duck and recovery run

Sunday 24th March

After the high miles and jeopardy of Saturday, it was nice to just go for a jog round Inverleith pond and then walk through the Botanics with the camera. The weather was mixed but bright enough to get a few photos. Everything is gearing up for Spring. The birds are wearing their dating plumage and singing love songs, the buds are bursting forth and some, the magnolias, have already flowered and and are fading before the leaves arrive. 

words of wisdom about feeding birds

the sparrows always look a bit grumpy

The Chinese Garden is a good place to have a seat - next to the pond. There are a number of small beasts who will visit looking for a handout. Nice to see obliging Great Tits who sat reasonably still for a photo. And the squirrels there are possibly the most forward in the gardens. No sign of the kingfisher, possibly too late in the day.

Lots of bees and insects, not many sitting still enough for a pic

except this wasp.

Then, walking among the Rhododendrons (where are all the butterflies?!) I came across this tiny chap who was hopping round underneath the umbrella-like leaves, presumably picking off insects. I thought it was maybe some kind of finch but the following day I photographed a chiffchaff with it's unmistakable titular call. I hadn't realised the call came from such a tiny creature and realised this might be a chiffchaff, which the RSPB page describes as doing exactly this behaviour: "it picks insects from trees". Very tricky to photograph as it wasn't hanging around or sitting still for half a second.
Update: Brian H (see comments below) was kind enough to let me know this is a goldcrest, not a chiffchaff. Which pleases me more. I might have recognised it if it had a yellow/orange cap on its head but apparently the juveniles and females don't have that distinction. 

Campbell's Magnolia Tree already past it's best

Back at the Chinese Garden the usual robins and this chaffinch were happy to pose for crumbs and seeds. A young robin (presumably from last year?) was trying to coax the adult to feed it though actually it seemed old enough to panhandle for seeds and bread itself, and sat obligingly for a couple of photos before the sky grew darker and we were in danger of a shower.