fast and feathery 10

 
It's not that butterflies are warm and friendly; but the disdain they show, the contempt for humans, is as nothing compared to that of the birds. Who take stand-offish to new heights. Ok, some are open to bribery and will put their opprobrium to one side for a handful of seeds or bread. And they are often very attractive. I nearly said pretty or sexy there, risking being sent to KevinSpaceyJail. And so, I suppose, they will do as stand-ins until the butterflies return in 3 or 4 months time.

do the shake and vac

There is a similar order of things in bird-world, as exists in butterfly-world. Rarity and beauty being highly regarded in both, over the common place and dull. That said I'd rather have an excellent photo of a chaffinch, than a poor shot of a kingfisher. Can that actually be true? Because this page is heaving with poor shots of kingfishers. I am still a long way from taking a photo of a kingfisher that actually merits being put up here, but I suppose due to their relative rarity I still regard them as worth recording and searching for. And they are just so tropical. Even if you just get a fleeting fly-by the exotic turquoise streak is unmistakable. Also the chaffinches haven't been very obliging recently. The kingfisher in the botanics seems to relish an audience these days and has been drawing quite large crowds who applaud almost silently apart from the whirring and clicking of electronic shutters as he removes minnows from the ponds in front of them.

However, before visiting the Botanics last Thursday, (Halloween if you must), 31st Oct, I cycled past the corner of the Water of Leith to see my duckie friends. They will feign companionship for as long as you throw bread and seeds into the water and are happy to pose for photos. There was a swan as well. Not a big fan of the swans, for similar reasons as I don't love the white butterflies as much as other species (over exposure problems and lack of pretty colour combos) but I will take pics of them if I have to. The swan did a washing routine involving diving under the water then shaking it off with some wing flapping and preening. I enjoyed the photo above which contradicts that hackneyed metaphor of being calm above the water while churning away underneath.

back to serene

I was very pleased with the background water colours here.

This female goosander, the same one as the other day, seemed a little off-colour. Being beaten to the thrown bread by the mallards. And slightly bullied by them. She might imagine she is a mallard as she hangs out with a group of them, both sexes, and not with other goosanders. (Geesander?)

the paparazzi at kingfisher bridge

I was amused by the crowd at the kingfisher bridge when I arrived at the Botanics. I had to settle for a second row stance and shooting over Richard's shoulder. The absence of leaves on the shrubs overhanging the pond here makes for a clearer shot of the bird but the crowd makes it a little less special. Strangely the kingy doesn't seem to mind. Maybe he enjoys showing off his dexterity and fishing skills to these nearly immobile lumbering humans. Hugh was telling me they will survive on 13 ~ 18 minnows daily. I believe this one may have taken 5 or more out the pond during this session. I saw him get one or 2 then left for a stroll round the gardens as I don't really have the patience (or the camera) for this waiting game. Andrew has since posted some terrific images taken the same morning and it shows where the large cameras and long lenses (plus the skill of the owner) have a huge advantage over my small camera. 

Photo: Andrew Mckie
I hope Andrew doesn't mind me posting a photo he took which shows
the difference between our shots. (This is why I should stick to butterflies!)

Also, there is the difficulty of the small window of opportunity. Mr K Fisher will sit for 15 minutes while you slowly go hypothermic from the feet and fingers inwards. Then, while you are considering you possibly have your camera on the wrong settings, zoomed in too much or not enough, he'll bolt from his branch into the water, sometimes with a slight hesitation just before entering, and then return like a hummingbird with wings beating so fast they seem to whir, back to his perch, or a stone, to knock the blazes out of the fish he has just caught. I felt I did well to just push the shutter release during all of this. And some of the shots actually had a flash of blue and orange in them. The results though. (Sad face emoji.) A different league to the boys with their big lenses. I went off to take pictures of leaves and flowers which hold still in a helpful way.

The robin does appear to want to be friends.
I wonder is it because they share the same colouration?

When I returned the kingfisher (and attendant paparazzi) were still there.

After a few more shots I went off to see what else the sun was shining on. Lots of great colours in the gardens currently and if the low light is pointing in the right direction it almost makes up for the absence of those fluttery things. Well not really but it gets me out the house and into the fresh air. 

I laughed when I saw this. Not sure whether a local cat or fox is responsible but I quite liked the consideration of laying it not on the grass but in an imaginary designated area.

how did we manage before walking poles?