the new normal

 

8th Jan

We have been forced to moderate our behaviour and confine runs to within 5 miles of the city limits. My current favourite places (mainly to seek out birdlife) are Warriston Cemetery, a large muddy and rambling place with lots of mature trees, next to the Water of Leith. And Corstorphine Hill. It makes a 12 mile run to join the two together but if the weather is bright it is well worth crossing town.

Pilrig St church

Strictly speaking Warriston appears to have just the one usable entrance, down Warriston Gardens off the cyclepath. You might think this would limit the through traffic but being a kind of rambling slightly overgrown wilderness near the WoL, it has a large volume of dogwalkers using it as a pleasing circuit to water their dogs. Most are friendly and will nod hello but if they all disappeared the bird population wouldn't be sorry, and I might get closer to them with the camera. And there would be fewer turd bags, and fewer people. However, small grumbles aside, it often makes a fab place to slow from a jog to a walk and just enjoy the large trees and surroundings. There are a couple of less obvious ways in I have recently found, more of that later. Lots of birds even though they don't all stick around to have their pics taken. Most of the small garden species and usual suspects but also tree creepers and finches, bull and gold. And probably goldcrests though none yet. I am just a beginner at this game so there is almost certainly more about than I am aware of. And since I visit wearing just running kit it limits how long I can mooch about the place before fingers and core temps start suffering from the cold.

I liked the blurry background more than the thrush.

There are 4 evergreen trees near the entrance, stood in a row, that I thought might be good for birds. On the first occasion I visited I mostly ignored them but today I checked them out. I couldn't see much at first but then, pretty soon, I saw a thrush, redwings and gangs of smaller birds. I was delighted to see a nuthatch, a rarer prize, although it was high up and was only visible round the dark side of branches, making photos pretty awful.  

A treecreeper also appeared right beside where I was standing but didn't hang about, Making its way round the other side of the bark and climbing higher and away from the camera. But excellent news to know they are part of the community here. I was really stoked to see so many interesting species as well as the common place crows, magpies, robins, tits, pigeons and squirrels that frequent the grounds.

The robins are often quite interactive. Whilst other small birds fly off as you approach them, robins seem to have learned that humans aren't all bad and will often hop around expectantly. Usually they are in luck as I have taken to carrying the end of the loaf chopped into bits in my pack front pocket. 

lichen on gravestones

After 2/3rds of a mile wander round the cemetery and 30mins I headed up the Water of Leith. 2 jets flew overhead; someone later id-ing them as F-15s on social media. I couldn't get any definition and they weren't on the flights website.

More robin action on the Rocheid path. This one happy to ignore the passers-by in return for a piece of bread laid on this nearby branch. It posed perfectly before receiving its wages and flying off and the deal was approved by both parties.

gormley 2 at stockeroo

bit slippy so I put on the yaktrax again

colours and sunlight were just perfect
at this spot above the Dean Village 

Popping out the WoL at Roseburn there is nearly an exact mile of tarmac along to Corstophine Hill. Everything has been so lovely and non-urban on this run so far that the mile of busy road feels jarring. There is probably a better, if slightly longer diversion, following the river and running parallel with maybe a skirt of Carrick Knowe golf course but I have not bothered to work it out yet, and the road is out the way before you know it and you are climbing the hill and the birds are peeping and tweeting and the 8 minutes of traffic fumes is quickly forgotten.

I saw this far distant silhouette of a parrot. I thought it would be a crow or wood pigeon then remembered the last time and a kestrel flying off smirking to itself. So I took a couple of pics and (when I got home) it was most likely a buzzard. The head was in profile on a blurry shot but front on in the sharper shot so I fraudulently cropped the profile head onto the better photo. Snowy Pentos in background.

The sticky twig plants (rosebay willowherb, winter plumage) are a perfect example of why I complain so much about dull grey winter weather. In the sunshine (with a bit of dew or snow on) they make superb photos, glistening bokeh and all a-sparkle. Some of my fave pics from today. Try that on a grey overcast day and you will get nothing. I love the spiralling forms. It reminds me of the perfection of nature, which never draws a rubbish curve. In ancient times when I studied at art school (back in the days when they had the effrontery to actually teach drawing and the discipline of traditional values, not just squirting paint up your hole then shitting it out onto a canvas,) there was one (design dept. interestingly, not fine art) class a week where we had to bring in fruit or veg - something natural - and scrutinise and then draw it. At first I wasn't convinced but the process of really analysing nature closely makes you realise there are no bad lines, no jarring curves and the whole thing has a perfection that largely goes unnoticed until you notice it. The natural form classes have returned regularly to my thoughts and were perhaps the beginning of an appreciation that has stayed with me. However it does require decent lighting.

buzzard does a fly past

confused wallaby wondering what this white cold stuff is

normally there is a drinks table here with 
Shyamala and Dhavala smiling and saying well done!

great sculpture
(see natural form, (from) above)
(disclaimer; there are other belief systems available)

It was getting late in the afternoon for standing around in the snow waiting for the wee peepers to show themselves. I think this might have been the visit when I saw a nuthatch but it hid behind branches obscuring any chance of a decent pic then flew off. The light was good but the birdlife had mostly gone home for the day. Then every time I went to run off, I'd see a flutter of wings in my peripheral vision and squint to see if it was a specimen worth the chase. Given a great photo of a sparrow or blue tit trumps a poor photo of a nuthatch or eagle, there is hardly anything that doesn't get me switching the camera back on and wading through the brambles.

My lower legs usually have some rasps of bramble damage in various states of mending as testament to how headless chicken I can be in the undergrowth. (Pics next blog.) Just up ahead I saw the vermilion of a male bullfinch. They are not orange like a robin nor red like the face of a goldfinch, but a superb shade in between that never fails to get my attention. As I zoomed in on a male eating the seeds from a low growing shrub (more sticky twig plants but different genus) I realised there were females on the plants next door, and then other males behind. Quite a clan gathering. I took some photos, slowly crept forward, took some more. Due to the colours of the plants and ambient orange sunlight I had to get really close before the photos showed the subjects clearly and just about the moment I got close enough, there was a small explosion of wingbeats and 5 or 6 birds flew up into the trees; looking back with disdain at the idiot with scraped legs spoiling their seed snack late afternoon fun.

the woodpecker tree to the left of the cropped one

Having taken closing shots of the peaceful landscape and sun through the trees I felt I was done and began to run home. Just as I joined the main trail a kestrel took off from a low tree maybe 20 yards away. I really cursed how blind I'd been. And I missed what could have been the shot of the day. I watched it climb to the top of a tree away in the distance. I stalked over and climbed through yet more brambles to get full zoom rubbish shots of it in the red sunset light. They were fairly crap compared to the shot that I could have had moments ago. I thrashed through some more undergrowth to get a bit closer but a magpie flew out the tree tops putting the kestrel up and away. I left slightly disgruntled but felt I'd had not a bad afternoon with the birds and next time I'd pay more attention. 

I ran along to the WoL at Roseburn then followed it down to St Marks Pk, then home. Going by the Dean Village I came across this scene (above) which was so weird I took a photo. I explained the photo to Mary by saying that Sean Connery in Highlander has bought a robot bride and has just switched the controls to kiss.

(I have never seen Highlander so if this isn't what happens my apologies.)

just over 14 miles, just under 4 hrs