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What was your most David Attenboroughesgue moment with wildlife?

  • 07-07-2017 07:51PM
    #1
    badabing106
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,573 ✭✭✭


    I was walking in nature in woodland in Wicklow. I reached a clearing, grabbed my hip flask and sat down for a rest. A herd of Wild deers walked Into clearing not 20 feet away from where I was laid. I felt like I was a camera man in a David Attenborough doc except without the camera. It was one with nature Zen like emotions overcoming me. One, two, then three of the deers noticed me, I got scared, and bounded away into the foliage


«1

Comments

  • #2
    Teddington Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 315 ✭✭Teddington Cuddlesworth


    Why did you bound away into foliage?


  • #3
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Mine was being among a family group of Capybara with none other than Sir David himself. I have known him well for over 50 years.


  • #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,219 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Swimming with dolphins, having a giraffe friend, running a peacock bathhouse, being chatted to by squirrels, and having a heron sit on my shoulder for a good 15 minutes while he shared my lunch a few months ago.


  • #5
    Will I Am Not
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,496 ✭✭✭Will I Am Not


    Found a crow and brought him to a house party. I genuinely think he loved it.


  • #6
    Ann_Landers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 292 ✭✭Ann_Landers


    In the New Forest in Hampshire a few years back, I saw one of those cartoony looking mushrooms, the ones with the bright red cap with white spots. I have never seen anything like it. It wasn't just brightly coloured, it was glowing. It was like there was a lightbulb inside it. Most amazing thing I have ever seen. I took a photo that doesn't do it justice. I was lying on the ground completely looking at it up close. Amazing.

    The photo that doesn't do it justice:
    Mushroom.jpg


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  • #7
    Samaris
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,544 ✭✭✭Samaris


    The town I grew up in was one of the regular stop-offs for travelling circuses. Every few years an elephant would escape the grounds and go strolling down the promenade and eventually get stuck on the roundabout.

    Given car vs elephant isn't going to end well for the car, it was a case of just sitting there and waiting for the safari to pass.


  • #8
    RayM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,973 ✭✭✭RayM


    Hand-feeding a Kellogg's cereal bar to a grey squirrel in the car park beside the engineering building in UCD.


  • #9
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Standing among a vast flock of penguins in Antarctica and they just looked at us with disinterested disdain.


  • #10
    buried
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,980 ✭✭✭buried


    Was walking on a local boreen a few years ago around this time of year and this huge white owl swooped down right in front of my face as if she was on the attack. It frightened the p!ss out of me and it was brilliant. It looked huge. She was totally silent too. You can see where tales of ghosts and apparitions can come from if you witnessed this kind of scene after a good few pints or whatever you're having yourself. I hear the young at night screeching for food around my house sometimes. Fantastic creatures.

    Bullet The Blue Shirts



  • #11
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    No sheep stories from our Weshtern brethren please!


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  • #12
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    I accidentally kicked a seal last year - not sure if that counts, I can't imagine Attenborough doing that.

    I go for swims in a bay very near my house, and other people swimming there had told me that sometimes a seal comes over and just watches people swimming.
    So that day I was pretty far out (about 250m from shore) and had just turned to swim back when my foot made contact with something hard and smooth. I thought at first it might be one of those fellows in the wetsuits, as they're always so concentrated on their workout, they never look where they're going. Turned around, and the there was the seal staring at me, not a meter away.
    I was rather shocked and apologied profusely (I know, but come on, what would you do?), the seal just huffed, dived and buggered off.

    It was only when I was swimming back and ran what had happened through my head again that I realised that for me to kick him where I did, he must have been following me. There was just no other reason or explanation why he'd be this close. So in a way the little stalker got what he deserved.

    I saw him again a few times in the weeks following that, he gave me quite a fright at one point when he leapt out of the water some 5 meters away from me. And people would tell me when I came out of the water that they had seen him following me while I was out, so I started calling him the panto seal ("He's behind you!!!").
    But I haven't seen him since February now, I think he must have gone off me. Or found a new hobby.


  • #13
    Beechwoodspark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,295 ✭✭✭✭Beechwoodspark


    Had a few jars with a dingo one night. He was on the fosters. Good aul craic.


  • #14
    Daisy78
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,062 ✭✭✭Daisy78


    Two years ago in Costa Rica, a female sloth, curious as to what we were doing climbed down the tree to get a better look. She was fascinated by our camera, we in turn were a bit awestruck by her.

    On the same day at the beach we had a job to keep the racoons at bay, who were waiting for our backs to be turned so they could have a nose about in our bag for food:) Spent the entire time shooing them away in case they took something.


  • #15
    Tom Mann Centuria
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,591 ✭✭✭✭Tom Mann Centuria


    Few days into our holiday we were hiking on a mountain trail in East Tennessee, got to a waterfall, along comes a black bear no more than 10 metres away. Awesome and bit scary at the same time. Have also seen a Ground Hog, humming birds, tree frogs, Katydids, wild deer, wild Turkeys and good old squirrels. Lot of other different birds too, it's been fantastic.

    Oh,and Rednecks, have seen a whole load of Rednecks.

    Oh well, give me an easy life and a peaceful death.



  • #16
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,787 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    I spent some time studying the mating habits of the orange faced howler bird native to Dublin. Magnificent beasts.


  • #17
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    ScumLord wrote: »
    I spent some time studying the mating habits of the orange faced howler bird native to Dublin. Magnificent beasts.

    Their mating ritual seems intriguing.


  • #18
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,787 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Ipso wrote: »
    Their mating ritual seems intriguing.
    You can find my dissertation on the subject here.


  • #19
    Daisy78
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,062 ✭✭✭Daisy78


    Shenshen wrote: »
    I accidentally kicked a seal last year - not sure if that counts, I can't imagine Attenborough doing that.

    I go for swims in a bay very near my house, and other people swimming there had told me that sometimes a seal comes over and just watches people swimming.
    So that day I was pretty far out (about 250m from shore) and had just turned to swim back when my foot made contact with something hard and smooth. I thought at first it might be one of those fellows in the wetsuits, as they're always so concentrated on their workout, they never look where they're going. Turned around, and the there was the seal staring at me, not a meter away.
    I was rather shocked and apologied profusely (I know, but come on, what would you do?), the seal just huffed, dived and buggered off.

    It was only when I was swimming back and ran what had happened through my head again that I realised that for me to kick him where I did, he must have been following me. There was just no other reason or explanation why he'd be this close. So in a way the little stalker got what he deserved.

    I saw him again a few times in the weeks following that, he gave me quite a fright at one point when he leapt out of the water some 5 meters away from me. And people would tell me when I came out of the water that they had seen him following me while I was out, so I started calling him the panto seal ("He's behind you!!!").
    But I haven't seen him since February now, I think he must have gone off me. Or found a new hobby.

    Awww but what a cute stalker to have!!


  • #20
    Gloomtastic!
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 9,880 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    Fishing by a lake in Cavan as a kid, the sun was setting and an otter popped out of the water about 5 feet away and walked right up to me, sniffed my foot and walked back into the water. Magical. :)


  • #21
    Bushmanpm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 191 ✭✭Bushmanpm


    On a lake in Mexico, the guy in charge of this small boat is pointing out flamingos and other birds then directs the boat to some mango type bushes and starts patting at the water. His English wasn't good and our Spanish was even worse and we just thought "yawn, another bird" when fcuks me a pair of eyes on a big fcuking nose started gliding through the water straight at us. Never did find out if it was a croc or a gator but I was fcuking impressed!


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  • #22
    mzungu
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,311 Mod ✭✭✭✭mzungu


    Having elephants grazing right outside my tent. Was really great to be up close and personal. I was able to watch them doing their thing from the porch in the tent. On other occasions, being right next to massive Nile crocodiles was also a highlight.


  • #23
    castletownman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,259 ✭✭✭✭castletownman


    On Saltee Island last year among thousands of various sea birds from puffins to gannets. It was mating season and as we were hiking across a kind of rocky outcrop, I must have disturbed a nesting gannet, as it emerged from it's nest wings outstretched squaking about two feet away from me. Nearly broke my neck in the scramble away.

    Got aerial bombarded by seagull **** too as they encircled me when they felt I was too close to their young.

    And someone mentioned seeing a bear up close. I am member of that club too. We were travelling through the Yukon and spotted one fishing for salmon in that stereotypical 'bear' way. We even got out of the car to get a proper look. Foolish in hindsight :D

    It's amazing looking at wildlife going about their everyday business though.


  • #24
    Shenshen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,453 ✭✭✭Shenshen


    Daisy78 wrote: »
    Awww but what a cute stalker to have!!

    Well, yes, and I am a bit proud of it, it's not something everybody can put on their CV, but have you ever seen what teeth they've got? I mean he was never threatening or anything, but I was still very wary...


  • #25
    mosi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 620 ✭✭✭mosi


    I saw a cheetah catch an impala in Kenya a few years ago. She had a cub with her too. The following day we passed the same spot and mum and cub were still there, but a lioness had shown up on the scene. The cheetah seemed to be trying to draw the lioness away from the cub. It was bloody heartstopping, and totally felt like being in an Attenborough documentary.

    Trekking to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is another one. On my first trek, one of the gorillas in the group I visited was one of the same ones that Attenborough filmed.


  • #26
    bmwguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,992 ✭✭✭bmwguy


    On safari in South Africa we were driving around with a private guide having a right few beers. Did daytime safari then a night time one. As we were out in the wilderness we were getting off the open back jeep to relieve ourselves. At night the guide waited until we were in what he thought a clear area and we got off to pee. He then started shouting for us to get back in the jeep quickly. When back up he shone his torch over towards some bushes about 30m away and we could see the silhouettes and glowimg eyes of some lionesses moving towards us. Surreal.
    A great white shark hitting our cage accidentally at quite a bit of speed was a bit hairy too.


  • #27
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Bushmanpm wrote: »
    Never did find out if it was a croc or a gator

    American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

    In Spanish it's Cocodrilo


  • #28
    Burial.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,131 ✭✭✭Burial.


    Fed a stray puppy some kebab meat on the walk home from town after a night out. I knew twas love at first bite. Dog ended up sleeping in the kitchen in a makeshift bed I made of throw pillows and an empty food box you'd get in Lidl to carry your shopping out in. C*nt p*ssed everywhere but ended up keeping him after nobody claimed him from ads I put up :)


  • #29
    buried
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,980 ✭✭✭buried


    Burial. wrote: »
    Fed a stray puppy some kebab meat on the walk home from town after a night out. I knew twas love at first bite. Dog ended up sleeping in the kitchen in a makeshift bed I made of throw pillows and an empty food box you'd get in Lidl to carry your shopping out in. C*nt p*ssed everywhere but ended up keeping him after nobody claimed him from ads I put up :)

    ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooyeaaah :)

    Bullet The Blue Shirts



  • #30
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    Possibly 5000 or less left in the world and I got close enough to do this. Also got to hand feed one of them but the photo got deleted by mistake.

    Snow_Leopard.jpg


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  • #31
    Burial.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,131 ✭✭✭Burial.


    buried wrote: »
    ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooyeaaah :)

    Ha! Jees been a while since I heard that tune...goosebumps every time.


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