mid may

 

13th and 15th May

A couple of local outings that were enjoyable enough and produced some photos I'd like to archive here. First up, the 13th was a very windy day and Mary and I went for a walk round Holyrood. On the least windy slope between the tourist path to the summit and Dunsapie Loch there were a clutch of small birds all chatting in the long grass and sticks, just South of the car park and up the hill a bit. 

stonechat (m)

stonechat (f)

is this a whitethroat?

I hadn't seen any before except other people's photos and was pleased to see this one with the stonechats and reed buntings. Interestingly the female stonechat was less timid than the male and came quite close, presumably telling me off for invading her space. The male hung around sheepishly in the background.

reed bunting

greenfinch

jackdaw

Mary fighting a strong wind

pheasant

Next up the 15th May and when the sun showed itself late afternoon I grabbed the camera and ran out the door to Warriston. Last couple of trips to the cemetery have proved a bit different - it's as if all my wee pals - the robins and garden birds - have all gone into hiding. Which may well be the case as they will be raising broods and spending every minute feeding them and keeping them from danger. The butterflies tend to call it a day mid-afternoon but in some sunny spots there were a few orange tips and whites still fluttering about. Highlight of the brief trip was these 2 on garlic mustard, creating the next generation. There was another male hassling them but eventually he realised it was not to be, and flew off leaving the pair in peace. They were unperturbed by me wading through the nettles to take dozens of photos from all angles, in close up macro mode, as well as a couple of metres away in zoom. 

dappled sunlight

All the leaves now on the trees makes the place very different and there isn't as much light under the trees for taking photos and videos.

This orange tip below seemed to have unusual markings on its left wings until I got close enough to see it had possibly got them crumpled when emerging and there was a permanent kink in them. It didn't impair its powers of flight; it was still managing fine.

lots of speckled woods about

GVW

When the sun goes behind the clouds you'll often find orange tips close their wings and go into a kind of stasis, a zombie-like condition. You can gently encourage them onto a finger and place them on a suitable flower for a photo. 

second male OT trying to crash the party

chasing a green-veined white

If you turn the volume up you can hear there wasn't a complete absence of birds. Nothing happens in the video but it gives a sense of the surroundings - the peace and quiet (birdsong excepted) of the place and time. Which I found very meditative and mindful.