waxwings of desire

 

4th Jan

Home and away. Or rather Away and Home. First the away game. Mary drove us to Gullane. Testing out her various frailties and runjuries we opted for the Gullane 8 miler which could be shortened to 5 miles if Mazza's aches were playing up. It was lovely to get out of town and see a bit of country and coastline but it was pretty Baltic and not a day for hanging around. The big camera stayed firmly in the backpack. There was also precious little to point it at, other than scenery, which the compact camera deals with fine.

As we ran East out of Gullane towards Archerfields I took a pic of these berries and shouted waxwings to Mary. I was still clutching to the fantasy that if I believed hard enough then these rare-ish migrants would somehow show up. The red berry trees in Pilrig Street had shed their fruit after attracting nothing more exotic than blackbirds and redwings. My waxwing fantasies were fading fast. Loudly crying face emoji.

butterfly at Archerfields gatehouse

At Archerfields gatehouse Mary asked to cut the route short and head to the coast then back, rather than go to Dirleton and Yellowcraigs then back. I knew this meant she was suffering and I found it hard to be upbeat and cheery. I suspected it was the bone numbing cold that was not helping. And since there was little wildlife about for pics, I was not worried about cutting the route short. 

these plus another 4 in a field near Archerfields

An alarming amount of trees had been cut down next to the golf course. Obviously I wasn't the first person to notice this and maybe wonder if it was being done to expand or enhance the local golf experience, rather than to benefit the countryside. I was pleased to see a sign at least suggesting the project was environmentally considerate, though very much doubt that it benefitted the murdered trees and evicted wildlife just quite as much as suggested. 

and very glad to see one of my favourite trees had survived

It was all pretty scenic, if Baltic. By the time we were coming back into Gullane there was still very little in the way of birds to photo. The plan had been to get out our big cameras and try to photo (for instance) fieldfares; which have in previous years been found in the low trees round the East end of the car park. (Haven't seen any this year yet.) However it was too cold for all that and about the only bird we saw was this dark grey job (below) in the trees which flew off as we got closer. I really didn't give it much consideration until examining it on the computer later. It seemed to have a crest and I couldn't think of any UK birds like it with a crest. I expected google to come up with a dark gray skylark or similar but there was a dearth of possibilities. One of the very few likely specimens was a waxwing. The tail matched that bird but they are a kind of blondy beigey colour in my mind. Not dark grey. (And often in sociable groups, not solo.) 

I popped it up on Lothian Birdwatch fb group after midnight and within 20 minutes 2 responders had identified it as a waxwing. Next morning a dozen more agreed, and it had created a small stir as waxwings have been very rare this season. By the time I'd gone along to the botanics looking for kingfishers next afternoon both Hugh and Ken were aware one had been spotted in Gullane and Ken (shown the post on someone's mobile) was intrigued to see my name against the sighting. "You're famous" he said when we met at the Chinese Hillside pond. Haha, a small ripple in a tiny pond.

waxwing apparently

a rare sighting this season

back to the car

We got home and the sun was still shining. I headed back out to Warriston. I'd get another 3 or 4 miles in and I really need them - in 20 years running I have never run so few weekly miles. And a lot of them just jogging along to Warriston and then walking for 2 miles and then jogging back. I have a held-over-for-covid Edinburgh Marathon place that will be happening in May. So I intend to get back to (full) fitness for that. My last 2 road marathons were reasonable at 3hrs01min but it would be good to go a wee bit faster than that. But with old age and laziness weighing in on the side of I doubt it, it will make for an interesting challenge. On the pro side I have a training partner in Nick who has a marathon booked in for about then too. He has a great record of being able to get from fat to fit at short notice, so I am putting my eggs in that particular basket. I am hoping an approaching holiday will kick start the process. The fit part, not the fat you understand! I'm already at max Winter splurge. 

Most of these bird pics are from the riverside section. I have been lurking around here more these days -  the paths you can see from Powderhall and Logie Green Rd across the river. A few folk have been putting down seeds for the birds and the chaffinches, coal tits, robin and blackbird are beginning to get to know me. Also if you slow down or stop and just listen, you realise the amount of wildlife about the place. And if you put out food and stand quietly often they (incl 3 squirrels) creep out the woodwork and show themselves. The coal tits and great tits are fearless and will sit on branches beside my head. Almost touching distance. The wren less so, but it likes to sit in the holly bush and shout a warning for everyone, that the bad man has arrived.

blackbird...

photobombed by a coal tit

hiding surplus

This was the first time I'd seen coal tits hide away surplus seeds. They'd eat a few then start collecting extras and secrete them in the ends of broken branches or in knots or gaps in tree bark. Very like squirrels burying nuts in times of plenty for the colder, hungrier times ahead. The coal tits are frenetic and I took dozens of photos only to find most of them out of focus or blurred by movement as they dash about the place, constantly flying back and forth.

coal tit

great tit

The robin here also behaves a bit like Hilter robin of the secret garden, chasing off the smaller birds from "his" food piles. There are several robins down the riverside section incl. a particularly friendly one near the tunnel. It has not come to my hand yet but will follow me about his area hoping I put down food. Similarly there are one or 2 friendly chaffinches that will sit really close.

the plucked remains of the dead pigeon at Rev Peddie's monument