off to warr again

 

16/11/22
Off to Warriston again. Can't remember how come I had Monday off, it may have been the forecast. Mary joined me later in the day and we checked out the Botanics. Him at the top of the page is the riverside robin. He came to my hand for bread twice and it was nice he recognised me again after a something of a break. I'm still not sure whether he is the parent or offspring I had been feeding at the other end of the year. But, as with the last visit, one of them no longer lives by the sticky tree.

blue tit on points

squirrel in winter coat

When I wandered up to the secret garden the other robin was there and was happy to sit on my hand (not just land and take off in the same moment) and take his time choosing the best piece of bread. I think it might have been on this occasion I got there to find both the brick towers (where I place food for birds) knocked over. It's not the sort of place that attracts neds, so I assume a larger dog smelled the remnants of food and stood up with front paws on one tower then the next and knocked them both over. If I had one wish it would be to discourage dog walkers from actually coming into this area entirely. Most are well behaved and many, if they see me taking photos from the other end will exit back out that side without coming past to disturb things at this end. A few come past keeping their dogs in check and a few, a really quite small but noticeable number, let their dogs run about like crazy, eating bird food and chasing the wildlife. Since there is already far too much intolerance in the world I usually just say lovely day, smile and let it pass. Not necessarily what I am thinking.

Talking of intolerance I can't be the only person to think that recent incident with Lady Susan Hussie asking Ngozi Fulani where she was from, got way more attention than it merited. Yes it was mildly racist. But was it worth making a fuss about? Ngozi Fulani felt it "was like an interrogation. Although not physical violence, it is an abuse." Really? An 82 year woman, with an entirely different set of cultural values, was trying to make chit chat at a conference dealing with violence against women and Ngozi reckons this is a prime example and holds it up for scrutiny claiming to have been abused. To me it suggests Ms Fulani should not be in a position of responsibility that requires recognition of what is, and what is not, a serious issue.

I judge her intolerance as contentious, and her feelings of abuse exaggerated for the purpose of retribution and spite, knowing she can count on the current fashions to uphold whatever complaints are issued in a black voice, without question. She is saying the whole world has to obey her rules because if she detects one speck of racism then someone's going to pay. To me her deliberate intolerance of someone who has grown up in a very different culture, is no better than racism itself, in fact it is a kind of racism. It is intolerance and hatred of that which is different from her own values.

I worry that this example and similar cultural liberalisms will help push the pendulum so far in one direction that it will swing back in a forceful manner, giving weight and direction to those of the opposite persuasion. The way the Black Lives Matter campaign was very successful in fuelling the far right and opponents of equality.

That said, it was the right thing to do for the royal family to throw old Lady Handbag under the bus, and move on as swiftly as possible. They/she was never going to win that argument. And god knows how many times we'd have to listen to the word "privilege" doing the rounds.

poser!

Meanwhile back at the secret garden little hitler robin 

is caught the moment before he shoots upward into the air.

When I rebuilt this tower of bricks I didn't notice it had developed a lean until I had finished. I have since jammed a stick in on the right, a couple of bricks down, to bring it up to horizontal. You'll notice the next few images appear to have a level brick-top. Not so! I just cropped them squint to make it look like that

great tit

coal tit

blue tit

treecreeper - less common visitor

wren sandwich

Now this is a wren. Like the treecreeper, a less common species in the secret garden area and they won't take seeds and bread from the top of the brick towers. They prefer to hunt insects and bugs in dark places and under leaf litter, so this was a relatively rare appearance, looking for snacks between the bricks.

Mary turned up and after a few more photos we went for a quick tour. She was unimpressed by the ladybirds which having been out and about of late are beginning to collect into groups for the Winter huddle.Various crows were trying to get our attention and perhaps a handout. A rare but not unheard-of appearance by a grey wagtail brightened up the stones near the crypts. They rarely come North of the tunnel and prefer to paddle at the small stream that goes from the tunnel to the river.

9 orange ladybirds

grey wagtail

another robin encounter

always popular bread

We had a bit of a wander round the Botanics but there wasn't much there, and they were nearing completion of the Christmas light show so the place was full of plastic and light fittings. It restricts regular visits slightly.

new print gone up

Powderhall Bridge robin keeping right toes warm