lucky

 

19-05-23 On the way to Warriston, Mary saw some change on the road. See a penny and pick it up and all the day you'll have good luck. Well it kinda worked as we were rewarded directly and instantaneously by the mother goosander and chicks swimming up the WoL. I have been too lazy to troll up and down the river looking for them, but happily have bumped into them a couple of times. They seem to be slightly more successful than the mallard mums who start with many and often finish with much fewer. So it was a delight when they appeared for us. The mum is very wary so does not make it easy to get close for photos. It is particularly cute when the chicks ride on her back.

Mazza scrabbling for change.

comma and longhorn moth

longhorns

more (woodpecker shaped) luck

As we wandered towards the crypts a woodpecker flew across the path and landed on a large tree near to where we stood. This virtually never happens! More luck?! Unfortunately it didn't give us much opportunity for quality pics and was off again quite quickly. We saw another (or the same female) later.

wren

was it just subliminal that we had sausages later for dinner?

fine looking speckled wood

The longhorn moths were doing their dance in the trees again and I fought the inclination to take another million photos. They seem to have stopped now we are well into June but for a while they were one of the things in Warriston that really made the day.

OT female

About this point Andrew and Unda appeared and we went off to see if Marvin mouse was coming out to play. I have thrown seeds and bread near where he lives on many occasions without any sight of him. And yet A&U were not surprised when he appeared quite quickly. It was quite late in the day - nearer 6pm. Later than usual - maybe that is the secret. We have not seen him much since.

it was so dark under the large chestnut tree I used a flash
to light the scene, but it wasn't great

I heard a kind of snort. Somewhere between a pig grunt and a throaty snore. I had heard it already and knew it was the mother goosander who uses this noise to keep her clutch together. Unda was keen to get photos of the birds and we tried to keep up with them as they paddled downstream. 

Andrew and Mary waiting for Starvin' Marvin

mallard mum with just 2 left

a lovely mackeral sky to finish the day