living the wild life

27th and 28th Oct.
I finished a large job recently and took a couple of days off to enjoy the sun and the possibility of the last of the year's butterflies. Although there was a pristine Small Tortoiseshell spotted loitering around the Botanics I totally failed to find it. It had been seen in the rockery and was no doubt regretting its hasty decision to emerge into the arse end of the Summer. (More like the end of Autumn and start of Winter.) After a couple of days around the rockery and just above the duck pond it disappeared. Probably into a dark place to hole up for Winter. Me too, if I'm not careful. 

The sun usually gets me out the door though. There have been a few days of it recently and I have been along at the Botanics checking out the dwindling supply of Red Admirals. And watching the WoL carefully too as there have been kingfishers, fishing the stretch from Canonmills to St Marks. Sadly the waters rose dramatically at the end of last week afte a couple of days of torrential rain and no more RAs have been seen on the buddleias at the end of Logie Green Rd since. With the rivers running brown and un-fishable, the kingfishers moved to the likes of the ponds in the Botanics.

One of the last reliable spots in the Botanics was the buddleias by the Terrace Cafe. Last trip there on the 27th Oct and I initially thought no butterflies. However a closer inspection revealed an Admiral sunbathing on the buddleias then climbing (walking, not flying!) to nectar on the flowering shrub next door. Perhaps the final one of the season. Last year the last butterfly I saw was a Red Admiral on a blue flowering shrub, Ceratostigma Minus, in the rockery on the 28th Oct. Although Ken says there was further sightings into the early days of November. 

My grumpiness due to lack of butterflies made me scoff at this worthless piece of kitch. Lots of time (ironically) has gone into this presentation but the "clock" aspect was suggesting nearly 1pm. In reality we had just put the clocks back and it was 10.35. Even if the clocks hadn't gone back it was still well wide of the mark. Ian Hamilton Finlay should have paid more attention to the mechanism, or just left it as an attractive but meaningless folly. As it stands it now tells lies, beyond a shadow of doubt, and unlike a stopped clock doesn't even get the time right twice a day. (It could be argued it is correct all through the night. Or maybe just not as wrong.) He could have learned about the mechanism from the one in the sundial garden nearby in Inverleith Park, which has a plus and minus sidebar apparatus to assist arriving at the correct hour. 

muppets

so cold this squirrel was blowing on her paws

The kingfisher was sitting in his usual spot near the bridge. In a couple of minutes he had swooped into the little pond there and hoiked out 2 minnows. I did think he will have the pond emptied of fish if he keeps that up. And that maybe we should be importing minnows from Inverleith Pond which I haven't fished since I was a kid.

I did feel a little sorry for the fish.

There is no easy vantage point without branches stealing the focus 

and getting in the way

a robin appeared too

thee were a pair of them at the duck pond

Despite both pointing in a similar direction they appeared rivals, to those in the know. Rather than potential mates. The female is on the right (more colour in lower bill). They sat together for a while but also there was a bit of friction and squabbling. I was just pleased there was something to point the camera at, although longish distance shots are not what my camera does best.

 the heron likes to perch here

I think there is a better wifi signal

I went past these flowers, once party place for 3 painted ladies

and now just a hang out for a fly. (More of him later.)

Next day, Monday 28th and on the way to Mum's via the botanics, I decided to check out the bend in the Water of Leith where the ducks often gather, just above the weir near St Mark's park. There can be an attractive light on the water there. It was a good call although only one female goosander and some mallards and a couple of moorhens that defied the camera by being too black and too red for the photographic process in the available light. The goosander saved the day. I hear they are very wary of folk down in the borders rivers as they fall foul of those who think the salmon are more important and salmon eating birds aren't welcome. But here they are used to hand outs from the duck feeders like myself and will come over for a photoshoot for a very small fee. 

moorhen, see what I mean?

this is the best shot of one I took, by far, and it only just makes the grade

my what pretty teeth you have!

(also known as a sawbill duck)

I suspected the best photos of the day would be those above and I held out little hope for the botanics. I bumped into Ken as usual and we toured the nature hot spots. No signs of butterflies and precious little kingfisher action though we did meet Richard, Andrew, Unda, Hugh and Alice. Quite a team out photographing wildlife, mainly hunting kingfishers. I am not great standing waiting for birds to appear and would rather walk about looking at flowers and trees and taking photos. I'll happily tour round the gardens and even talk to the squirrels, crows and smaller garden birds, than stand waiting on the king to appear. In fact I was rather pleased to get a couple of decent macro shots of a fly I couldn't be bothered to ID. You've got to work with what's there! If life gives you flies... erm make fly photos? I did wonder if it was the same fly I was taking pics of from day to day. (Not just the same species, but the same individual.) It didn't seem to have any obvious discerning features like a mark or tear in a wing. 

poncirus trifoliata

I was saying to Ken I wished they'd put the non-Latin names up as well. This splendid golden yellow tree with strange fruit was a Japanese Bitter Orange. And was in fruit though you'd easily miss them as they blended in to the general colour of the leaves.

similarly coloured was this grey wagtail

that heron on it's perch again

over the other side of the duck pond

I am warming to this sculpture in the pond near the cafe. I used to dislike it on account of it not being super lifelike and not having the traditional number and length of limbs. But it makes for a good reflection in the water alongside the leaves and colours. And I am less in search of accuracy over feeling these days. It feels about right. Or nearly right.

heated wingscreen?

so could this be the same fly as on the purple flower yesterday?

I need a wee pot of tipex and a tiny brush!

While there are a few of the smaller birds taking an interest in stuff around the Chinese garden pond they are not yet emboldened by Winter and will peep loudly but keep their distance. No sign of the much friendlier robin that would feed from your hand last year. Wait till it gets a bit colder.

A couple of squirrels refused my cache of nuts. I have a bag of seeds and nuts set aside for animal consumption. What I reckon, is that some of the bread I was carrying too, got in there and there is some residual mould flavouring the whole lot. A squirrel last week ran over, looked at the contents of my hand then ran off without taking any. There is so much in the way of fruit, berries and nuts on the trees they can afford to be fussy. I bought some fresh peanuts today to replace the stale offerings which I ate myself. I am less fussy than the squirrels. Though they weren't super interested in the new peanuts. Just wait till the snow is on the ground guys, you just wait! We'll see who can afford to be fussy then!

todays route, 2hrs40 to walk nearly 3 miles

not huge amounts of wildlife but always worth a visit.