Friday 26 March 2021

Wolf-watching or Bertie-spotting?


Something different for this week's Nature Friday post. 

Did you know that wolves are extinct in Scotland? The precise date is disputed, but the last wolf sighting was probably in the 18th Century. 

Gail tells me she has long yearned to see a wolf in the wild, and has even considered paying to go abroad on a 'wolf-watching' vacation (although I would doubt she actually has the patience to stand around for days on end with a bunch of wolf obsessives all competing over their high tech spotting scopes...)

Well, as we all know, overseas trips are off the table just at now.  But what could be a better substitute for wolf-watching than an afternoon of Bertie-spotting on the Hill of Fare*? Excellent practice for Gail, and after all who doesn't see me and say to themselves "ah yes, if I didn't know that wolves no longer inhabit Scotland, I might think I'd just encountered one...."

Perhaps you would like to join in and test your observational skills with some virtual Bertie-spotting.

We'll start with an easy one.

And frankly, if you can't see me in the photo above, you'd better get your eyes tested (and have someone else drive you to the opticians...)

Let's make it a wee bit harder.

Still too easy? Try this...

And then this...

Finally, a really challenging sequence. (You are allowed to biggify the images.)

How did you get on? Can you see my tail in that last photo? Or maybe not?

*Regular readers will recall that, by deploying Gail's 'elastic ruler' (the one that stretches five miles to seven) we can reach the Hill of Fare within Scotland's current Covid guidelines.

Finally, thank you once again to our lovely friends Jakey, Arty, Rosy and Sunny for hosting the Nature Friday blog hop. Do hop on and visit the other blogs linked below: 

18 comments:

  1. bertie spotting is a much better plan for today... we have around 500 wolves and they landed on the hunting list :O(((

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  2. This is a fun game to play!
    Yes, Bertie, my human could spot you in all the photos except the very last one, where she's not exactly sure! She can't biggify photos on her computer, so she has to rely on her own eyes. Then she used a magnifying glass for the last one, and thinks you might be between those last two trees on the right of the picture!

    Love,
    Inca xx

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  3. I would rather be Bertiespotting than wolf spotting.. and while i was spotting Bertie i saw a lot of beautiful trees and I agree, the few could possibly BE a wolf. Now I wonder if you have coyotes in Scotland. they look much like wolves only smaller and we have been chased by a coyote. I did not get a good look because we were trying to make Big Boy walk faster..

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  4. The heck with the rules. You are outdoors in nature with no one around, it certainly is a safe place. Those rules are silly. Our state has wolves but we, thankfully haven't seen one in the furs. Happy Friday!

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  5. Bertie your most fabulous WFT tail was quite visible all the way. Even to the end I saw a speck of it on the right side of the photo near the evergreens. I thoroughly enjoyed you game of I spy a WFT tail.
    As you know I think you every inch of you is extremely handsome. You are smart and devoted to any task. May I add hilarious too..this sentence made me giggle

    "And frankly, if you can't see me in the photo above, you'd better get your eyes tested (and have someone else drive you to the opticians...)"
    Hugs Cecilia

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  6. Hari OM
    Yay I could see you all the way, Bertie lad - with biggification. You blend pawfeckly with the nature of our land!!! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

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  7. Bertie, we think you may have just invented a new type of eye chart. It's more fun playing "Spot Bertie" than guessing what letters are on a particular line at the eye doctor.

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  8. How nice of you to give Gail such a fun opportunity!

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  9. I could have sworn that was a wolf we saw in the third picture!! We bet Gail found this much more enjoyable than wolf spotting would ever be!

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  10. We don't have any wolves around here in WNY. We do have a very few coyotes, though. My Joanna human used to hear them sometimes when she lived further north and closer to Lake Ontario.

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  11. We think we see you in the last one. Your white coat gives you away. Now, if you roll in the mud very well....you'd really be hard to spot! It would give Gail more practice, as well!

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  12. It really is sometimes hard to fathom that all breeds of domestic dog are descended from wolves. I have seen wolves in the wild three times in my life - an incredible privilege.

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  13. A wolf watching vacation? Ask how that worked our for Liam Neeson.

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  14. Hi friend! Ojo here! Your white fur helps in this Where's Waldo (er, Bertie) game! Except for in the last picture. There you are camouflaged, much like a wolf! We have lots of wolves here on our island. They are special Sea Wolves! I don't get to go walking on some of the Beaches because I run too far away from my people and they think a wolf might get me. Or a cougar. Hah. As if a Wolf could catch ME! (Cougars are a little more scary, I will admit that...)

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  15. Seeing you is more exciting then a wold. If Gail wants wolves, tell her, when it is safe to come see us. We haven't seen then, but have heard them and the neighbour has seen them. Hope you are well.

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  16. Bertie! You are way more fun to watch than wolves. We have a pack here and even though we have not seen one since Mom moved here an ellebenty zillion years ago, we have heard them. Thanks for playing "Where's Bertie" with us! It was FUNR! have a marvellously happy day!

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  17. I am jealous that you get to be so far away from your Gail! My mom doesn't trust me to stay close...I am a husky after all!

    Your friend Rosie

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