see some fauna

I enjoyed this goal so much I got into the habit of writting down all the exciting/interesting animals I see. I get much satisfaction from my “fauna log” :)

Some weeks ago I was sitting outside in the dark with friends and we heard this calling, totally new to me! According to them it was a tawny owl, how exciting. I went looking for a picture of it later :)

too good a fit under this goal but this entry has to do with seagulls (of which I am not a fan—see previous entry) and the nuisance they can cause. Mike Russell (Scottish Environment Minister) has made a wee joke:

There is clearly a lot of work to do but one thing is clear – we must get tough on seagulls, but also tough on the causes of seagulls.

Summit debates urban seagull woes

(I don’t know what you call this kind of reference but MR is tipping his hat to Tony Blair’s soundbite tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, and it works quite well.)

I caught the briefest glimpse of a squirrel (very possibly a red one). And today I saw a roe deer loping along the edge of a field as I sat on the bus to Hexham.

Yesterday the neighbour’s cat was playing with a dead snake in my garden.

Earlier this year in Portugal I saw a peacock showing off to loads of peahens (or female peacocks, not sure what is the correct form). First time I saw the whole peacock dance display, it was very interesting. The females are so colourful too. They were all in wildflower meadow, it was magical :)

Yesterday while cycling I saw a different bird, how exciting! It was yellowish-green and it went past flying and making some sounds. Later at home I checked my book on birds and my “british sound library” CD. I’m almost certain it was a greenfinch :)

According to a friend, the deers I saw last month were probably muntjacs.

Last week in France a saw a grey heron by a petrol station near Marquenterre + two isards when hiking in the mountains + some small lizards basking in the sun :)

never go anywhere … but next week I’ll be in Northumberland so Red Squirrels are a possibility. (I should be so lucky:)

I’m changing this goal from “see puffins in the wild” to “see some fauna” since puffins are not the only animals I’d love to see out and about. I hope never to meet a boa constrictor or a lion face to face, I’m thinking of non- frightening animals such as birds and small mammals like the marmots and isards I saw last year while hiking in the south of France.

The other day I was cycling and saw some deers. Great I feel I’m making progress with this goal already:)

want to do this somehow, somewhen.