Your best 'recent' wildlife experience?

[ehonda]

I was outside on Friday working on the car and I heard a squeak to my side. I looked over and no more than 6 feet away was a sparrow hawk which had just pounced on something. It stared at me for a couple of seconds and then flew off with something small and black in it's claws.

I've never been so close or had such a good look at a wild bird of prey.

Anyone else had any fantastic wildlife encounters of late?

[ehonda]

tenex said:

Same here. I see a lot of things on a daily basis that a lot of other people would think "fantastic". My list would be a long one.
What I think is great is that the OP has observed an event and felt the need to post it on here. Wildlife is so often overlooked, especially when it is right under our noses.I think to witness a sparrowhawk at close quarters like that is just as fantastic as seeing "staged" lions on safari in more exotic clines.
Well done OP!

Top of the current list. Two red kites and a female hen harrier hunting the same bit of hill rough grazing about 100m away.Thursday last week.

That's what prompted the post, I've been fortunate enough to see amazing things on safari and in costa rica but this unexpected encounter on my own doorstep was just as special. It's easy to forget how amazing local wildlife can be.

[ehonda]

Never seen a chough, I'll have to fix that. Had a barn owl fly across my path last year in Wales. Was probably 20 feet away, still very cool though. They're fantastic birds.

[ehonda]

C3BER said:

Lucky to live in an area full of wildlife and hares, deer etc are common and can be seen everyday. But my one outstanding moment for me was sleeping next to a wild badger. If anybody wants the full story I'll post it up but in 20 years I've never forgotten how lucky I was.

Yes please! You can't leave that one unexplained.

[ehonda]

shirt said:

That looks like the squirrel equavalent to a honey badger, Scary mofo!

Bat sexy time and telling monkeys to fk off are both tickling me this morning.