lockdown lard and local beauties

Despite the C19 horrors we have actually had quite a decent Spring. Still a few grey days about but if you are not working and can choose your moments for your daily exercise it has been quite sunny. (Albeit with a background radiation of C19 doom and gloom.) But the wildlife has been appearing. I have been enjoying the benefits of Holyrood Park and all the emerging wildlife. Trying to pick the sunniest moments and find the best of the uncrowded spots. (Top tip: avoid the Innocent Motorway.)

One of the places to check out (new to me) is Wells o'Weary. You'll have seen the ponds just off the Innocent Railway underneath Samson's Ribs. It was Ken D who pointed them out as being part of Holyrood and not the private property of the cottage next door. There is an unofficial path through to an unlocked gate onto the golf course. They seem to have great potential although apart from a crowd free pleasant wander past a couple of nesting Canada Geese, and a couple of resident butterflies, as yet have not yielded as many delights as, for instance, Bawsinch reserve nearby.

Sweetly shines the sun on auld Edinbro’ toun.
And mak’s her look young and cheerie;
Yet I maun awa’ to spend the afternoon
At the lanesome Wells o’ Wearie.

the resident Tortoiseshell


Mr Goose

Mother (to be) Goose

the resident peacock

sunbathing rodent

Here are some photos from a run with Mary round Holyrood, when we did some hills and saw some stuff...

next to student housing

up the crags

Mary, Hunters Bog

M balances a tiny bloke on her face

small white

the gorse was exploding with coconutty goodness

Ken F

happily we didn't bump into anyone else on this narrow path above Duddingston

Eóin Lto

 

No shortage of Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells in Holyrood. Mary and I found a small patch of butterbur that was heaving with them only a couple of hundred yards from Holyrood Palace. Mary has a growing enthusiasm for taking butterfly pics but has not yet started attending Butterflies Anonymous meetings. She recently was looking through some old photos from previous hard drives and found I was taking butterfly photos back in 2007 when I wouldn't have even known their names.

wee patch of joy near Holyrood Palace

macro!

 

I also had a notion to check out the parks and cemetery near Regents Road. They are well maintained with lots of flowers and trees in blossom, but probabaly not wild enough (no nettles) to accommodate more than a passing specimen. But worth a look on a sunny day. The flowering heather was providing lots of interest for STs and peacocks but there was a problem with this patch...

....it was inside this fence, chin high and not easily climbable.
I had a search round the back to see if there was an easier access point.

There was a gate round the back into the cemetery I think. I stopped short at this vision lying on the ground. Then I realised it was just a stuffed dummy. Legs superbly realistic but the upper needed a lot of work. Those sunglasses should be up on the face, and the arms need more work, and as I walked over to have a closer look I realised it was indeed a sleeping person. They had retracted their arms under their hoody and wore a mask or hat or something over their face. I was glad I hadn't walked over and kicked "it". Nice spot to sleep off a hangover. 

one way to social distance

not everyone has survived lockdown 😭

enjoying empty streets