best part of the day: angels in the graveyard

14th and 15th April

A couple of contrasting visits to Warriston cemetery. Well the available wildlife was quite similar, but the weather was not. A bit overcast on the 14th and then sunny on the 15th. Let's start with the 14th and a few photos I was going to bin but then thought worth including. Particularly the robin coming to Mary's hand for food which the camera caught with wings up, and looking, appropriately, just a little like an angel. It is difficult not to attribute qualities to the birds when they behave in such a friendly manner. It gives us a real boost to interact and often we come away from these exchanges feeling really blessed.

angelic?

greenfinch

Not a great photo of the greenfinch and not a bird I have seen lots in the cemetery. We came across 2 or 3 looking like they were establishing a mini-colony near the East Gate. But tried to play it down when we noticed; like card sharps turning over a table and saying no sir we were just chatting about the weather, see you later - bye!

the grumpy sparrowhawk

And on to the 15th. Much better weather and everything seemed to be out and about, although that can mean hunting for its dinner, which might be one of the other animals or birds. Just saying that before Disney gets hold of the the rights for Warriston the Movie starring a mother blackbird with a limp, a cheeky robin and a wise old owl who lives in a tree in the woods. And doesn't eat the chicks of the other birds out their nests.

battling speckleds

that robin still hungry!

nest-building blue tit takes a snack break

Speckled woods are the most numerous butterflies in the cemetery despite being one of the most recent arrivals. When newly emerged they have a nearly oily-blue sheen on dark chocolate brown wings with a greeny russet fluff.

wrens filling the air with song
or impressions of car alarms

snake's-head fritillary

gold finch with santa beard

Over near the East Gate we have spied a male blackcap. There may be a female as well but so far she gets the Anne Frank award for living concealed on the premises. The male catches our attention then flies off West to a small collection of trees hoping we will follow, taking us away from the nest if there is a nest. Last year a pair seemed to be nesting in the riverside area so this may be the same ones or others. Friends Andrew and Unda say they have seen or heard several pairs, and this would be great but if they are not coming out to play, (the birds, not A&U) what really is the point? They are quite a shy bird and are often heard more than seen. I was pleased to get some sunny video last year (27th April) of a male singing his heart out while I filmed him, holding my breath and pointing the camera with a smile on my face. Worth a look - 5 pics up from the bottom of this page. It doesn't get much better - the nightingale of the North!

2/3rds of a peacock

I have seen a few early peacock butterflies around the crypts. I haven't actually seen any emerge from the high windows. But I have seen a few directly in front of the long wall or sitting up high on the brickwork sunbathing, suggesting they might have emerged from the crypt windows. It is the closest I have come to having that theory proved, although in truth even one flying out from the crypt window doesn't prove they overwinter inside the crypts. Also the peacocks I have approached there seem to have been universally flighty and easily spooked, flying off when approached, even with stealth. Seeing large chunks out of wings (photo above) suggests they have to be wary of bird predation and this might account for it.

Mary in front of the crypts
looking out for birds!

A while ago (a year, 2 years ago?) there was a kestrel flew through the graveyard regularly. Then stopped. Just recently it started again though maybe a younger bird. There was a visit or 2 a while back from an older version who seemed much more flighty and would fly off if he saw you within 80metres. Recently a youngster (what do I know?) has been putting in appearances and letting me get a little bit closer. Not tossing bacon strips close, but within 40m, sometimes closer yet.

sunny comma

A good spot for butterflies is on the slope with daffodils just North of the tunnel. Commas and speckleds joust and fly up into the blossoming trees. I have seen more commas this Spring in Warriston than all the previous years (about 3 or 4) put together. The first few to appear all carried specific notches in wings which later versions did not. So unless they have been healing wings (pretty sure this doesn't happen) they are other specimens. I think the count is (at least) 7, and well on the way to double figures, although I haven't been keeping little photo IDs or pencil sketches of dorsal fins notches like orca watchers do, and am beginning to lose count of who has been seen already.

Ah now this comma (below) was the pick of the litter. However I had trouble getting close for a photo. I think it saw me coming and stopped the open wing sunbathing, wings ready to thrust down and push off. Also it sat right in the middle of the nettle patch. The photo above is me wading through shin deep nettles which I would not do for an average comma with big chunks out the wings. When it flew off it felt like it was for good. Mary said to have patience and it will return. We doubled round the cemetery and sure enough she spotted it again, although it was not much more obliging second time round. I have been unable to get the perfect shot or see it again since but always search that patch of nettles as I walk past, ankles tingling.

the once and future king
(most likely a female)

There's a comical crow who follows us round. It is getting really proficient at pretend innocence while panhandling, and if I am in a good mood, and it makes me smile, I drop a handful of booty on a flat stone. (Spoilt for choice.) It waits a moment then hops or flies over and eats its reward. I have seen it carry a beakful of peanuts and bury them carefully in mud under leaves. Its not even hungry and just does it for kicks.

comma on few-flowering leek down at the riverside

another (better) comma nearby but wouldn't sit on flowers

oh well that's not bad

speckled - curated itself on treebark for top presentation

that kestrel again!

got this close before it flew off!

bee-fly - doing the sign of five

who?

earth star fungus

front on peacock

We were considering lunch and heading home to get some but got sidetracked by this or that. 5 minutes later and Mary spots something silvery dropping out the sky and points. A holly blue! I possibly behaved in the manner of Corp Jones "Don't panic DON'T PANIC" then after getting a couple of average record shots and watching it fly away over walls and trees shouted HOLLY BLUE! Which is not to say the eagle has landed. Ken saw one along the road in Tesco's car park. With so much holly and ivy the place is probably regularly visited by passing HBs. However it was the first and only holly blue I've seen in Warriston in all the time I've been visiting, and I was pretty chuffed. I doubt it's a colony; more likely a passing emissary checking out the potential, and hopefully finding it to his liking. (Defo a male, the females have broad black bands on their front wings.) I only got a few photos and they were all the same, so to celebrate the moment here's another photo that is near enough identical to the first...!

blue beauty!

It has been a lively year for commas and holly blues. More than usual are being noticed by my lepidopterist pals. Which is a little good news among all the bad stuff of reduced areas for wildlife, endangered species and global warming. HBs have been spotted as far North as Wormit Bay just South of the Tay Bridge. Dalgety Bay being the furthest North, until that sighting. How did they cover the ground between? Until linking colonies are recorded, nobody knows.