best part of the day: april showers

30-04-23

April was so wet, wet, wet it spilled over into May. Happily there were moments of sunshine between the pails of rainwater, and we tried to nip along to Warriston cemetery to make the most of any brightness. It didn't always go smoothly though, and Mary would find herself consoling a frenzied lunatic standing under a tree, drips slapping goretex, spluttering with rage about how piss poor a country we live in, and when can we move to Spain?

blackcap

That was the 30th April and it started quite well. The forecast suggested the lowering grey sky might clear for a spell, although with this mixed weather we've been having, the forecast is often quite wide of the mark. We left the house with a light drizzle hanging in the air. Now you may be thinking why don't I just ignore the rain and man up? It not only dampens my mood while being mildly unpleasant, but it totally fugs up the photography. My camera is not shower proof. I carry freezer bags and whip them over the camera when it rains. And the results are always disappointing. The photos look crisp and fine in the camera but when you get them onto the PC monitor they are cold, noisy and flat. There is a lack of detail and sharpness that comes only with sunshine or brighter light.

I will demonstrate this by posting 2 days photos in this one blog. Second day was sunnier and the photos warmer, sharper and more detailed. This won't come as a surprise to anyone who takes photos regularly. You can improve things by spending many thousand pounds on equipment but I don't know if that would improve my mood sufficiently. And I may yet resort to this drastic measure.

depressingly ratty photo due to dull light

The sun came out from behind the clouds for 5 mins during which this

arboreal speckled changed perch and I got the one sunny photo!

unusual place to ask for your beloved's hand in marriage

and yet, moments later.....?

Actually quite a few moments later. I was sort of impressed the council got round to fixing this hole in the East wall. Not that you'd want to compare the level of craftsmanship or invisible mending skills to the original. (And like diy washing machine repairs there's always extra bits left over afterwards that you have no need of!) However it stopped anyone else sneaking in without an extra 1000 yards walk to any of the other entrances. And they dumped a load of ivy and garden waste at the Powderhall / St Marks bridge climb-over. Which wasn't that helpful but can still be crossed with care. Anyway, good to see they have the public's interest at heart.

we caught this blue tit bathing in a memorial stone that was filling with rain

Bethea Jelly - now that's a name!

And widow of John Caravanna?
Q: Do you like camping John? A: No, I'm a caravanna

wren

blue tit

This large horse chestnut tree provided some shelter when the rain became too heavy to ignore. We had waterproof clothing but still, it is depressing standing under a tree while the rain increases, eventually dripping heavily through the leaves and plopping onto your nose and down your back. It looks quite green and pleasant in the photo. And yes I do like the photo - it made the top-of-the-pops-slot above. However it has been forced through improvements in post and wasn't quite that cheerful in reality: well a different sort of increased saturation perhaps.

On the upside, although I was hard pushed to admit any upside at the time, this spot is quite useful for birdwatching. There was a bullfinch eating the seedy brown remains of what might be sheep sorrel, then a pair of blackcaps we have been trying and failing to stalk. They showed themselves better on this occasion than any previous or since, and I managed to get the best photos this year, including of the female who has been super-reclusive.

female blackcap (has a brown cap)

accusatory stare from male blackcap

"you lookin' at ma burd?"

chaffinch singing in the rain

One of our crow friends who follows us around the cemetery. Eventually I will put out some food and it will wait till the coast is clear then tip off its perch and collect the food from the place I have left it.

all this would be lovely if dry and sunny

Helen Miles mosaic near the tunnel

05-05-23

Okay compare and contrast. So on this occasion we were expecting much the same as the last visit and left the house with a fine drizzle in the air. However as we arrived a mile along the road, the clouds parted slightly and the sun rubbed its eyes having been asleep for a fortnight. Instantly it was so warm we had to remove hats and jackets and suddenly from nowhere butterflies burst forth. They must have been crouching in the shrubs and long grasses for days at a time, waiting, waiting, waiting for this moment. And I complain because there are a couple weeks of sub-optimal weather in the Spring. That could be half a lifetime for an orange tip. They have to keep their powder dry and wings at the ready for those precious few moments which could mean the difference between finding a mate and going to their graves unfulfilled. No wonder they are zipping among the tombstones frantically searching out an opposite number.

Oh I forgot we took a non-direct route to Warriston on this occasion. I wanted to walk half a mile down the river to where goosanders often glide. They have chicks at this time and I really wanted to photograph them - or at least find some fluffy mallard ducklings. Nope. Just a nesting moorhen trying to sell a vacant lot on an unlikely midstream branch to its reluctant wife. And a wren on a fence.

Warriston was an explosion of colour and butterflies. I had arrived by the bridge climb and had already snapped a comma, an orange tip and blackbird and blue tit in the stream, before Mary arrived. She had not wanted to climb and chose the long way round via Tescos step over. We both went through the tunnel and up to the slope of daffodils where we'd anticipated the joint might be jumpin'. And it was!

blow dried blue tit

green veined white

speckled with bluebell backdrop
Mary saw this image, and I moved in afterwards to steal it!

The wonky antenna identifies this specimen
Alan C later photo-ed it in cop with another over by the crypts.

small white

speckled wood

green veined white

The weather was deteriorating again. We were in pretty good spirits though as it had been great up till then. The standard of photo plummets with the barometer; so we felt it was time to pack up and head home.

This songthrush was rattling out various different tunes at great volume. Mary is very good for putting words in the same rhythm to the beat of its song and giving humorous interpretations of what they are shouting about. A great tit exclaiming "I'm a cheeky wee bugger" sort of thing. I must start writing them down as it is a whole woodland conversation and helps remind you of which song belongs to which bird. And none of them as tame as the traditional "a little bit of bread and no cheese" as attributed to the yellowhammer.