cyclepath miles

 

Rather than just complain and grumble like 99% of online content these days - have you noticed it's more fun to do than watch - I should be grateful about all the great things life affords. Like cyclepaths. Traffic free running (if you don't count cyclists and dogs on extendable leads - the curse of the running classes - and pushchairs and walkers three abreast on their phones texting.) Hang on I'm complaining. 

lady of the night on Leith Links

Mary was doing an online zoom-conference all day Thurs 28th, so had no opportunity to run. Other than going out after, which she doesn't much care for. Time of day rather than actual darkness. I quite like a run through the town wearing a headtorch turned up extra bright to dazzle the dog walkers and prammers on the cyclepath. We also took waterproof cameras as it was raining and made the mistake of thinking they might take interesting photos. Nah, never really works unless you have a really good quality camera and the waterproof ones are basic. But here they are anyway.

I have to say Mary was most sporting. She had said it was just to be round the links and home via the cyclepath. I heard the word "cyclepath" and packed Dreamies cat treats for the fox. I have carried them about ever since the otter became a regular at Dunsapie and have never found a fox or otter or even cat yet to feed them to. I will probably end up starving on some 30 miler and eat them myself. They certainly smell savoury enough. Anyway Mary and I have both seen the urban foxes at various places along the cyclepath and they are more often seen near or beyond the blue bridge at Clark St near Ferry Road. Which isn't on our way home. Mary had already worked this out and realised we'd have to add a mile or 2 just to see no foxes. She did this with excellent grace and we saw, you've guessed it, no foxes. Actually we did see a fox, a pretty big one mooching about in the deep dark dank undergrowth 40 yards away. So I switched my headtorch to full strength - which is similar to the metal cutting laser power - and the fox jumped over the lazy dog, I mean wall. No Dreamies for Mr Foxy then. 

6 miles, 80mins

Saturday 30th Jan

The forecast looked great, then they took that away and posted a shit one. Reality was a bit of both but pretty grim with sunny spells. Not quite as grim as the rain sweeping over Fife but not exactly sun bathing weather either. We wrapped up far too well and took the Berlingo to Silverknowes where you'd park for parkrun. A blessing that that particular torture has been cancelled for the foreseeable. We felt the Berlingo hadn't been out for ages and the last time that happened it cost several hundred pounds to repair the damage and get it going again. It started first time. Ya beauty! 

lapwings

Coal Tit. I have failed to get any decent CT photos recently.
This did not break that mould.

busy

ahh the scenic beauty of an oil plant

took lots of Inchmickery pics today

what's that in the sky?

Coade Stone on Dalmeny House chimneys similar to 
3 Pillars on Porty Prom. 

redwood tree bark provides shelter for likes of treecreepers

and flies

jelly ear mushrooms

I saw this fungus in a couple of places recently. Here is the bad news - it is edible. Yes that slimy thing growing on a tree (mostly Elder), well you can put it in your mouth. How did they ever find that out? Popular in Asian dishes. (Also called Wood Ear or Jews Ear. I'm guessing that last nickname will be waning in popularity these days.) Or just leave it on the tree for other people to er... admire. 

I recently saw a squirrel eating some. 😝

This small brown job (possibly a dunnock but I honestly don't care) kept posing on nearly viable posts and sticks for a photo, then when I'd lift the camera it'd fuck off. Yes, hilarious. There was a disappointing lack of decent wildlife on this run. But it could have been raining, so not that bad.

The bread I carry for the gulls and anyone else who makes themselves known, is homemade and full of seeds and wholemeal. It was fashionable for a while to say bread was bad for birds. However the RSPB says quite a lot about what foods are good for birds and what aren't. Bread (especially wholemeal etc.) is not harmful for birds, but is not good for them if overfed on it. So don't leave a sliced loaf of processed white bread in a pile on the side of St Margaret's Loch. You will only be feeding the mice and rats. Here is a link to the RSPB's advice. (Mind you they say "chips are rarely eaten by birds." Whoever wrote that cannot have visited a seaside town where the gulls operate.)

One of the things they say is, if bread is dry then moisten it. I was using the last of an old loaf and to moisten it I chopped up an older apple which the same page says is enjoyed by thrushes, tits and starlings. Not gulls though. The small squares of apples were held out with the bread and the response of the gulls was pretty funny. Some swallowed it down without examination. Others dropped it pronto, turned around and went back for bread. To say it wasn't as popular as the bread is an understatement. It all ended up eaten though. By the ducks and swans below if not the gulls. Not everyone appreciated one of their 5 a day.

9.6miles in 2hrs42