2 cemeteries and a full moon

 

18th December

The high pressure continued, making for a brilliant Saturday. I had noticed the forecast and planned to hit my favourite 2 cemeteries.
First up, Newington; Mairi had posted a great selection of relatively exotic bird photos from the day before. Nuthatches, treecreeper, goldcrest and woodpecker. I was fairly sure they wouldn't be about 2 days in a row, that's not how magical days work. But I thought there might be enough good weather to bring out one or 2. Which was about the story. And it encouraged me to visit a place I hadn't been in ages. So all good, and jump on the bike and cycle up there for not long after 10am.

looking out the flat window; the sun coming over Holyrood Park

The frosty dew was melting and disappearing fast. I didn't lie down on the wet grass but did get the camera down as low as possible and used the screen (opened out and tilted) to see roughly the scene. Didn't realise they were so sparkly and with so much background bokeh until I got them home. 

I was speaking to a local - the guy who lives in the gatehouse(?) - about the bullfinches in the trees, when Mairi appeared. I was glad she had opted for another visit and could show me what to look for in which spots. And nice to catch up and chew over the year's butterflying experiences. Covid has stopped quite so much meeting up. 

I had had a coffee before setting off and was even more chatty than usual (as if I need an excuse) and I was only ever silent when Mairi raised an arm and pointed into the tree which we were standing below to indicate there was a woodpecker above us and maybe I should shut the f up! 😂 Unfortunately it didn't hang around long and I only got one usable image before it headed off and away.

redwing

There wasn't a huge amount of birds about but I enjoyed the guided walk and having a chat in such lovely surroundings just fine. And now know where to look for which birds. And then Molly turned up. Happily she brought along a Grey Wagtail which hopped around while I dashed about trying to get photos. It was a cracking specimen and seemed to have more of a coloured front than most.

M & M

I went back to the woodpecker's tree for a last look before retrieving my bike and cycling off home. Mary had called while I was there to see if I was on my way to Warriston yet. We worked out it would be best if I called home, dropped off the bike and we both walked along to Warriston. The good weather was holding up. I had a quick snack at home, then we headed out again. 

blackbird on way into St Mark's

skyline from St Mark's Park

I was particularly keen on this steeple repair scaffolding.

we stopped to take pics of the bullfinches in the park

who would use this window feeder of the nearest house

A black dog, possibly chasing squirrels, was sat at the bottom of the tree in the photo above, barking at elusive squirrels. With each woof, it exhaled a small cloud of visible breath. They would float across and into the light, looking more like ghosts than barks.

stock doves

If birds are sitting at the tops of the trees I often have to use my camera as a telescope to see if they are worthwhile or not. Mary chastises me for placing a greater tariff on rarer birds or fresher butterflies. But it is the reason my photos are better than hers! I have a harder work ethic! Anyway I was disappointed to note the 2 birds at the top of the tree were pigeons and not worth the photo. But as nothing else was about, might as well take a shot. Closer examination shows them not to be wood pigeons, or feral pigeons (rock doves), but stock doves which are much rarer, especially in town in Winter. They don't have white marks on neck (wood pigeons) and have very black eyes. Making this photo one of the best today! Which I didn't realise when I took it. 

riverside robin

heron or poly bag?
upper one heron; lower, poly bag.

Here's a thing. I took the photo of the black headed gull on the sandstone as well as a close up with mostly the bird filling the frame. But the more stonework in the photo the better it looks. Possibly the orange / blue contrast. Many of my favourite paintings have orange and blue primarily as the colour range. And it doesn't work (for me) with just any opposite colour combo such as red / green or yellow / purple. Although I wouldn't recommend them as an interior decor colour scheme.

Walking back home through St Mark's we enjoyed taking photos of the hazy skyline and then the full moon. In fact we probably took longer to get home that we stood around in Warriston. The moon appeared near the horizon and so we made it walk along the rooftops until it began to climb into the evening sky. Mary went into the supermarket to get stuff on the way home and I went along to Dalmeny St Park to see what the moon was up to.

you'd think the chance of a bird flying across the moon was slim

but it nearly happened several times and we didn't wait all night

so nearly!

balancing the moon on a chimney

two small, too low

next to the Citroën garage - love the colours

in the park

right that's enough - home for dinner!

Leith almost looking attractive!
wish we got more good weather like this!

South to Newington: 7.5 miles (cycle + walk) 3hrs
West to Warriston: 4.3 mile walk about 2.5hrs