warriston cemetery

 
grave robin

22nd Jan
Warriston Cemetery is fast becoming my favourite haunt these days. I check the forecast for sunshine and plan trips to coincide with the best weather. My compact camera struggles to capture birds at any kind of distance in poor light so it has to be decent weather if taking photos is the thing. It keeps spirits up in these butterfly-less times. In fact it is very nearly becoming the obsession to replace the other. Which is not to say I am becoming a birder. They make a nice photo, are a good challenge and give me a reason to get out the door, but I am a long way from knowledgeable. It is not necessarily the rare or spectacular that I aim to get pics of. Currently my biggest ambition is to get decent photos of a wren. They will show themselves for a moment, then dive into the undergrowth, never to be seen again. I know a couple of areas where they hang out but I have never been quick enough to get a decent photo. However it is a realistic goal and I am confident it will happen. Just need some sunny weather and a bit of luck. 

sunshine on Pilrig St Church often has a Florentiny look

This large tree fell over on about the 21st. (Near Tesco's on the cyclepath.) You can see the unofficial entrance to Warriston Cemetery just to the right of it. A small broken step-over in the (otherwise impenetrable) boundary wall. The large tree fell into the Water of Leith after fungus weakened the roots. I think it was in the process of dying off. You only appreciate the massive size of it when it falls over. It has left a large muddy crater, and may well be craned out shortly.

I often use that entry point rather than the official entrance at Warriston Gardens. It is around a mile from home and the second shortest route to happiness. You enter next to the Water of Leith into an area full of rooks and robins and squirrels. A blackbird hops and shuffles in the leaf litter unflapped by my company. A robin appears and seems to want to have his photo taken. Generally all the birds in the place will fly off as you approach. The robins are pretty much the only ones who will follow you about. At first I thought it was because they have worked out humans sometimes have food on them. But they seem well fed and aren't always that excited about the bread, seeds and nuts I carry. The area by the river is completely covered in ivy and I anticipate it will be full of Orange Tips and Red Admirals come Spring and Summer. Maybe Holly Blue as well? The elements are mostly in place for a rich variety of butterflies - a nearby river, loads of ivy, trees, snowberries. And only a mile from home! The thought keeps me sane during these times of madness.

I also keep my eyes open for a kingfisher on the low branches over the river. I have never seen one from this side but check every time because eventually there will be one and it will be just yards from my camera and there is good cover (noise cover from river and branches/ivy providing visual cover) to get some good close ups. Always worth a sneaky peek.

coal tit I think
Another species that has so far evaded a decent photo!

The bullfinches are a spectacular colour currently 
but unfortunately tend to prefer the higher viewpoints.

The East Gate - above - is a mile from my door. Although it doesn't open, the gap on the left side (top for humans, bottom for dogs) is easily squeezily. Top tip: take your backpack off before trying. I know you'd have to be thick not to work that out but the last time I exited here I thought I could manage without going to effort of removing my pack. Not worth the struggle!

This redwing is not in sharp focus but I like the image much more than the shot I took moments later of the same bird in focus. The composition of the branches and shadows cast on the bird. Has a certain something. Lots of redwings in gangs of a dozen around the place. They will fly into a tree when dogwalkers go past then descend to rifle through the leaf litter, being almost indistinguishable from the brown leaves. Often other birds like nuthatches or treecreepers will keep company with them. Not quite forming a mixed flock but perhaps all working vaguely together to warn of predators and humans. So when I see a group of birds in a tree I check out as many as are close not assuming them all to be the same species. 

I tend not to take much notice of the grave stones unless they are remarkable in some way. I grew up in a garden that backed onto Comely Bank Cemetery so spent a lot of my childhood running around the graveyard there. Warriston seems to be transitioning from a place of mourning to an urban greenspace visited by far more dogwalkers than people leaving flowers or visiting departed loved ones. Covid has increased traffic for sure. There seem to be a number of groups of visitors. Dogwalkers are the most prevalent and easily identifiable. Although there are a few wildlifers like myself they are not as frequent as at the Botanics. (Men 45~65 with long lens cameras looking to the trees, and occasional women.) There are also a third group who are the individuals. If I were unkind I'd describe them as perhaps having mental health issues or a need to read poetry outdoors. Mary said a while back that Warriston was a gay pick-up haunt. This idea has never entirely left my mind; as I nod hello to strangers in the more rambling lower area where lurkers often hang out either reading poetry or steadfastly refusing eye contact as you pass. Disappointingly few invitations or propositions! Maybe that scene has moved on. Although I still say hello to dogwalkers I find them the least desirable company as the dogs will chase off the birds - usually just as one settles perfectly on a gravestone that you are lining up for a photo. Also the dogs will often latch onto you or creep up soundlessly before putting a wet nose on the back of your knee which always makes me jump.

not enough light for a photo
so the camera made a painting of this nuthatch

treecreeper

for ages the LTTs were evading photographic sharpness
one has since obliged

buzzard circling - the largest of the birds
(apart from the heron that sits in the trees above the WoL)

There was something very Kray Twins about these 2 blue tits. Reminded me of this iconic photo...

Along with the tricky wrens, the finches are on the list-of-things-to-do-better. The bullfinches are brilliantly coloured at the moment and I hope to catch the goldfinches (above) at a lower height or more in close up. They have such pretty red faces. In fact ditto that for all species. I don't think I've absolutely nailed any of the species apart from maybe the robins. And there is is still room for improvement there too so I'll just have to continue returning. Maybe try arriving a bit earlier and see if that works. I got up the other day and the sun hadn't materialised as promised. It is a hard life! 

I haven't yet seen the sparrowhawk(s) that were photographed here last year. But every now and then the buzzard will land (it seems to prefer the Northern side of the cemetery) and is relatively straightforward to find in the branches as it is such a large silhouette against the sky. I felt quite sorry for it as it has to make a living same as everyone else but is mostly hounded across the sky by the magpies and crows. Then it has to find enough food. I googled it, and it lives on insects and carrion as well as small rodents. I would imagine it is all in short supply these days and presumably it has to find more than most to sustain itself. Then it has an ass-hat with a camera chasing it across the cemetery. It also was studiously avoiding eye contact, although I'm pretty sure it knew exactly where I was every time I was within 150metres.

I feel I have to take a photo of these mushrooms every time I pass this tree trunk. (The upper has been lopped off.)  The low view looking up is defo the shot and I have run out of alternatives. So now I lift my camera, sigh, and walk by without a photo. 

nice to see some snowdrops
this says we're getting through Winter and Spring is on the way

reminds me of the muppet (Sam the) eagle

So I had spent nearly 2hrs30 on this occasion. I thought I'd manage without a jacket which was okay for about 30 mins then the continual stopping and standing got REALLY cold in just shorts and 2 or 3 tops. I found I was having to do laps of the boundary to keep warm. Though it did mean I got to see other areas where interesting stuff might be going on. I was a bit concerned I may be drawing attention to myself; who does an intervals workout in a grave yard? Anyway as the sun went down I headed home - most bird activity finishes about 3.30 - (actually it tails off from 2.30) - but on the way I thought I should really do a bit of proper running and take it up to double figures.

I ran up MacDonald Road swithering about home or Arthur's Seat. I swithered all the way along London Rd and over Abbeyhill. I really couldn't be bothered, but seemed to get into Holyrood Pk despite my worst intentions. I didn't much care for the climb up to Dunsapie and even less the run round to the Commie Pool. Then coasted down the hill to Holyrood again and across the road with a wave and briefest of chats to Eoin who was headtorched-up and off to do some proper running himself. It felt like I was only just still a runner, and I enjoy the birding in the cemetery much more. It was to become something of a theme in January.

just under 5 miles round Warriston in 2hrs30

total = 12.5 miles in 4hrs