dudd

 

26-03-25 A walk around Holyrood and Duddingston, mainly Duddingston but not 100% successful hence the title dudd. I was thinking about the butterflies and birds I might come across in the Wells o' Wearie and along the Innocent Railway to Bawsinch. Strong place for early butterflies but either the weather wasn't quite right or the wildlife wasn't playing ball. I'll keep it brief.

It all started well when I followed these 2 delightful long-tailed tits near the Wells o' Wearie. Directly below Samson's Ribs. They were nest-building and one had a feather it was taking home. Their nests are really delicate; full of spiders webs and lichen and softer than any material. I have one on my bookcase at home and it is an endless source of joy. As usual they were very tricky to catch without branches obscuring them or without movement blur as they hop about continuously. Many photos taken to get these three.

thrush

I was hoping for orange tips in Wells o' Wearie. Or at least commas or small torts. Maybe an admiral? Nope, none. It wasn't unpleasant quietly walking about the small ponds between the Innocent railway and the golf course. Nobody else there. Unfortunately no butterflies nor many birds either.

dunnock

I gave up and headed to Bawsinch. I have a key to get in after joining Scottish Wildlife Trust or whoever and it is nice to be away from dogs and children. Right in the first 20 yards a peacock flew up although I failed to see where it went. A good omen. Although I had maybe left it a tad late, the sunshine being replaced with low cloud and cooler temps. Bugger!

never going to get a decent shot lying in the grass

I went round the path near the road to get to the bit that runs parallel to the Innocent Railway. There are ponds and I hoped to see frogs or toads and butterflies. There was one Small Tort, a hoverfly or 2 and a reluctant peacock, maybe 2. Everyone was complaining about the weather which always promises so much and rarely delivers. I agreed. I also got a photo which I was extremely pleased with - this hoverfly mid-air. Not easy to do when the camera is busy wanting to focus on the background grass and trees. I pulled the focus back towards me with a function button I have nominated to do this and the focus found the hoverfly and I knocked off a couple of shots before it flew out of the frame. Google lens says some sort of Eristalis. I don't really care although I do like hoverflies, mainly because they hover, which gives me a slim chance to get a shot of them in flight. Possibly shot of the day although it might have been better if it was looking in my direction. Can't have everything.

the peacock was nice but not really playing
as it had got a bit chilly

Likewise there were several commas about the same stretch but they had all gone to ground. I know this because I bumped into Stewart (?) the hugely knowledgeable cycling postie and we chatted about all the stuff we'd like to see, some of the stuff we'd seen and how things were going. It passed the time very pleasantly as the weather deteriorated. While chatting a BoP flew overhead and we wondered kestrel or sparrowhawk. I'd raised my camera and got a shot so we were able to see it was the latter.

another drone fly or maybe the same one?

sparrowhawk - really numerous lately

I said goodbye, saying I was heading up Crow Hill to look for wheatears. And if there weren't any there at least the exertion would burn a few calories. I still have quite a lot of Winter fat I hope to get rid of before it turns into Summer fat. Or just all year round fat. I am not running as much but weirdly just as hungry as if I was doing ultras every weekend. And find the constant struggle to not eat all the flippin time a constant struggle.

On the way up the Duddingston Steps I came across this rather dapper comma. Richard had mentioned there was one halfway up and it liked to sunbathe on one of the actual steps. I took photos and then climbed on, a lot of up still to get, to get to the top of Crow Hill. 

There were no wheatears that I could see on Crow Hill summit or elsewhere. Nothing but a cold harsh wind. I had a good look twice or three times - no need to check for butterflies; it was way too cold and windy. I took the wrong way off the hill. Shows how long it has been. I thought well I know this way goes round to the front but I didn't really remember the price you pay, going round to meet the 7 Hills race route which involves a couple of sections of steep rock and slippy dirt ball-bearings and camera-smashing downsteps. Or you can turn to face the rock and go down like a baby. I did a bit of that too. The only bright spot was I caught a bee-fly warming up. At first I thought it was a corpse, then I noticed it was beating its wings to warm up enough to get airborne. There were many more bee-flies to follow but this was one of the first of the year and I was happy to photograph it. It buzzed for a while then took off.

warming up

similarly this greenfinch - they always look so grumpy!

willow catkins - a favourite food source for early butterflies

these pink versions of Glory-of-the-Snow
on the way home attracting bees

8miles, 4hrs

hello spring leith

 

25th March. Mary and I go walkabout to the Botanics and Warriston. There have been so many sunny days I'm losing count of which was what. (Compared to last year's wash out we are WAY ahead in terms of butterfly species count and sunny day count.) This was possibly one of the better ones although a fairly inauspicious start at the Botanics.

On the way along the road we saw these goosanders on the WoL at Powderhall. The males always pose the high contrast problem of either making the black details disappear into the blackness if exposed for the white, or the white areas blow out if trying to expose for the black. I think I have managed both here! Hurray. Meanwhile Mary was halfway to the Botanics because she is not a huge fan of goosanders. How could one not love these elegant beauties??? Nice to see them pairing up and I really look forward to when the mum carries the young chicks on her back up the river.

male

female

lots of cherry blossom etc. in the botanics

and these, as discussed in previous blogs

the bullfinches seem a bit shy here

a rather poor shot of a female hairy-footed flower bee
I'd just learned the females are mostly black unlike the males.

I was inspecting all the flowering rhodies for butterflies
although not finding any

small magnolias coming out

Campbell's Magnolia near the cafe, still in flower

The sundial was an hour and twenty ahead of real time but since then the clocks have gone forward and it might be as close as it gets to being accurate for the next while.

On a day when there wasn't much about to point the camera at, this squirrel took pity on us. We saw it a bit up the path and called it over by rattling a bag of nuts. It came right over and even let us stroke it while it sat munching away. 

I know some people think these should be destroyed in favour
of reds (and I agree in principal) but I couldn't take part in killing them

There were plenty of chiffchaffs about and hearing them is easy compared to taking their photos. We spent a little while chasing this one down and then taking photos. It was far harder than it should have been as they are kinda mousy coloured and keep up that call while they hop around the tree nipping off buds and eating them. I failed to get a decent enough video of the bird to merit putting it up here. And yet they will often sit up high in a tree singing and keeping still. Just not today.

chiff chaff chiff chaff chiff chaff etc.

Eventually we gave up and stopped off at the East side gatehouse for a quick restorative cup of tea and to share a homebake. Not sure if these were baked locally or arrived from elsewhere but they - it, we shared one as both avoiding too many calories - was fantastic. On the expensive side at £5ish a pop but near miraculous in taste!

It's a little unfair to judge them side by side but Warriston was immediately more productive and satisfying in terms of butterflies and wildlife. The gate situation is ongoing and the only entrance is up Inverleith Row to Warriston Gardens then along to get in the main gate. This is keeping a lot of the regulars away and is NOT popular. I suspect there will be a quiet revolution at some point. Meanwhile there are far fewer dogwalkers. If anything this is an improvement as far as the wildlifers like myself are concerned. But it is a shame many locals have had their local routine and walk taken away from them for no real good reason other than the Council want to avoid the very slim chance of litigation. 

We made our way to the sunny slope between the War Memorial and the tunnel where several butterflies were seen almost immediately and within a few minutes a bat appeared flying overhead in circles. I have only seen one other bat in daylight hours, on a similar day at the end of Winter near the Water of Leith. It does happen but is very rare and I took dozens of photos. Only a couple came out as it was high above and not resting anywhere, just flying continuously, which was problematic. They are also very small. It looked like something between butterfly and small bird sized.

a BAT!
(In a graveyard and it's not Halloween.)

only 2 shots came out

a peacock - sunbathing on a gravestone

Several commas joust for the prime territory around the In Loving mosaic. This was one of 2 or 3 that appeared today and it seemed to be jealously guarding the best perches on this fallen branch. After chasing off bumble bees or other butterflies it would circle us and then return to either the branch or a bramble leaf. Mary held out her hand in case it wanted to come say hello. It surprised us both by doing so fairly quickly and I only just got a record shot before it took off again. Mary has very warm hands (we know this as she doesn't wear gloves as much as myself when outdoors in the Winter) and I think it is this, rather than any kind of smell, morally wholesome nature or hormone related attraction. But who knows? It is a good trick. Seems to work for RAs and commas but not speckleds, small torts or peacocks.

handy

It also landed briefly on this daffodil. I had to scurry round to get an angle for the shot and it was off before I had got round to the front but it was another daffodil shot. So far this Spring I have had very good luck with butterflies on daffodils. Three species to this point, with a speckled in a few days to come. 

While we were there a white breezed past without landing. Possibly a small white, my first of the season but as these were the best 2 photos, I couldn't really be sure (might have been a green-veined white or even female orange-tip.) I tend to go by the harsh (unwritten) rule of the ESB page: no photo, it didn't happen. There have been a flurry of unphotographed butterfly claims this (as every) Spring on various webpages and facebook groups. (Moreso down South where you might optimistically confuse a commonplace Brimstone for a rarer migrant Clouded Yellow.) I have resisted writing this motto under all of them but at the same time it is the only real confirmation that peoples' imaginations aren't replacing fact with wishful thinking. I know the Winter absence of butterflies can turn a keen lepidopterist into a frenzied monster tired of waiting months to spot once again their old favourites. It does not make for rational behaviour.

Mary standing next to the favoured comma perching branch.
It is a recent addition - I think maybe as a result of Storm Eowyn

commas jousting

the winner saw off the rival

A hole in a wall makes a potential nesting site for a blue tit.

this little wren fell asleep in the sun

treecreeper

comma underside

While we were at the In Loving area an amorous male peacock (below) was pursuing this female (above). I think it is more the angle of the (light on) wings making their colours appear to be different as both were nearer to the same appearance in real life.

offering a warm platform - only partly interested

honesty

Feeling reassured we had got the best out of Warriston - far more action than at the Botanics - we headed home for a late lunch. Had to leave by Warriston Gardens and then back along the cyclepath. It adds nearly a mile extra to the route we'd otherwise take. I suppose we should be grateful. More recently I've started taking the bike. 

sign in charity shop on the way home

7miles in 4hrs

magenta dots show route if old entrances weren't blocked by council.

arrow is now the only entrance and exit to cemetery 😒