parks and recreation

Mary and I had both done long runs on Sunday so Monday meant a recovery run along the WoL and round the park (Inverleith) and maybe a saunter through the Botanics since the sun was shining. If you can arrange Monday as a non-working day I highly recommend it. Gets the week off to a very favourable start. Often I will be working but if it can be contrived otherwise then the benefits hugely outweigh the lost commerce. Mary is actually off this week and we are doing some home improvement, some painting and decorating. So something of a busman's holiday for me but long overdue and in desperate need. 

Nice to see the Spring flowers appearing. The snowdrops have been out for a while but this was the first of the daffs, miniature ones along Rocheid Path

photo Mary

We took some bread to throw to the duckies on the pond. There was a stiff breeze making the water choppy and the birds reluctant to hold still for photos. The gulls were intent on spoiling fair and equal bread distribution and somehow no decent pics were taken (by me). We met an agreeable Romanian Street Dog who had moved to Stockbridge but couldn't leave her scavenging ways entirely behind her, vying with the gulls for handout bread.

Neither of us were feeling up to suggesting a second lap of the park. We had brought duvet jackets stuffed into back packs which we donned as there is no running in the 'tanics. It was another bright but Baltic day and as we wandered around unable to find much in the way of wildlife the cafe and a pot of tea was calling out. Often we might sit on the outdoor seats to avoid squawking kids but today neither suggested it. Also the calorie deficit from Sunday insisted we share a large slab of chocolate cake. Hell in a handcart. About the only upside was a robin appearing as we left the cafe. However it didn't seem to want any bread and took off before Mary could get her camera out. I got a hasty couple of shots but no chance to set up a decent composition.

Just one squirrel today; however it was familiar with the exchange-of-foodstuff-for-photos etiquette and posed perfectly after receiving goods to the value.

nosferatu

On the way back along the WoL I was surprised to see a heron and some mallards since I had put in a request for a pair of dippers. Mustn't've had any in stock. The heron skulked motion- and humour-less on the far bank like nosferatu with toothache. Since there were ducks as well I got out the last of the bread (why take it home?) and threw it, lefthanded (camera in right) girlstrong, only just reaching the near side of the river. To our surprise and amusement the heron woke up and flew over for a look. We threw more and it stabbed it's beak into the water, catching and shaking the bread like it was dispatching a fish. I'm guessing the heron, like ourselves, was having trouble with all the wildlife (and fish) staying indoors on such a glacial day. And happy to supplement his dignity with a few photos to earn a crust. The photos were quite tricky as the background was shady black river and the bird had a tendency to over-expose. Insufficient light for in-flight shots, (or to capture his ministry of silly walks wade) and all his tassels and fringe feathers were a-flapping and flying. An entertaining conclusion to the run.