What is this unusual sighting in Iran?
There are many absolutely fantastic photographs of leaping dolphins, hunting lions and flocks of flamingos, but this section is dedicated to those photographs that show something just a little bit different. These photos have much less to do with the technical quality of the photo than the quirkiness of the subject. Whether it is a nocturnal animal prowling around at midday, a vegetarian eating a steak or a species not usually recorded in that country, or habitat, we want to see something different.
If you have any unusual images you would like us to post, please send them to editor @ wildlifeextra.com.
Rare photo of a Pallas' cat taken on a Biosphere Expeditions trip.
Read the comments about this article and leave your own comment
Photography not too clever but have some pictures. Taken Newyears day and the 4th Jan.
Posted by: David | 12 Jan 2012 01:32:49
We have just see a large otter crossing our drive (7Pm) we are a mile or more from any rivers is this unusuall? Home is a small village in west devon,between the tamer and tavy. `Regards
Nigel
Posted by: Nigel | 19 Nov 2011 19:55:01
A few weeks ago i was lucky enough to watch a stag beetle digging in my back garden lawn, i watched it dig until it had completely disappeared!!
Today i found it dead on top of the lawn, when i looked nearby there were a further 2 dead stag beetles??
Although we have always seen them in our garden (Hillingdon, Middx) this year we have seen many more than usual and i have never found three dead ones together???
Posted by: Sue Nichols | 31 Jul 2011 12:55:56
I write from Sau Paulo where I have been staying for two weeks. This morning I stopped to watch a small flock of swifts circling and darting low over a road I was about to cross. One had a white feather..as long as it's own body, in it's beak. My first thought was it was for nesting but the bird dropped it from a height of about 6 feet and it fluttered to the ground, others kept darting low over the feather, one landed, picked it up and flew to a height of about 5-6 ft then he dropped it, this time another bird caught it in mid air but he too then dropped it to the ground. This activity was continued for many minutes much to my delight and wonder. Some tried to fly low and pick the feather up while in flight, one or two managed it, flew up a few feet but they would also drop it and so it went on. The moments when one caught it in flight, dropped it and another caught it, dropped it than yet another tried to catch it before it fluttered to the ground made it look like a birds game of 'volley feather'! it was a special few minutes! Has this kind of "play" been observed before? Some initial research on line has produced nothing similar. A passer by disrupted play and I kept the feather.
Posted by: heather cotton | 03 Jun 2011 14:33:55
Lived here in camberley,surrey, 6 years and never seen this before. Over last week have had 12 stag beetles in garden on grass. seem to be coming out of grass, very aggressive; standing with horns in air at me! 3 were got by birds(i think) and died but i have been picking up the others much to my other halfs disgust and putting them behind some trees. Did find 4 larvae at easter when we removed a stump, but we put these back. Is this normal? i don't know what else to do with them. Can anyone help?
Posted by: joanne smith | 30 May 2011 19:33:10
Saw one of these when serving in merchant navy, it was about 80 miles out of Pensacola while at anchor and was massive ,the tentacles disappearing into the blue, unfortunately it was very early morning and was gone before I could call anyone else.I believe I am the only person on the planet to have sighted one of these beasts alive although the japanese have filmed them at great depth. I reported this to David Attenenbrough who is very interested in locating these creatures.
Posted by: john marsh | 29 May 2011 09:26:08
Is it at all possible that I could have seen a pine martin on
the edge of some woods in Faraway Devon
Posted by: Monica Palmer | 08 May 2011 18:32:41
Thats no Raccoon Dog, I'm pretty sure its a Red Fox, despite apparently grey coloration.
Posted by: Steve McQueen | 29 Apr 2011 16:34:39
Approx 20 birds feeding off tree outside offices in East Northampton. My first look at these stunning birds. Sadly 2 were found dead on the car park, i believe that they had flown into car windows.
Posted by: John Hassall | 05 Mar 2011 07:24:53
it is normal to see bats flying around in the afternoon in the middle of january in the uk?
Posted by: nev cheshire | 14 Jan 2011 11:53:05
one morning on my way to work spotted huge bird on a telegraph pole on my way to work,a mile from stanstead airport.just approaching airport realised i`d forgotten my tools for work.on my way back home the bird was still there,so i pulled up opposite,crossed the road and stood directly underneath pole to see an osprey with a fish under its feet enjoying breakfast.thought this can`t be right so i hollered at the bird to make it take flight .sure enough as it flew down low level and across the field.you could not mistake the markings and splayed fingerlike feathers of the wings.i spoke to our local wildlife officer to be told they have been spotted be fore at our local lakes passing through on migration. only 60 miles from london, amazing! so you never know what you may find around the next corner...lol
Posted by: np thompson | 10 Jan 2011 19:21:46
I live in Kirkby In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (post code NG17) and I was in the garden this morning refilling the bird feeders and heard a familiar beautiful "trilling" sound - I looked up and spotted 4 Waxwings in the tree! I also saw a small flock of them around the 14th December last year (2009) on my neighbour's tv aerial - I hope they come back so that I can get a photo! They're beautiful!
Posted by: Nicki Hill | 23 Dec 2010 11:54:25
Seen about 100 waxwings in the two trees at the bottom of my garden this morning. I live in Middlesbrough in the N.E
Posted by: Paul Leonard | 19 Nov 2010 09:04:21
Was riding my bike this morning and in the Tucson foothills stopped to see what wild cat had just turned into woods slowly. It lay10-15 ft away for two minutes, time to look at it well. Guess of 20-25 lbs, healthy looking, spotted ,etc with 4" tail, ears a bit pointy but not bobcat-ish, and colorings not at all bobcat. Looked up when home and has all the markings of ocelot- strong spots of two hues ( darker with lighter ring), with cream base to coat, lighter belly, face some stripes, back of ears strong black horizontal stripes. Seemed tired or thirsty, though, laying down, and breathing through mouth. Consider ocelot mix,?? as pet, therefore healthy looking and not so afraid? Not rangy enough looking to seem rabid.
overall, smaller than ocelot, shorter tail, pointier ears, thinner legs, but otherwise total color/pattern match. of course no collar.
any chance could be mix with a domestic cat?
Posted by: Jesse Zoernig | 13 Sep 2010 04:47:50
I heard that seals are spotted regulary in the Thames, but yesterday night we saw one just in front of 'the boaters' at Canbury Gardens in Kingston upon Thames...meaning it managed to cross even the Teddington lock....was quite a surprise...
Posted by: Joern Fischer | 22 Jun 2010 09:17:43
I spotted what I beleive was a white Raven this morning whilst inspecting the rail track near Clitheroe. At first I thought it was a large dove but as I got closer it had the distinctive sharp beak of the common black raven. I did take a photo but unfortunately it was at a distance and the twigs of the tree it had settled on obscure some of the bird. It had a twig in its beak as if it were nest building. Could it possibly be a white Raven?.
Posted by: Alan Darbyshire | 18 Mar 2010 20:36:18
I have two ponds in my Indianapolis back yard and about 30 resident brown frogs. A few frog eggs must have arrived 15 years ago on the feathers and legs of visiting ducks. Since then the frogs have proliferated. Every so often in the winter a frog appears in or around the pond. Snow is still on the ground and ice lingers at its edges but the frogs still turn up. I rescue them by returning then to crevices, nooks and cranies in the rocky shoreline. Recently, I have placed a few frogs in a plastic container with rocks and water in my unheated garage so they can continue to semi-hibernate without fear of freezing. Any suggesttion how else I can help my frogs survive the winter. I know "survival of the fitist" should sooth my mind but I have long violated that by providing a wildlife habitate for birds, foxes, racoons, possums, snakes, fish, etc. The frogs provide food for racoons, snakes and herrons so I'd rather have then survive the winter to provide food for my predators. So, is keeping them cold and safe in my garage a good idea? I will be grateful for advice. Thanks, C. Gosling
Posted by: c.gosling | 03 Mar 2010 02:18:15
Until a few days ago,we have had a flock of about 12 redwing feeding on various berries in ours and neibouring gardens,in Orpington Kent.My wife impaled some fruit on a bush ,as they were reluctant to come down from trees.
Posted by: edourd | 22 Jan 2010 23:01:42
The back of our flat in Westbourne Terrace looks onto a tower office block, 20 Eastbourne Terrace (opposite Paddington station). There is a pair of Peregrine Falcons roosting on the very top girder of the block (approx 17-18 stories high and facing SW) who we first spotted a while before Christmas. With our binoculars we've been endlessly entertained as they come and go and swoop around, frequently bringing back parts of birds to munch on, and ruffling their feathers to resemble fur coats for their protection from this freezing weather.
Posted by: Sue Brymer | 10 Jan 2010 18:19:05
I have at least 6 Redwings in my garden feeding on my neighbours holly tree berries, I understand that redwings are not usualy found any further south than Scotland, I live on the South coast (Newhaven in Sussex) I have never seen them before and wondered if it has something to do with the recent NE winds and the cold weather?
Regards
Laurie
Posted by: LAURENCE DEAKIN | 07 Jan 2010 14:42:35
Is it normal for the Peacock Butterfly to be found in Sutherland
Posted by: John Murray | 13 Sep 2009 20:24:27
Interesting to see this. There are actually a lot of this kind of sightseeings in Manu Reserve, in Cusco Peru. If you have a chance to visit it, you will not regret. Some of them you can find information and lots of pictures in here: wiki.sumaqperu.com Have a nice time checking the diversity, www.sumaqperu.com/en/circuits
Posted by: | 27 Mar 2009 18:22:49