crosstown safari, hits and misses

 

March the first, and the weather was forecast excellent. Blue skies and not too much wind or cold. A potential for the first butterflies of the year. I put the new camera in my backpack and set off to follow a route through some great local places. Even if there weren't butterflies it should still be a joyful run across town. I had been looking at local birding group pages and had thought it would be fun to hunt down the nearly mythical ring necked parakeet of Duddingston Golf Course. (Nobody is sure if is an accidental release or, like the Manchester or London ones, if it has been feral for a while and made its way North.) And, working backwards, halfway between there and first port of call was Newington Cemetery. But first, the Hermitage.

I arrived at the doocot above the walled herb garden just after 10.30am. It was still cool and the sun had only just begun to warm the South facing garden. Also there was only 2 plants in flower, some heather on the lowest tier and these flowers below. I decided to take a large circuit through the sunlit trees North of the river and then follow the Braid Burn back up to the garden. I might bump into treecreepers and dippers to keep me entertained while the hordes of butterflies flocked into the garden. 

It was a glorious place to be and I slowed from a jog to a walk to take in the splendour of the trees. There was quite a bit of bird chatter but tricky to pin it down or identify who was doing it and from where. I was most of the way down these stairs (below) before I heard a woodpecker's distinctive drumming. I followed the noise and then, for the first time ever in the Hermitage, actually saw it flitting through the highest branches of a nearby tree. It flew from one tree to another and mostly towards the tops. I cantered across the hillside (new) camera in hand chasing it back up these stairs - curse you Mr. Woodpecker. Weirdly it landed on the ground near a couple of thrushes. It seemed to be always just over the brow of the hill and me panting up the incline after it. When I got close enough for a photo it flew back into the trees and I was tempted by the thrushes, though I kept half an eye on the rough area of the woodpecker above.

Eventually all the birds scattered, but not before I had got a couple of pics. Normally in the Hermitage I hear woodpeckers from a great distance and have never come close to one, so I felt I'd got pretty lucky today. A wee bit more luck and I'd have nailed a grounded gsw and 2 thrushes in the same photo but you can't have it all, and I wouldn't want to use up the whole day's luck so early on.

I dropped down to the Braid Burn and quickly found a dipper. I have not had any rewarding interviews with dippers for ages and it was high up my list of most wanted for today. I was really pleased to come across one so quickly, however the experience was marred by 2 folk (below) who had brought 7 dogs into the place for a run. The off lead spaniel saw the dipper and chased it up the stream for about 75 yards. There was no danger of the dog catching it and the dippers there are used to dog and human traffic but it did not enamour me towards the dog walkers, yet again. 

7 dogs - how many is too many?

I felt the small birds had been chased enough and tried not to let the incident spoil my day. I returned upstream to the garden and wasn't surprised when there were bugger all butterflies. It still felt quite cold and there wasn't an abundance of flowers. It was 11.30 by now and I decided that after checking out the dippers again I'd have to keep pushing on if I wanted to get round the various places while the sun was still out.

The dipper was near where I left it and looking unperturbed after being barked up the river. The ones on this stretch are used to the passing traffic so let you get much closer than the ones who occupy the bit below the bridges. 30 yards and they start getting flighty. This one pictured is happy to pass you by at 10 or fewer. It seems to know humans won't readily step into the river. The light is not great as the stream runs down the middle of the gorge so it is overhung with trees and rock, but there was just enough light to get some photos. I walked with it as it went downstream for about 200 yards. I video-ed it catching a small fish and bashing its lights out on the mossy stone before swallowing it head first. I have tried throwing food for them in the past but they just watch it flow past downstream and aren't interested or don't understand the concept of handouts.

I do like the dippers. Such a dapper little bird and the white bib makes them relatively easy to spot. Great swimmers too. Eventually I'd had my fill and stopped following it. I crossed the bridge that points up and back towards the Lang Linn Path, but continued downstream. There is a small single track dirt trail that follows the riverside and I was hoping to see the butterbur in bloom and peacocks, small torts and commas dancing between the flowers. About a week too early and 3 or 4 degrees too cold. Also to compound my gloom, the water of the stream had risen with snow melt and poured over into the surrounding field. There was no way through without wet and muddy shoes. I jumped from tussock to tussock and got a medium grade soaking. None of which cheered me up.

Japanese Butterbur - a favourite with the early butterflies.
They had the good sense not to appear just yet, unlike me!

When this dries out and the sun shines and the butterflies appear
it will be excellent.

Next point on the route was Newington Cemetery. I haven't been here for a while and felt it might need more time than I had to check closely for the likes of goldcrests and treecreepers. I nearly opted out but then compromised by just walking swiftly round to check for butterflies. I was impressed by the large carpets of crocus and snowdrops with hoverflies and bees, and felt there was real chance of butterflies here. I asked another visitor if she had seen any, but she said no. I asked this squirrel who was sat on a gravestone watching the world go by without a worry. He didn't give a reply but climbed a nearby tree. I saw a robin and that was about that. I felt I'd given it every chance but maybe not fully scrutinsed the place. It was pleasant enough but I had other places to be. I was excited to push on and see the parakeet!

Ken had said the parakeet was at the far side of the fields we used to run round in Cavalry Park. There is precious little when you google Duddingston Golf Course Parakeet, although you can see Ken's tweeted photo. It is a lurid bright green parrot-like specimen grooming its long green tail. Recently there was another similar photo posted in Lothian Birdwatching which set me going on this wild goose chase. There was mention of the driveway up to Duddingston House and where it turns into a right of way dirt trail beside the golf course. With the trees all bare of leaves I reckoned it would take 5 or 6 minutes to spot a bright green parakeet. I walked up and back the right of way path several times and only saw a few bullfinches who hid behind branches, the cheats, and a troop of LTTs who were similarly frustrating.

I realised the parakeet was not going to hand himself over on a plate. Which was a shame as I had a fantastic camera and the blue sky would make an excellent backdrop. Everything was in place apart from the talent. Bugger! I walked round the perimeter of the park and playing fields. There were a few kids on bikes and I gave them a wide berth. There was a couple of nuthatches in a tree but they kept their distance and quickly I began to feel bored and shortchanged. No parakeet. Bummer. I decided to run the few miles to my favourite graveyard as there was still a couple of hours daylight to be had. I cut through Holyrood Park but stopped at St Margaret's Loch.

LTT at Duddingston

I got the camera out at St M's Loch as it was pretty decent still and I hoped to get photos of Mr and Mrs Goldeneye. I saw them hiding in plain sight among the tufties but then they disappeared and no matter how hard I scanned every duck on the surface I could not find where the hell they had gone. Was there a room under the water where they hid out? I must just be mistaken. I wandered round the other side of the Loch and kept an eye on every tufty checking it wasn't a goldeneye. Nope, no joy! I have no idea how they did that, but they were looking like they saw me pointing the camera at them and got a bit shifty. Maybe they flew off while I was admiring the tufted ducks. Which are, after all, particularly beautiful in the bright sunlight with purple highlights and a perpetually surprised look on their wee daft faces. 

first and last pics of the goldeneyes

I decided against a run to Warriston and instead to have a hike into Hunter's Bog and see if there were any feathered friends to be found. Close to the Dasses a kestrel flew overhead and landed on the crags nearby. I got as close as possible but full zoom was not quite enough. I could see it watching me, watching it, but no pleasantries were exchanged. I waved but it just ignored me. It did not look like a spacious ledge for a nest. Maybe just where it takes mice to debone them. 

I had been hoping to see reed buntings or similar in Hunter's Bog. I saw a chaffinch and heard quite a lot but saw nothing. Until I spied a male stonechat on a gorsey perch. I snuck up quietly but can't pretend he wasn't watching every step. I reckoned if I moved slowly enough he may not bother. Which was largely the case. Unfortunately at the closest point he refused to face the camera, and then flew off. Then I saw the female who had been flying and hopping a similar course, with him in tow. I spent a while walking slowly after her and got a few photos I hoped would be ok before leaving them in peace. She was defo getting bored with me pursuing them although they never took to the air and flew off which they could have done at any point to call a halt to the chase. 

I no longer felt the need to head to Warriston and it was getting late in the day anyway. I decided to head home and check the photos to see which of the 800+ were worth tweaking and posting. So I didn't get to see some of the prime targets today - butterflies and the parakeet! But I did get a lot of delightful encounters and had a brilliant day out. Covered over 14miles and really enjoyed it.

male stonechat

turn around!

female