Wildlife and nature you've seen on the bank

Another Dave · Sep 27, 2017

About a week ago I was doing a bit of fishing in my favourite swim. I was just getting in the Zen zone, had the polaroids on and noticed this eel swimming to my bank. Realised i wasn't looking through the water and was in fact seeing long thin grass snake making a very relaxed crossing.

That's my best nature moment this year, what about you, reader?

robcourt82 · Sep 27, 2017

I spent a few mornings fishing the warks Avon last week, the fishing was tough but I saw loads of kingfishers. At one point one flew along the river drew up to barely a hover and actually landed on my pole! I was gobsmacked! I've been fishing 30 odd years and have only ever had one land on a rod once before and that was when I carp fishing and laying under a brolly.
The same day I was driving through the village and there was a stoat in the road.... I felt like Dr Doolittle!

Ray Roberts · Sep 27, 2017

Last year I nightfished a very large reservoir, i was the only angler on the water. At first light an Osprey flew out of the mist and into the bay i was fishing. Within minutes this was followed by what I think was a tawney owl and then a barn owl. A little later I saw a kingfisher, grebe, cormorant and Heron. It was like a parade of predatory birds.

Funny thing was that with all the fish eating birds the roach fishing was excellent.

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puffer_ · Sep 27, 2017

I often see a Kingfisher at my favourite spot on the canal. Always nice to see.

steve2 · Sep 27, 2017

Animals and birds seem to accept anglers on the bank. I have seen more birds and animals than many bird watchers/animal watchers ever will see. Everything from shrews to ospreys.

robtherake · Sep 27, 2017

Once saw a water rail, which walked through the curtain of stair-rods rain encircling my brolly and casually walked past my feet and out of the other side without registering my presence, apparently unafraid. Strange behaviour for such a shy bird.

My favourite bankside buddies are hedgehogs. At one lake in particular they emerge just before dark to amble round the waterside, picking up pieces of discarded bait and we meet as I pack up, or during the walk back. I've crouched next to a couple of animals which were protectively rolled-up - after a few minutes they cautiously unroll and amble on, sniffing the air, their rolling gait comical to behold at close quarters. Lovely animals.

no-one in particular · Sep 27, 2017

robcourt82 said:
I spent a few mornings fishing the warks Avon last week, the fishing was tough but I saw loads of kingfishers. At one point one flew along the river drew up to barely a hover and actually landed on my pole! I was gobsmacked! I've been fishing 30 odd years and have only ever had one land on a rod once before and that was when I carp fishing and laying under a brolly.
The same day I was driving through the village and there was a stoat in the road.... I felt like Dr Doolittle!

I had that happen only once as well Rob, rod stuck out from some reeds and it started to bounce about, looked up and there it was, so nice to see one that close up, made me think pictures and paintings of them never really do their colors justice.
Grass snakes like water Dave, quite often see them swimming.
Always plenty of wildlife fishing, its the sitting still that does it but Kingfishers often work out where you are, I watch them fly up the river and then divert behind me 50 yards away and rejoin the river 50 yards down except that occasion when I was well hidden behind reeds.
Plenty of memorable moments, Short Eared owls hunting as I was packing up in the twilight was one I don't forget, first and last time I have seen them and something about the time of day. Hobbys hunting 20 yards from me on a canal once was mesmerizing. These things stay in the mind forever for me.
Love those little things that can happen, always makes the day a bit special, catch or not. Sort of feel privileged to be alive before some birdbrain blows it all up.

fishingtv · Sep 27, 2017

I was salmon fishing on the Spey this summer and one evening as we were having a drink in the hut we were treated to ringside seats for the most almighty barney between a couple of otters on the far bank.

Our analysis was that it was two siblings fighting over who would stay and who would go, since a third, slightly larger otter observed the whole fracas and never once intervened or got involved in any way. The sound was quite remarkable, as was the apparent ferocity with which the two animals went at each other - a rolling, roiling, tumbling ball of squealing fur. I swear at one point one was trying to drown the other.

Quite astonishing to witness.

tigger · Sep 27, 2017

I had a cormorant land in a dead tree no more than 20 yards away from me yesterday. It was a juvenile with a white belly....stunning looking bird!
It sat there watching me like a hand reared parrot until I left lol.

sam vimes · Sep 27, 2017

I rarely make any comment about birds and wildlife that many think exceptional. I see so much on a fairly routine basis that it's easy to be blasé.
Otters, mink, kingfishers, little egrets, buzzards, red kites, various owls, deer (mainly roe), woodpeckers (green and greater spotted) etc etc I see very regularly. Some of them I see almost every trip out.

I suspect that the most unusual things I've seen, when fishing locally, is an osprey searching up and down a stretch of river. A grey squirrel swimming across a reasonably wide bit of river was memorable. A bit further afield, I was rather pleased to go fishing in a place where red squirrels are a common sight and red deer crashing about, and generally being noisy, from any time between dusk and dawn.

thecrow · Sep 27, 2017

Lots of wildlife seen over the years including one very unwelcome one............ a snake in my bivvie

I am terrified of them.

barbelboi · Sep 27, 2017

Pretty much the same as Sam - here in the sticks on mainly unfished stretches of rivers, streams and woodland ponds I pretty much take the wildlife for granted. Only one Osprey spotted to date though - probably a tad too far south here................

rubio · Sep 27, 2017

Tis indeed a privelege to be amongst such beauty.

smudger172 · Sep 27, 2017

i have seen lots of wildlife over the years. mink on the severn, barn owls on the local canal, used to fly past just on dark most visits. otters on the broads. even saw an osprey fly over grafham a month ago. but one sticks in my memory. fishing in france i had just had a fish about 3 in the morning on a windless lake, made a cup of tea and was sat sideways on the bed in the bivvy when a coypu stuck its head around the side, not sure who jumped the highest......

john step · Sep 27, 2017

Like others here I see those things mentioned. The Osprey is an annual visitor before travelling down to Africa for the winter.

Two occurrences stick in my memory.
1. Whilst wading and trotting at Molsely on the Thames some years ago a grebe followed a dace in under water as I wound it in and tried to snatch it as I lifted it clear.

2. On the Wallers Haven Sussex I was again in waders standing in the edge. Two juvenile otters started to romp and play fight each other amongst my tackle behind me on the bank.
Concerned they might scent my sarnies I poked at them with the landing net to which they took absolutely no notice.

I suppose being thigh deep in water it didn't register I was human( no comment please) as when another angler walked along the bank they scarpered pretty quickly.

maggot_dangler · Sep 27, 2017

The Kingfishers .

They show up bingo thats my fishing out the window cant help but stop and watch them beautiful little birds .

PG ...

The Runner · Sep 27, 2017

As above with Sam, Barbelboi etc.
When I first moved down here 1980ish I never thought that one day I would get blasé about seeing Red Kites and Buzzards overhead when fishing in the Home Counties. Even get the kites regularly over my house here in Uxbridge now. Often have an egret or two on the river in Uxbridge as well
Remember one day on the Cherwell in autumn over 30 years ago now when saw an Osprey overhead following the line of the river on migration and an hour later could barely believe it when a kite showed up- it must have been part of the very first reintroduction which had had little publicity , or at any rate I hadn't heard of it.
Rarest thing I've seen in England was when fishing one winter on the little R Whitewater near the Duke of Wellington country Park. Was watching a couple of deer on the far side when noticed a bird in a bare tree about 50 yards away. Initially just thought it was a Mistle Thrush doing its usual of sitting on a high branch but something about its posture was wrong. Eventually got a better view- Great Grey Shrike, the only one I've ever seen.

Only ever seen one otter and that was in Northumberland when I was 8 or 9.
Had a family of young mink on the Thames at Pink Hill having a great game of climbing up my keepnet (about a 4ft straight drop to the water) and throwing themselves off again. Fed them some lobworms as a reward.

Pete Shears · Sep 27, 2017

Ospreys,kingfishers,green woodpeckers,great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches, goldcrests, bullfinches,muntjac,stoats and on Tuesday at the reservoir,a white heron towering over the white egrets until another ordinary coloured heron chased it away.

108831 · Sep 27, 2017

As others,kingfishers(4 times on my rod,a blackbird once landed on my float rod tip),grebes,greater crested,dabchick and once a slavonian,barn owls,tawnies,had a little owl sit above my head,literally,kites,buzzards,kestrels,sparrowhawk's,hobbys,a few perigrines and once I had a goshawk chasing a rat through the shrubbery on the far bank,amazing,ive seen quite a few water rails,in fact I unfortunately caught one once,otters,deer,foxes,water voles,bank voles,shrews,bats,grass snakes,adders,woodpeckers,all these things make catching fish an aside,I feel blessed to be there with them all...
PS,I once had a spell on a very large local lake where a skua came every evening through on winter to hunt roosting black headed gulls(750,000 of them),the same water had an Australian black swan on for a year which found me wherever I sat and helped me get rid of my ground bait.

iain t · Sep 27, 2017

Whilst living in France many years ago i was fishing in a stunning private area. With snow tipped mountains on 3 sides of me with the river Gin clear running to the right of me. I had Vultures flying over my head, the air smelt really sweet with only the gentlest of a breeze. As it turned to dusk the mist started to cover the floor i decided it was time to pack up. You couldn't find anywhere more idyllic. As i stood up i heard some funny rustling to my left. I totally pooed myself. It was a family of wild Boar. What i could work out were a mother and 3 little ones following. After i reposed myself i sat watching them way into the dark, with the little one playing no more than 30 yards away. I've been back a good few times since and the family seem to use the area as a roadway.
I've been very lucky in my lifetime thanks to the wife who likes to go off trail and her family connections as I've fished all over the world. Whilst fishing I've seen Bold Eagles, wild Boar, Different types of Vultures, Wolves, Bears, Elk, Moose, Monkeys and not forgetting red Squirrels and am sure we saw a bigfoot in the Appalachian Mountains.

Wildlife and nature you've seen on the bank

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