe at Billing Auqadrome. I never realised how big ASCOTS ARE!

 

For those who now deem me as completely mental, I am talking about Water Otters! ascots.... get it?

There were two by the bridge. We sat and watch for quite a while, while they played in the sun. Smashing creatures Grommit!

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After finding PurplePenguin's Nettlecombe View cache, I logged this:

 

When we drove off in the car, we were blessed with the view of a buzzard taking off from the verge about 10 feet away. It flew about 15 feet in front of us for about 5 seconds or more. We had an incredible view of it, and to make things even more interesting, it was hanging on to a rabbit that it had just caught! Amazingly enough, a few moments later, 1/4 mile down the road, another buzzard did exactly the same thing, this time without the rabbit. They were unable to fly high away from the car because of the trees that grow over the road. Wonderful!

 

No pictures of the buzzards though, sorry.... I was driving (although I have taken caching photos while driving before)!

 

There is also an ace wildlife photographic assignment cache on Lundy Island off the coast of North Devon. The task is to find as many of the unusual island wildlife species as you can. When we had an event on the island last year most of us were really lucky and loads of wildlife photos were posted.

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used to live in stokenchurch and the red kites would land in the back garden to grab meat or bones ! impressive

 

the other week i was out for a walk when i came accross this:

 

 

Useful camoflage for a deer (when it's snowing!)

 

Came across this little fella a few days ago whilst looking for a cache!...

 

 

Armadillo! Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside!

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Talking of wildlife! There is a cache not far from lakes in the Cotswold Water Park. Look into the lakes in late August early September and you can get free meals! Truely! the lakes are full of Cray Fish. at £40 a kilo to by, they just sit in about 6 inches of water, sun bathing.

 

The truth is, there used to be a crayfish farm. The crayfish escaped and now have bread very well and fill most of the lakes. The August/September bit is when the water is getting to be the hottest at the deepest parts, so they come to the shallows.

 

Roving Rangies

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It must be the season for barn owls, or it's me and they're helping me cache. Last week I was at Win Green and saw one, this eveing I had just located Heavens Gate and as I lifted the ammo box out of it's hidey I happened to look up and there was a barn owl passing 50 yards from me slightly further down the slope.

Lots of pheasants about at the moment.

Relating to the armadillo I looked on a Native American site I know where they have lots of recipes for wild things, deer, bison, elk, beaver, turtle (terrapin to the UK among us), racoon, prairee dog, etc, but no armadillo recipes.

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A bit of research and although not a Native American site I managed to get this...

 

Bar-B-Q'd Armadillo

Thanks to Jason Hunter for sending this recipe.

 

~ 1 armadillo

~ bacon grease

~ 1 cup butter

~ 1/2 cup ketchup

~ 1/2 cup grated onion

~ 2 tbsp mustard

~ tabasco to taste

OR

use your favorite BBQ sauce

 

In a sauce pan, combine the butter, ketchup, onion, mustard and tabasco. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Stir occasionally.

 

Rub bacon grease into the armadillo.

 

Grill over a hot fire for 5 minutes.

 

Reduce the fire by half.

 

Baste the meat with the sauce until done. Armadillo is cooked like pork.

 

Serve and Enjoy!

 

That means we can have cray fish and armadillo BBQ now. Yummy

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