birds of a feather

 

26th March

Today looked good on paper but was a reminder that Winter was not quite finished and we shouldn't get out the t-shirts and sunscreen just yet. The plan was to photograph the loveliness of Dr Neil's Garden complete with commas and other butterflies that would be nectaring on the flowering heather. Which happened successfully last year on 22nd March so could have been feasible. (Blog here.) However the Baltic wind scudding across Duddingston Loch and slapping me in the chops laid waste to any ideas of butterflies. In fact I cut short the walkabout in the garden to run along the road to the other side of Cavalry Park to warm up. But first a few shots... 

I am not sure they haven't got the apostrophe in the wrong place at Dr. Neil's. It was started by Drs. Andrew and Nancy Neil and so maybe should be called Dr. Neils' Garden. Or Doctors Neil Garden. However I can see why the current arrangement is easier to understand. Note: if planning a visit they are currently only open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 10.00~2.00. 

This was the only butterfly there today - a curiously green peacock.

The place is much like a miniature Botanics and has many lovely flowers and shrubs and trees laid out on steeply sloping ground next to Duddingston Loch. Well worth a visit and highly recommended. And free! And can have a good selection of butterflies on a warmer day!

not sure what the coco-pop is on the lowest petal
some collection of snails or poop or something?

helpful

hail bouncing off wall

Just to underline how cold it was there was a light shower of hail and ice while I was there. (Trying to keep warm in thin running kit and sheltering under an overhang.) That's when I threw in the towel and decided to keep warm by doing some running. Since butterflies seemed unlikely I decided to check out the area of the mythical Ring-necked Parakeet. I had gone in search of this previously but failed to find it. I looked in the right place and thought it would be easy to spot - being bright, nearly luminous, green. It evaded me on that occasion but a couple of pals had got pics of it recently and after getting a precise map from Unda (red X marks the spot!) I decided (since I was nearby) to have another search. Last time I was certain I'd find it and didn't. This time I was skeptical, and DID! It really made up for the horribly cold weather.

Unda's map marks the tree the jackdaws live in.

I had been looking in the right spot last time. This time when I arrived there was also no sign of the jackdaws or the parakeet, but I was more confident I was in the right place and felt I'd kick around for a bit longer and see what turned up. I felt very positive and had a shuffle around the leafy undergrowth underneath the small area of trees. After a while a gang of jackdaws all arrived swooping and chattering and cawing to each other and I thought this might be it. I had heard the parakeet had adopted a couple of jackdaws as pals and they had allowed it to join their entourage. Sure enough in a beautiful green triangle of wings and splayed tail-feathers the parakeet landed next to the jackdaws. I was really excited and raced to get a decent line-of-sight up through the branches, stepping over logs and round clumps of nettles. I got a couple of record shots before the whole troop moved to another tree. I hoped I'd got a decent photo in case that was it for the day.

That was not it for the day. I managed to follow the parakeet for the next 30mins as it travelled with the jackdaws, moving perch a few times, then leaving the jackdaws to sit solitary in a small lower tree next to the path for a while, before eventually joining the corvids for a stroll along the neighbouring golf course. I was pleased as anything and took dozens of photos. 

parakeet with jackdaw outriders

It is not known whether the parakeet is an escapee or whether it was born wild in the UK. There are large populations of these sociable birds down South and some in Victoria Park in Glasgow. They seem to be able to thrive in the UK, although nobody knows exactly where they all came from - there are various rumours, and it may be that some or all are true. It often involves a pop star or 2 releasing pairs of birds. So far it seems we only have the one in Edinburgh. And it has been at least a full year in the wild. A solo specimen should stop the population expansion that has caused Madrid to seek ways of curbing their monk parakeet population which is so successful it has become problematic. They are quite noisy and can built huge heavy nests in trees. 

It settled in a lower tree for bit. I snuck underneath the tree and (when nobody was within earshot) made some parrot noises and threw some birdfood about. It just looked on in an unimpressed manner, though definitely paid more attention to parrot-like squawks. (Not pieces of eight though.) It was good to see it had the jackdaws for company. It would be fascinating to study what sort of an interaction it has with them. Whether it mimicks their language and why they might allow it to join their gang when it is obviously so different to them in colour. I wonder if tried any other birds for company? And how it would respond to another ring-necked parakeet. It certainly looks to be in excellent health - bright eyed with a good plummage and lively. I was interested to see although it hangs with the jackdaws it can also comfortably spend time solo. Although it was charming and comical when it re-joined the jackdaws for a stroll down the fairway; walking with its pal and looking not unlike piglet and pooh.

I was totally stoked to have got loads of photos of this overseas visitor. It seems to have integrated well and has been accepted by the locals and enjoying life here. Meanwhile I thought I'd check out one last place on the way home. Wells o' Wearie is on the South side of the Innocent Railway cyclepath and often worth a visit. Orange tips and Small Tortoiseshells are regulars in the season. I hadn't been in a while and enjoyed a stroll about the several small ponds. Often there will be ducks there. Ken had said there was a willow near the middle pond (on the South side) that harboured several STs when he was there and more on the ground below. I found a couple of willows and the catkins were being enjoyed by insects and this blue tit. Which was brilliantly camouflaged - matching the background perfectly. 

This pair (or another identical pair) of Canada Geese nested here last year. I think they were scoping it out for nest building and/or egg laying so I kept well out their way after taking this photo.

As I was mooching about I disturbed this ST. I was most surprised although they are quite hardy beasts. It settled back on the straw and bracken and I wasn't at a decent angle for a photo but felt I should get this record shot just in case it vamoosed before I could get round the other side for a better photo. Just as well, as it flew off the next second and I didn't see where it next landed but it was heading South West at great speed, much to my annoyance! I skulked around for a bit but it did not return for round 2.

plenty bees about

I'd had my vaccination that day so felt the end of the c19 tunnel was in sight. With most of the vulnerable folk in the country now vaccinated it does feel like we can return to more normal behaviour with fewer dire consequences. Which points towards a potentially great Summer. Hurray!