off to warriston

 

23rd April

Must've been warm as the OTs were dashing about looking for love. And this random white which I pointed the camera at, as it spun around and away without landing. I was delighted to see the result - the insect frozen while the world turned. AND, you could see the markings that confirmed a GVW not a small or a large or a female OT. What an unexpectedly vivid result. Another small flying insect materialised out of nowhere, floating, a bit like a lacewing. I held out my hand and it landed. Had a taste, decided it couldn't manage a whole one, and flew off. 

looking for handouts

blackcap

I had never even heard of these until a month ago, blackcaps, and now must be the time for them. I've seen a few posts on bird watching sites. A delicate little bird, like a chaffinch on a diet and all grey but for a black cap on the boys, a brown one on the girls. And a lovely song, delicate and meandering. Quite shy and often high up in the trees. A very welcome visitor in Warriston.

This might have been the only OT landing today. I followed it for a while and jumped when it landed on a bluebell. The rest just fluttered by looking for females. I stood at a clump of purple flowers and had to settle for a shot of the OT flitting by. I followed it along the wall of the crypts but it didn't land and sunbathe on the warm stone. Boo!

Butterfly just right of apex

shadow just right of monument on bottom row of blocks

I think all those non landing OTs were bugging me. Anyway I wasn't in the most generous mood and took a photo of this guy and his 5 dogs. Does anyone really need 5 dogs? Or perhaps it is a dog walking business? Does he really pick up after all 5? I hope so. He later met a woman also walking 5 dogs. Ten dogs between 2 people. To be fair all the dogs were behaving well which is more than most. But it doesn't help with the wildlife photography to have the cemetery overrun with dogs. (Says Mr. Grumpy 😁)

interesting spacing going on in line 3

a wasp as a token of love

this blue tit was doing up an airbnb for a festival let

battling orange tips either side of stone

I thought this might be a famous snooker player even though snooker was only invented in 1875 and this stone is from 1847. Then I saw the pillars either side were cannons!
(and you only get cannons in billiards)

GVWs

small white

sadly missed describes so many of my butterfly photo attempts

speckled wood

I have seen this bullfinch return to this hole which he is obviously trying to expand for a nest hole. Or maybe he likes mortar in his diet? It looks a bit small for a home, although that said there are blue tits squeezing in and out of a very small crevice at the left hand end of the crypts. 

No point in taking my bread home with me, might as well leave it on a flat topped monument. It didn't last long as this magpie was determined not to share any and tried to get the whole lot away in one go!