Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Username: Password:

Follow NI-Wild

Pages: 1 [2]

Author Topic: Rare strange beasties  (Read 12468 times)

Paul72

  • Has Camped With NI-Wild
  • Sr. Poster
  • ****
  • Karma: 1
  • Posts: 296
Re: Rare strange beasties
« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2011 »
Quote from: sjh1 on July 21, 2011
Apart from possibly an individual escaped animal there is absolutely no way a population of wild big cats could survive in NI. There's nowhere near enough habitat or prey and there's too many people.

So what are those bleating animals in wooly coats I always see in the Mournes?  They'd look tasty to a big cat!  :D

I often used to see hares on the slopes of Binnian but haven't seen any in a while.
Logged
"Oh my word, I'm far too old " RedLeader

sjh1

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 7
  • Posts: 234
Re: Rare strange beasties
« Reply #16 on: July 23, 2011 »
OK wild prey. Anything killing a sheep would be killed itself not long after!
Logged
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

... from 'Inversnaid' by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

chunk

  • Newbie Poster
  • *
  • Karma: 1
  • Posts: 24
Re: Rare strange beasties
« Reply #17 on: July 24, 2011 »
Quote from: sjh1 on July 23, 2011
OK wild prey. Anything killing a sheep would be killed itself not long after!

Obviously you have no idea of the numbers of wild deer that this country holds, we have red, sika, fallow and apparently muntjac deer. i've seen mega groups of sika and fallow in few areas in countys derry, armagh and fermanagh. groups of 30-60.
Is that enough to feed them? all wild populations, so hard for anyone to keep track of numbers.
I don't think we have a population of big wild cats, but it is possible that we have 1 or 2 escapees or dumped.

strangest thing i've ever seen in the wild was a totally bald mangey fox. looked a right freak.
seen red kites, buzzards, few owls, otter, eels, squirrels of red and grey, red and white badger, wild rabbits in various colours, seals, but the weirdest was a huge frog/toad
Logged

sjh1

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 7
  • Posts: 234
Re: Rare strange beasties
« Reply #18 on: July 25, 2011 »
There's about 2,500 deer in NI according to this guy http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/letters/mass-slaughter-of-deer-no-way-to-protect-trees-14640679.html.

I still suspect that there just wouldn't be enough space or prey to support large land predators. Sadly the majority of NI is a green desert of overly-fertilised silage fields. There's more wildlife in town parks than in a lot of our countryside.

That being said, wildlife is still hanging in there. Birds of prey are always impressive, I've seen kestrel, buzzard, sparrowhawk, merlin, hen harrier, peregrine, osprey, red kite (reintroduced birds) and white-tailed eagle (reintroduced bird from Co, Kerry) in NI.

Although not always popular, corvids and gulls are also favourites of mine.
Logged
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

... from 'Inversnaid' by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

sjh1

  • Top Poster
  • ***
  • Karma: 7
  • Posts: 234
Re: Rare strange beasties
« Reply #19 on: August 01, 2011 »
On Saturday between ten and twenty ravens were performing aerobatics around the cliffs south of the summit of Slieve Muck. I suspect most were young birds i.e. this years young. Saw one do a full 360 degree roll which is always class.
Logged
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.

... from 'Inversnaid' by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Pages: 1 [2]
« previous next »
 

Bottom Sponsor

Recent Topics

A comment of appreciation by Rugged Track [November 04, 2024]
Lough Shannagh by Scribble [March 22, 2023]
Where has everyone gone? by Glenn B [March 02, 2023]
Hello 👋🏻 by RedLeader [March 13, 2022]
Overnighter on 21st August by Wolf_Larson [November 02, 2021]
crabbing by Glenn B [July 19, 2021]
Slieive Binnian Hike by Rugged Track [November 06, 2020]
Silent Valley by Binnianboy [June 28, 2020]
Is it safe... by Rugged Track [June 02, 2020]
You've got a mention... by NorthernSky [December 12, 2019]
Hen Mountain Wild Camp by Rugged Track [November 28, 2019]
Happy Valley by Binnianboy [September 30, 2019]