tidying up

 

19-11-22

I am trying to clear a few things off my hard drive, photo folders, from mid-November till now, in order to leave space for incoming of which I hope there will be lots. I have not blogged these photos and feel that if I throw them all together in one catch-up blog I can cut and paste the folders to an external drive and be done with them.

Being dark and cold winter months they are not terribly exciting but there was a couple of things I didn't want to dump without reviewing. And a nagging suspicion that if I don't keep my blog ticking over, it will stall and nose dive. First up another walk up the WoL, and that kingfisher. He was there again. He seems to be there 2 out of 3 visits and can be easy to start to take for granted. He turns his back rather than flies away and on dull weather days the images can be less than great. But it is a real treat to see a bird in Scotland with such spectacular plumage, and it gets us out for an 8 mile walk.

I suspect it will be like the tame otter; the one that was otter-in-residence in Dunsapie for a few months. A couple of years down the line and we'll nostalgically reflect on the uncharacteristic behaviour. Remember that Winter we hiked up to the gallery nearly every weekend?! Even further than the daily trips in the Summer to see the humming-bird hawk-moth.

a crowd gather round Mary
Is it an otter? they asked.

trip hazard

20-11-22

Next up, next day and another trip to Warriston. I had to look up what sort of trees these attractive Paper or White Birch are. In a garden in Pilrig St. Thumbless mitt on railings along walkway to St Mark's. And a thrush, song, not mistle. Comparatively rare these days, used to be common in everyone's back gardens when I was a kid.

I have to restrain myself and not be rude about these young instagramothers. But Halloween was 3 weeks ago. Expensive camera equipment to capture charity shop rags? But hey it's good to have a hobby. 

Today I was testing some suet pellets I got from Tescos although I've seen them in Dofos as well. So on the brick towers I put out sunflower hearts (left), homemade bread (centre) and suet pellets (right) with insects. I do wonder where these are made and is it in a factory where they produce human food? Are the little flies etc. humanely killed or do they just make the suet pellets outdoors somewhere where the flies settle on it? It is vegan friendly if you are not eating it but only feeding it to natural predators. I checked the packet which says the pellets are flavoured with mealworms. Beetle larvae not flies. Pretty sure vegans would have a problem with this. But not many others. 

Hitler prefers bread.

although he did try a suet pellet but didn't get much further
than tasting a bit and leaving the rest

I believe birds require higher energy foodstuff in colder weather and that's maybe when the pellets will sell better. The smaller birds are big fans of the sunflower seeds, possibly because the size of them fits the bill. 

Mary was interested to see if the robin would come to her hand. Usually after he has been feeding on the bricks he won't bother, as he has already eaten plenty. However I think he flew over to sit on Mary's hand 3 times, just to prove me wrong! It was nice to see him so friendly. We've been by since and he refused to sit on any hands, so he isn't always accommodating.

watch the birdy

coal tit

on the way out I left the remainder of my bread
as no point in taking it home

21-11-22

In order to cheer up a cycle to the Gyle to buy paint that is not sold in town, I went via the Ferry Road cyclepath and then dropped down to the WoL path to check out Mr Kingfisher. He wasn't there. I then went upstream to the bridge near Jenners Depot. Just beyond Roseburn (before Murrayfield) there is a corner where the goosanders like to gather. I saw a kingfisher downstream of here a year or 2 back, so it is probably one of these nature rich corners. Also the path is quite high above the riverbank and so there is no direct access for humans to get that close to the action. But is worth a quick look to see if anything is about. There were maybe a dozen-plus gooseanders (geeseander?) 4~5 males, 7~9 females. While I was getting the camera out a passer-by asked had I seen the heron up there? I had not, thank you!

so here is where the heron was chilling:
car showroom just west of Roseburn

at full zoom (1350mm equivalent), a half decent close up

coming through!

It was a bit dark down on the river. Not enough light for decent photos and the male gooseanders have very dark green feathers. I persisted for a bit but knew it wouldn't make for great photos. Only I've not had many gooseander encounters of late and they can be very elegant waterfowl. It was also very baltic. I got very cold and had to cycle quickly afterwards to generate some heat. 

that pigeon is wearing fancy white gloves!

female gooseander

While I was standing shivering I saw this rat scuttling about in the undergrowth directly below. It saw me and was not happy. It was not sure whether to slink off or continue to the shops. It hoped I thought it slunk off, then cunningly doubled back upstream. I took a lot of photos but these 2 were the only viable. 

BTW the paint shop story is complex. I had to match this unusual paint brand: Tikkurila. Only place (other than online order) is out at the Gyle. I put the map into my Suunto and tried to bike there via nice cyclepaths. It is only 3 miles beyond Roseburn, so not the end of the world. I buy the paint but when I get home (17miles later) the girl has given me woodwork paint not emulsion. (My brain was a bit cold when I was in the shop and although I said Matt I may not have said emulsion: she gave me a (semi-)matt finish woodwork paint.)(I just checked the serial number, having never bought the stuff before I didn't realise I should have bought Optiva 3 not Helmi 10.) 

I cycle back the next day not stopping to photograph birds. No cooling down period. On the way there I go through various different scenarios in my head, from demanding, to asking, to just paying for another tin. It takes nearly 2 hrs to get there and back so at £20 per hour plus £20 for tin and same on return next day... a litre of paint could cost me £120. Crying face emoji!

In the end (it is only £20, fuck it!)(although for just one litre, is it quite expensive) I ask for another tin and to make sure it is matt emulsion. And I don't bother blaming anyone. Or asking for discount. I am served by the same girl who has a think about yesterday while making up the colour and when she comes back she gives me the correct paint for free. I tell her I really appreciate it. It is the best possible outcome, although when subsequently I take a swatch and get a larger tin made up in a local paint producers shop a mile away from home, it is indistinguishable from the Tikkurila original. In case you're wondering Tikkurila originates near Helsinki. It has a very nice Finnish.  

duck a l'orange

27-11-22

More of the same: Friday 27th and Mary and I go visit the kingfisher via Warriston. The sun is out a fair bit although not many birds at Warriston are.

First up though, this Amaryllis. Mary bought it in Lidl when it was just 2 small green stumps poking out the earth. I wasn't with her and might have tried to dissuade her as I find amaryliss a bit vulgar and obvious. But hey, each to their own. It has since produced 8 (slightly ghastly but) undeniably impressive flower-heads and has even resisted/survived being knocked to the floor by Mary. It is cheerful and has won me over. Not easy at this hateful time of the year. It is also an anagram of Mary is all.

On a bright sunny day nearly everything has a goodlooking vibe. These old tired squares of colour on a flat entranceway on Pilrig Street look worthy of a photo. And I'm still watching those berries for waxwings. (Rumour has it that they have been spotted at Silverknowes and Gullane. None near me as yet! I remain vigilant!)

and a triceratops on the way to Warriston!

cyclepath robin

I wish folk wouldn't leave their litter in Warriston.
You should put that in your house next to your murdered tree.

riverside robin

This is the downstream riverside robin who doesn't do handfeeding but will stand and look at you from no distance away. The proper riverside robin seemed to be absent, as were quite a few feathered friends. There must have been an away match on or something.

Little Hitler turned up and stood on my hand for a few marvelous seconds. I could feel the grip of his claws and it turns me inside out. Just checked the photo info and he stood there from 11.56.56 until 11.57.01 during which I took 10 photos. I started to video him but he said just stills today thanks and flew off. 

Mary had been off doing something else very important no doubt but texted me to ask was I still about. She turned up shortly and even got the robin to sit on her hand. I wasn't expecting that and fluffed the photo as a result.

oops missed the moment.
Circle of shame = robin flying off

coal tit

nice to see a dunnock
(arch enemy of robins everywhere!)

right let's go find the kingfisher

It is great to have to walk 4 miles to above the Dean Village. We are not running many miles these days and it gets us to go 7 or 8 miles up and down the river whether we see Mr KF or not. Usually there'll be something worth a photo or we just have a pleasant walk and chat. 

Rodney tunnel

For a change we went through Rodney Tunnel rather than Canonmills by the river and I was disappointed not to find the Helen Mills mosaic in there. It is quite dark so I couldn't be sure it wasn't there but also couldn't see it. 

there's always plenty heron action

grey wagtail - ordinary name for a lovely bird

in the absence of the kingfisher this was defo next best thing

then we spotted our friend

I think Mary had wandered further upstream and I came across the kingfisher which had just landed nearby. I now had a dilemma: do I run upstream to alert Mazza and risk losing sight of the target? I wondered about asking a passer-by to tell the woman in the purple jacket round the corner taking photos of dead leaves and reflections in the water to get herself back here superquick.

Instead a lightbulb came on and I texted her. Not long ago I tried to join the modern world by getting an iPhone. My brother kindly donated his old one and I have been getting to grips with it since. I don't really use it much outside because I am not a teenage phone zombie, but occasionally it has its uses. I saw Mary come back round the corner trying to read the nearly indistinguishable text I had sent. (One of the reasons I resisted getting a smart phone is I have large spatulate fingertips that don't easily dance around the cramped qwerty layout on a tiny screen.) Anyway in the 3 months I've had it that is about the best use I've found for it.  

The kingfisher was being pretty clever today. We would lose sight of it as it flew downstream. After walking up and down the same stretch we then found it further upstream than we expected. It had somehow got past us, which is not bad going given the river is about 12~15 yards wide and the bird is unmistakably bright turquoise and orange. We took some more photos but the light was murky. We also tried to remind ourselves what a treat it is just to see this bird close up and not take its presence for granted. Of course this is nearly impossible to do. But it does inspire us to wander up there regularly which underlines the huge attraction of this delightful bird.

a pee in the woods

weir above the Dean Village

Just on the wall side of this metal staircase is an unusual collection. Nobody ever looks over the non-weir side because all the action is happening on the river as it plunges over the waterfall. However on the other side of the metal steps anything that floats collects there on what might have once been a fish ladder. There were 5 footballs this time and I think a rugby ball had joined by the next visit. 

a question of sport

obligatory heron

adios muchachos!