marching as to warriston

 

4th 6th and 8th March

Using the verb March: to sullenly trudge through the third month vainly in search of Spring.

As an experiment I marshalled the team (Mary and I) out the door early to see if it is worth getting out the scratcher and heading out at the crack of 8.15. I remember the forecast saying sunny earlier cloud later and this was the deal maker really; I am not an early bird by choice. Was it worth it? Not really. Although going across St Mark's park we photo-ed a woodpecker which most likely wouldn't have happened later in the day. Mary heard it, and we followed our ears to a high tree. They have been very thin on the ground around Warriston this year so we were thrilled to get a couple of meh pics before it saw us and fled over to Warriston. 

great spotted woodpecker

oops we've been made!

There has been a glut of wrens in the cemetery. Heard more than seen. They have a tendency to perch in a prominent spot and cheep like the blazes. So if you stand still and scan the area of the peeping, you can often see them on a twig or gravestone calling out, before they duck into the undergrowth. Much as I like the wrens and the challenge of getting a decent shot of them, I'd happily swap some for a woodpecker or 2!

mrs hopalong

Or peggy as I have started calling her, went AWOL for a few days. I do worry when any of the regulars fail to come out for a snack and chat, and just hope they didn't come to a premature end. However after a few days (when I thought she might be sitting on a nest) she has reappeared. Her boyfriend has been much more regular and comes when I whistle.

The snowdrops are now fading as are the crocuses. The daffs are all out and making the place look very Springlike. A bit of sunshine and you half believe the butterflies will be out soon. A quick look back at previous year's blogs and it tends to be an early outlier mid-March but more likely the third week and butterflies in their ones and 2s, usually along riverbanks. The ones that overwinter like peacock, small torts and admirals. And a comma if you're lucky! Last year it was March 19 that they appeared although the first sighting was a stray in late Feb on a singularly warm day. This year a few dull grey days are stopping them appear and today, the 20th, reports are scarce - a few in the warmer Borders, one or 2 outliers in the Lothians. I find it more rewarding to photo the available subjects than chase ghosts. Also, (some of) the birds are actually very welcoming and give a hoot that I appear. You rarely get that sort of feedback from butterflies. And I've found their companionship to be the best route mentally through a long Winter.

the tunnel (with bathing stream on left)

treecreeper

elegant if standoffish whft

Spring song

the White Elizabeth owl rolls its eyes

We went along to the Botanics.
Not much there, although good to see this starling.

back home via Warriston again
And the fully tailed wagtail.

Also a real joy to photo Starvin' Marvin the cemetery mouse. In all truth almost certainly not the one that was seen near the 1859 stone at the other end of the riverside area. It was a bit shivery and didn't flee as promptly as it should have when a large dog came over to raid the gravestone for bread. But it was getting a good feed from the fallen seeds and bread. 

We returned by Warriston Road. A female kingfisher has been regularly dooking for fish along this section and can often be observed from the raised walkway along Powderhall to St Marks bridge. We had seen it 6 trips in a row and were almost becoming casual about sightings and photos. However it has a tendency to fly off when it saw us, or fly in behind the overhanging greenery making it impossible to get photos. You've got to be super quick as it will land on a branch for a pic then flies off before you have zoomed in properly. Lots of swearing. Also members of the public going past NOT quietly!!! Imagine that!

On the 7th visit it failed to appear breaking my run of luck then appeared for 8th and 9th, but who's counting? Thing is we were beginning to get into the habit of going to Warriston via the raised walkway and lurking at Logie Green Rd. We would see our wee pals (the riverside robins and Mrs Hopalong's boyfriend across the river. And without thinking, shout or whistle a hello at them. And perhaps recognising us (on the wrong side of the river) they flew across to say hello. It was very touching and although partly motivated by me putting seeds out for them I felt like we had arrived, had somehow made the grade, made friends! It was far more heartwarming than the kingy seeing us and instantly fucking off!

on the way home saw this excellent cat-and-curtains combo!

6th March

I know it looks as if I spent a lot of the late Winter cutting myself slack and not working. That is most likely the case but I find it the best way to get through what is otherwise a chronically depressing and miserable time of the year. The only thing that really suffers is my PC hard drive, which is so full I have to skim off all excess files to an external hard drive and even then it still complains. And I can't delete the photos before I have archived them here, which I do on the non-sunny days. 

it's all about trust

dunnock

song thrush

woodpigeon

bullfinch

the crypts

As butterflying days approach I keep an eye on the catacombs. I refuse to relinquish the theory that overwintering butterflies come streaming out of the top windows when the sun warms the stone sufficiently. Despite no evidence over 3 years of selling this invention to whoever will listen. An ongoing project!

Another greatly pleasing annual is this Glory in the Snow (Chionodoxa lucilaie). Not just the sporadic electric clusters that light up the cemetery but this solo stem that appeared last year and this in the retaining notch of this pedestal stone. The main stone is missing or fallen but the little rectangular absence contains a singular shoot that flowers for a week in March above the apt message "mors janua vitae": death, gateway to life. 

I love it when wrens fan their tails and wings
when shouting, to impress us with their tremendous size!

pair of dunnocks

I tend to look past the stones to the wildlife but sometimes the light falls on one in such way as to catch the eye. I wondered if this one was a deliberate connection between the name Handyside and the carving above. 

lots of thrush presence

Another trip that ended with a walk over to Powderhall and standing around waiting on the kingy making an appearance or not. With some lovely company from the riverside robin and Mr Hopalong.

recharging the batts with vitD

8th March...
rinse and repeat

I'm surprised the trees manage to survive the onslaught of squirrels and finches

eating so many of the buds and new growth.

another search from along the other side of the river

Morning is best as the sun casts a shadow over the cemetery side of the river after about 1pm. Unfortunately Mrs. Kingy doesn't always oblige and sometimes the frustration makes you wish for a long pole to shoogle the overhanging tresses that hide the turquoise beauty. Go past often enough and you will catch a streak of greeny blue whizzing up the river, or sat on an overhanging branch.

cormorant (a few of these recently)

there are also a pair of goosanders on this stretch

No photos of the KF so along the road, back over the bridge and into Warriston via the Tescos step-over wall. Always a great welcome from the garden birds. The blue tits and great tits tend to notice us right away and send up a call. Most of the birds will give an altruistic shout of here comes the bread guy rather than look only to their own needs, and soon the feeding area is busy with the frip of tiny wings while the robins and wrens sing in the bushes. We stand still with cameras held ready while they zoom in from behind nearly parting hair in their hurry.

blue tit

dunnock

coal tit, robin

There are various bits of the cemetery to visit. On the way we pass the illustrated noticeboard. Because we are ancient and heading into dementia territory we try to keep our unreliable brains (our nearly full hard drives) fresh with memory exercises. What is the name of the guy wearing the lantern who started the Edinburgh festival 200 years ago I ask Mazza. "Felix" she says. "Felix who?" "Felix the Cat, surname, the Cat" Well that'll do for the moment.

And can you name the 7 creatures depicted on the noticeboard. She gets wren, robin and sparrowhawk then starts guessing random birds. It's like that party game where you produce a tray with items on it then cover it with a cloth and you have to remember the items. Or the conveyer belt at the end of the Generation Game. Here's something, now have a look, now it's gone and hey presto so is your stupid memory. Is that why the years fly by these days? Nothing sticks and the whole shebang just slips past on a conveyor belt without any of it enduring.  I have split the noticeboard seven into 2 groups. Wren, robin and great tit; the usual suspects. Then four rarities: fox, bat, owl, sparrowhawk. Okay cover that tray I think I've got it. Didn't he do well?

hoverfly warming up

mallard couple by riverside
snoozing, but look a little closer....

keeping an eye on surroundings

blackcap area (sans blackcaps)

Another visit from this wren that comes along to clear up at the feeding area near the tunnel. They don't usually frequent bird tables but this one has a wee mooch around this low stump for a snack, after the other birds have finished with it. 

on the way to the Tesco's exit, the robins ask if there is any left overs 
they are so bold there is a danger of getting caught underfoot

quick check for that flippin' kingfisher

how much is that doggie in the window?

Terrence

A sad postcript. Obvs our neighbours enjoy the free-range mice we flatshare with, less than we do. Mostly they (the mice) keep to the arrangement of waiting till we go to bed before scampering about looking for snacks. If we keep the place fairly snack free they stick to the agreement of not turning up in plague proportions and we turn a blind eye. Although sometimes they forget and pop out in daylight making us jump and blurt out staccato blasphemies. 

The neighbours were moving out and so possibly them or the landlord put out poison to limit the welcoming party for the next tenants. This is all surmise as we are not that close with the neighbours.  So a few days ago the first casualties appeared. One identified as a stench of death. Despite a massive re-arrangement of the entire hall running shoes collection no mouse corpse could be found and it was reckoned it was already on the other side (of the skirting board). The aromas eased off after a couple of days. Just realised I don't know if we actually checked inside the shoes!!!

Then the tragedies. A tiny mouse appeared on the kitchen floor. Instead of travelling close to the speed of sound and hugging skirting boards this walking-wounded staggered out into the main thoroughfare before deciding to lie down for a rest. We assumed poison and rather than let it crawl off to die (and stink up another unreachable corner) we made up a little contained deathbed with kitchen roll covers and snacks and water. Sure enough it didn't last long.

Next specimen was a similar story and staggered out onto the lounge floor while we watched tv. It was accommodated in a luxurious paint tray with plenty food and water. Which included almond butter on oatcake. I had baulked at spending £8 on a jar of fancy peanut butter then relented. Obvs I must be far too rich these days if I didn't fight my corner for why Mary was not getting this unnecessary extravagance. Anyway, it was worth it as "Terrence" our lodger ate so well, he worked up the energy to escape the paint tray while were watching tv. He was rehoused in a Hoka shoebox and seemed pretty happy. Water, snacks and kitchen roll blankets were provided but alas next morning he had crossed the rainbow bridge to mousy heaven. (See pic above.) It was a shame.

However at least one family member survived according to late night scratchings and scufflings so maybe it was a necessary cull. Incidentally Mary shares my joy of the little creatures and was equally saddened by the loss of Terrance, and wrote about it in her blog here. More animal ER to come. And presumably butterflies if the weather ever improves.