They get up to about 4' 6" span, the one I saw was probably just under 4'
Things you don't see every day
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AFFF
Established Member
A few years ago I was taking an early morning bike ride around the country lanes where I live. A misty morning with the sun just starting to burn off the mist and dew. Sat on the post of a fence ahead of me was a barn owl, it looked at me and tracked my movements by swivelling its head as I passed. The most magnificent beautiful wild animal I've ever seen!
Agree with all the comments about NZ. God's own country with magnificent scenery and wildlife. Kia parrots are my favourite. Remember sitting in a car park near Queenstown watching one of these "entertaining" tourists (hassling for food) I'm sure it must have been on the tourist board payroll!
Agree with all the comments about NZ. God's own country with magnificent scenery and wildlife. Kia parrots are my favourite. Remember sitting in a car park near Queenstown watching one of these "entertaining" tourists (hassling for food) I'm sure it must have been on the tourist board payroll!
AFFF
Established Member
It was raining .... In New Zealand .... does that happen!
treeturner123
Established Member
A few years back I was trolling down the M40 on the slope down towards the High Wycombe turn (J3); cruising on the inside lane when I noticed a road kill in the emergency lane just ahead. I'd only just seen it when there was a rush to my left and I was overtaken by a Red Kite stooping into a pick-up. Successfully of course. I love driving that bit of the M5 from just South of Oxford. You rarely fail to see a few of these magnificent birds.
They were introduced along the ridge near Stokenchurch in the early 1990s I think and have now spread over to the west as far a where we live just below the Cotswold escarpment near Tewkesbury.
They were introduced along the ridge near Stokenchurch in the early 1990s I think and have now spread over to the west as far a where we live just below the Cotswold escarpment near Tewkesbury.
1steven
Claremorris Ireland
They are trapped where I live.
selectortone
Still waking up not dead in the morning
Many years ago, back in the early 70s when I was in my early 20s, I was hitch-hiking on the road between Shaftesbury and Salisbury. It was a hot summers day, there was hardly any traffic, and I was way out in the country, walking along with just the birdsong for company, when I saw a small shiny black object on the hot tarmac in front of me.
As I got closer I saw it was a mole. There was a raised bank along the side of the road and I guess it must have tunneled out of it and fallen down the bank into the road. It was lying quite still and obviously disoriented. I picked it up and walked to the hedge that was about six feet back from the road and placed it under a bush in the shade. After a couple of minutes it stirred, started digging and was soon out of sight.
What I remember most about that strange beautiful little creature was its soft, jet black, shiny fur and the two bright yellow front claws it used for digging. I was really happy to have saved it - it made my day.
As I got closer I saw it was a mole. There was a raised bank along the side of the road and I guess it must have tunneled out of it and fallen down the bank into the road. It was lying quite still and obviously disoriented. I picked it up and walked to the hedge that was about six feet back from the road and placed it under a bush in the shade. After a couple of minutes it stirred, started digging and was soon out of sight.
What I remember most about that strange beautiful little creature was its soft, jet black, shiny fur and the two bright yellow front claws it used for digging. I was really happy to have saved it - it made my day.
That's interesting. Why is that? For their fur or are they just regarded as a pest?
1steven
Claremorris Ireland
They are regarded as a pest eating ground laying bird eggs
DrPhill
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Distinterior
Established Member
Back in 1999, the wife and I were on a holiday in Hisaronu,Turkey. I had hired an Enduro type bike for the duration of our stay and on this particular day we were off exploring the countryside and ancient sites away from the crowds....
In the middle of nowhere, miles away from any towns or villages, I rounded a corner and had to come to a rather abrupt halt.....The wife wondered what the hell had caused me to pull up so quick...! I pointed to 4 objects slowly moving in the middle of this quiet road about 30 feet in front of us.....A mother Tortoise and her 3 young....."Mum" was a good size, about the size of a Basketball and we must have sat there for quite some time waiting for them to cross safely but even 22 years later, I can still picture that scene as you dont often get to see a family of Tortoises "in the wild"....
In the middle of nowhere, miles away from any towns or villages, I rounded a corner and had to come to a rather abrupt halt.....The wife wondered what the hell had caused me to pull up so quick...! I pointed to 4 objects slowly moving in the middle of this quiet road about 30 feet in front of us.....A mother Tortoise and her 3 young....."Mum" was a good size, about the size of a Basketball and we must have sat there for quite some time waiting for them to cross safely but even 22 years later, I can still picture that scene as you dont often get to see a family of Tortoises "in the wild"....
MARK.B.
Established Member
Woody2Shoes
Impressive Member
Hice mice....
I knew this guy was about, as he(?) had lolloped across the garden a couple of months before, but then he appeared one evening helping himself from the (red) squirrel feeder. A few weeks later, his pal was there too! Haven't seen them for a while, and the squirrels are once more getting their fair share!
Lard
Established Member
Driving home from work some years ago I reached a roundabout on the dual carriageway just outside of Pontypool. As I nonchalantly exited it, I happened to glance out of my driver’s side window expecting to take in the view of the large open green fields running away into the distance on the other side of the dual......I did..... but then, at the last moment as I turned back, my brain did not immediately take in what my eyes had already spotted. Right at the base of my viewpoint there were two large animals apparently grazing happily in the field.....I vividly remember saying out loud to myself as I accelerated away from the roundabout “f*ck me!”.......it turns out the local farmer had allowed a travelling circus to temporarily let some of its animals the use of the field.......It was a bl**dy zebra and an elephant.
You had to be there....makes me laugh whenever I think about it
You had to be there....makes me laugh whenever I think about it
Cabinetman
Established Member
Mid morning on a country road near here partially wooded farmland, I had to break hard as a large deer crossed the road in front of me, set off again , then stopped to watch the other 18 cross the road behind me.
Jfyi, A fair few people have been killed as when you hit a deer in the side it is propelled backbone first through the windscreen, so if you have the presence of mind, -duck!
Jfyi, A fair few people have been killed as when you hit a deer in the side it is propelled backbone first through the windscreen, so if you have the presence of mind, -duck!
Cabinetman
Established Member
Nearby on the coast we had a zoo which fell on very hard times and replaced some of the animals with life-size plastic ones – I know you couldn’t make it up, when they went bust a local bought a full-size rhinoceros and sited it in his front garden overlooking a main road, with it’s head over the hedge sticking out towards the road, it was most alarming at first. IanDriving home from work some years ago I reached a roundabout on the dual carriageway just outside of Pontypool. As I nonchalantly exited it, I happened to glance out of my driver’s side window expecting to take in the view of the large open green fields running away into the distance on the other side of the dual......I did..... but then, at the last moment as I turned back, my brain did not immediately take in what my eyes had already spotted. Right at the base of my viewpoint there were two large animals apparently grazing happily in the field.....I vividly remember saying out loud to myself as I accelerated away from the roundabout “f*ck me!”.......it turns out the local farmer had allowed a travelling circus to temporarily let some of its animals the use of the field.......It was a bl**dy zebra and an elephant.
You had to be there....makes me laugh whenever I think about it
It has been surmised that if you place a piece of buttered toast on the cats back, butter side down, the cat will hover midair spinning constantly.
swisstony
Established Member
You are correct on their introduction at Stokenchurch and now luckily they flourish. I happen to be very fortunate to live near West Wycombe (so just down the road) and when I say they are local to our garden, I mean REALLY local . They soar above our house , our garden and the field behind us all day long and it is fantastic spectacle to watch . I must admit I have on the odd occasion shot rats in our garden (bloody vermin) and left the rat out on the shed roof. Lets just say they don't stay there for long
