southside swells

6th Feb. I didn't have much time for a longer circuit so caught a bus to the South side. I was waiting for a Morningside one to take me to the Hermitage but when one came along for Newington Rd I jumped on it, then got off around Mayfield. This gave me a mile warm up before I turned right, into Blackford Glen Rd and into the Hermitage from the Liberton end. I checked the Braid Burn for dippers.

There is a pair fish the water near the Howe Dean Bridge but they are a lot more nervous about humans than the dippers next to the path upstream. I only got a couple of distant pics before this one flew off. I had hoped the Japanese Butterbur would be showing more signs of flowers; attracting early season butterflies. They were not only in the shade, but also still pretty much in (under) the ground. My optimism for early butterflies was again misplaced. I resigned myself to taking pics of birds, and if there were none here, I'd pop over to Blackford Pond and see the duck-rats!

This wren was tiny and didn't look fully finished.
It almost defied the camera by merging into the background.

More friendly dippers upstream, but their part of the river is shaded by trees

and the light is a bit gloomy for decent pics. Nice to see them bopping about.

OK! Nice weather for running about the hill, but no sign of tree-creepers or woodpeckers. I went down to the pond to see if the rats were about. Nobody had been spilling their seed about the pond perimeter as last time and I was actually disappointed that there were no rats to be seen. I released small crusts of bread at a very controlled rate. If you threw large handfuls the black-headed gulls swarmed into the area squawking and bickering. And I was feeling too peaceful for all that noise and bullying. I tossed morsels to the tufted ducks and moorhens trying not to draw attention from the gull gang. It was partially successful and for a change the moorhen pics were among the highlights, their big yellow flippers visible beneath the water.

Then I saw some scurrying movement in the grasses next to the pond. There were one or 2 rats in the weeds. They had seen me and were waiting for a break, to make a dash to better cover. I retreated slightly but as soon cover was broken I started video-ing getting pretty decent footage of a handsome chap doing a very decent 10 yard dash before disappearing under a some roots. Below is a still from the clip. I left as the sun was setting on the pond, taking dozens of pics that were nearly but not quite up to scratch. It was a nice end of day scene but by the time I started running again I was stiff as a board, having stood around in damp kit. I ran through the Grange then over to Holyrood and home.

8 miles