best part of the day: a question of free will

02-04-25 We had to be in town, at a lawyer's office at the crack of 10am. The forecast was really good and there was a feeling we'd be wasting a perfectly good butterfly day if we didn't somehow make use of it other than just doing lawyer business. So we carried cameras to the lawyer's office and walked towards the nearest decent habitat afterwards. Not the furniture shop, but Holyrood Park.

What was I doing at the lawyer's office, I hear you enquire? Preparing a statement before a court appearance? Being served with a Cease and Desist order? A restraining order? No! Mary and I were setting up a free will. You'd think, like free lunches, there was no such thing as a free will. However the costs are absorbed by several charities who have an agreement with lawyers that they will cover the cost of simple wills while hoping that one of the charities might receive a small remuneration in said will. There is nothing to oblige you to name any charity in your will and you can also give the charity something or nothing at the point of service or at any time, if you so wish. You have to be over 55 and there are only two months every year when it operates, March and October. To my mild surprise and largely due to Mary driving this forward, we seem to have sorted out a simple will for ourselves using a lively and helpful lawyer who saw us for possibly less than half an hour in total over 2 occasions. Visit 1: draw up the conditions. Visit 2: sign the papers.

If either of us die in dubious circumstances in the very near future then the finger of suspicion may well be pointed at the other. The decision to get a will was partly that in the toss up between a will or a wedding (to cement us officially as a couple; you hear tales of great misfortune as a result of people not having their house/paperwork in order), a will was cheaper. And involved less patriarchy, hypocrisy, silly dressing up and chair covers. If chair covers is a meaningless phrase to you, thank your lucky stars and clearly you have not organised a wedding recently. We haven't yet donated to any of the charities involved, but you never know, it could still happen. We may yet get around to getting married but since things have been going well so far without involving that meaningless red tape, we may not bother. It seemed apt that we were doing this paperwork one day and thirty years after getting together. No point in rushing into things.

The lawyers were based in Newington so we walked to the Pollock Halls entrance of Holyrood, heading towards the Innocent Railway, where there were rumours of orange-tips. We got distracted by a small tort near Samsons Ribs, then a peacock, and Mary noticed an orange-tip. Just then Richard turned up on his ebike and we pointed out the OT which had unusually settled to let us take photos. We approached with quite a lot of caution and got some shots. I think it might have departed before Richard got a shot, perhaps disturbed by his hi-vis outfit. However it appeared to be doing circuits and R got another more successful shot on a subsequent visit. He also got a terrific shot of that one or another with handsome gorse background that made the cover of ESB on facebook later in the day.

Unfortunately it arrived with the dreaful news that while he was in conversation with his aquaintance along the road near Bawsinch he had left his ebike unattended in the builder's yard (behind a gate) and when he returned moments later it had been nicked. Likely by the passing band of wee neds they had seen. Despite a frantic drive round the area no sign of neds or bike was had, and that was that. It was a horribly sobering reminder that in town you have to be constantly vigilant, especially about objects of value and ones that have a resale value in the ned community. It was a sickening experience that left us all feeling traumatised. Since it wasn't locked there was no chance of making an insurance claim.

The small area (just West of Samson's Ribs, before the barriers) seemed to be a goldmine for wildlife. I was beginning to regret the camera choice I'd made: I had taken my bridge camera feeling it was inappropriate to carry my larger good camera to the lawyers, that somehow that wasn't taking the serious business of making a will, seriously enough. The bridge camera is good but the G9 is much better and here we were finding all sorts of high tariff critters. Richard packed up to cycle off towards Bawsinch just as I noticed the birds that flew up into the trees beside us were a pair of sparrowhawks. Richard unpacked his camera again.

Richard taking photos of sparrowhawks

speckled wood

sparrowhawk in tree beside us

sparrowhawk soaring high above

We said our goodbyes to Richard and went up the to the high road with the intention of dropping down the Duddingston Steps to Dr Neil's Garden. Holly Blues etc on the menu as well as the cafe at the Garden. In fact the thought of a coffee and scone was so strong we almost hurried down the duddy steps not seeing any signs of anything blue, or even the resident comma.

greenfinch

duddy steps

This was a lovely looking plant trailing over the wall at Duddingston. I thought it was honeysuckle but Mary, saying it smelled of Jasmine, told me it was definitely Jasmine. Google says it's Clematis armandii. 😄

The cafe at Dr. Neil's was closed. They said they were open in 24hrs, like that helped. I felt like saying c'mon there's a kettle there and some tea-bags over by the sink I bet, and probably a scone or 2 in the fridge. Luckily the garden was so brimful of delights we quickly forgot the tragedy of the closed cafe.

rhodies in full bloom!

obliging speckled

There is a suntrap and benches over on the West side of the garden and on the way there we came across this ridiculously tame pheasant. It was clearly used to humans and had possibly taken up residence here as it was safe from dogs and cars. A child was throwing bread for it and it seemed to be okay with me getting quite close for photos.

The suntrap benches were already occupied so we descended to the lochside path that has a few flowering heathers that attract butterflies. I was hoping for commas and I think there might have been one that flew by. A nectaring peacock was more helpful. It felt properly warm out the breeze and like there could be all sorts of butterflies. (We have photo-ed holly blues here.) But there weren't.

mallard mooching for handouts

Korean fir

When we passed by the second time, the pheasant was now sunlit and feeling a bit sleepy. As the photo below shows it didn't mind me getting down on all-fours and crawling up to it to get these super-close-ups. I was delighted as they have spectacular plumage even though they have very little evidence of intellect. It seems all their effort goes into appearance and leaves no room for brain-power. But what a plumage!

Mary took this photo of me getting close-ups.
I didn't even have to get out the bird seed.

We were about to leave (lunch was now beckoning strongly) when I noticed a blooming rhodie I hadn't checked out for butterflies. Mary took a seat knowing I can be easily distracted, while she waited for me to finish doing the rounds. I didn't find any butterflies but did find Mrs. P who was down a little used path hiding among some brackeny debris that perfectly matched her brown feathers. She was lying down and (with wings) scooped the loose dirt over her back. Not sure if this was to camouflage her further, as a dirt bath or to keep cool in the powerful Spring sunshine. Or all three.

I had noticed my camera battery was down to one bar and flashing red. I had a spare in my back pack but couldn't be bothered going through the business of swapping it out. I felt we were likely done for the day and now just needed to get home and get fed. I was caught between wanting more photos of this lovely pheasant quietly going about her day and getting home for a late lunch. Okay time to leave before Mary gets hangry.

meanwhile Mary patiently waits

dappled light and patina

back up those tiresome steps! (the low road being closed because
there was some rockfall a couple of months ago) (Stable door; horse; bolted.)

the duddy steps comma was there, but not willing

peacock on bluebells
worth swapping the battery after all

yes it is quite warm, but about 10 degrees below taps aff weather
get a flipping grip and put your clothes back on

coal tit

5.88miles in 3hrs36

However that is not the end of the day! Quite why I felt the need to visit Warriston I have no idea. Perhaps it was the need to use my better camera on a day when there was so much in evidence? Anyway after a quick lunch I jumped on my bike and rode it round to Warriston to do a further 2hrs photosafari there! Mary did not come along. It was 3pm by now - generally that is the time all butterflies would scarper off home to bed. However with clocks going forward this was now what used to be 2pm. And right enough there were a few gems.

a better-than-any-previously (this year) pic of a small white

holly blue! (m)
First of the year.

I went fairly quickly to the In Loving section. There was an older dude there with a full frame and long lens busily occupied with the resident comma (as usual on the fallen branch.) We chatted for a bit. I think I have encountered this chap before who goes under the name of Cap'n Fishy and posts on a blog mainly concerned with angling although he does do (as here) other wildlife photography.

I have already taken too many photos of the commas here so did not push in for a shot until (as we chatted) a holly blue fell out the sky (possibly from one of the tall trees surrounding) and landed just a few feet away. I immediately got right in there for a photo as it was my first HB of the year. Unfortunately it flew off almost immediately - perhaps the keeness of 2 humans moving in to take photos - and that was the last blue butterfly for quite some time. Although they are regularly turning up (elsewhere and particularly in Fife) they are still maybe low in number compared to what they were in the second brood of 2023.

battling commas

This hover was posing nicely on the brow of this green hill. It may well be Eristalis Pertinax which I have committed to memory because it (tapered drone fly) is one of the most common about at the moment. My favourite hover name is still Volucella pellucens (how it rolls off the tongue like a Brazilian opera singer) which is also relatively easy to ID and therefore a win win. Haven't seen any this year.

hairy-footed flower bee

riverside comma

I've been feeding the smaller birds near the tunnel
from recently revealed gravestones

love this wee character

there are a few bullfinches
like to hang at the tunnel stream and splash around

bullfinch (f)

speckled wood to add to my on-daffodil collection this year

the latest incumbent at the In Loving section
replacing the fresh and spiky versions

So we are now well on the way to double figures for the commas who have held office at the In Loving section. I have seen and named 5 or 6 and no doubt there have been a few others. This one is nearly perfect but has a notch out of the nearside rear, close to the body. I am impressed by the amount of commas in just this one area alone. Numbers have really increased in the 5 years I've been visiting.

green-veined white

I think the stock doves are beginning to catch on to me carrying bird-snacks. They are picking up on humans putting seed out where the cyclepath goes over Warriston at the tunnel, and are quite quick to understand possible handouts near to this area. I'm sure this one (of a pair in a tree) was coming down from its perch to check out if I was leaving food out. I was very pleased it stood quite near to me and had a great mottled background. I did put food out for them but unfortunately the crows got in there first and may not have left much.