here and there

 

19th Nov.

Every few weeks we feel obliged to take the Berlingo out for a spin. Otherwise it can take the huff and stop working. Particularly in the damp cold winters. Doesn't like those at all. So Sunday 19th seemed like a decent day to scoot along to Gullane and see what wildlife we could see and get a few lungfuls of sea breeze. As we were doing the flight check list - making sure there was plenty fluids where they should be and none where they shouldn't (the footwell sometimes gathers a small pond of rainwater) - I heard and saw the twitter of waxwings. Just a handful, high in a nearby tree. A few more gathered and a few more were in other trees in Dalmeny Street Park where we'd photographed them before. 

So grabbing cameras we locked the Berlingo and went for a quick stroll across the road to the corner of of the park where the waxwings would swoop down and feed on the remaining berries. The topmost berries had already been cleaned off so they were coming down lower than before which made for decent photos. Or would have if the sun had been just a smidge higher and lighting them up. It was just catching the tops of the trees so we got some sunny pics but wasn't ideal. (Note top photo here and the difference the sun makes versus the next shot down.) What was ideal was the lack of other photographers. With just Mary and myself and a passing dogwalker or 2, the birds felt happy to sit in the trees very near us. It was a great and unexpected start and produced today's best photos.

hanging around the street corner looking for business
note; just the lower berries left

those red marks on the wing feathers give the birds their name;
looking like small red blobs of sealing wax

Okay that is possibly the last of the waxwings for 2023. We got back in the car and headed to Gullane feeling perhaps our luck was in. The weather as far as I can remember, and judging by the photos, was bright but a bit cloudy. It hadn't got properly cold as it has in the last week. But wasn't balmy warm either. Pretty sure I wasn't looking for butterflies, and certainly didn't see any.

the usual stonechats about the place

Bumped into this gentleman who was carrying a long lens camera. He told me he had been there since 9am and seen no sign of the short eared owls (that have been sighted there loads recently.) The fact he was now admitting defeat and heading off suggested there was a really good chance the owls would appear very soon, such is sod's law. 

I just googled "sod's law" and under the wiki entry is a nice variation on the theme.
"A slightly different form of Sod's law states that "the degree of failure is in direct proportion to the effort expended and to the need for success."" 

Sure enough within 3 minutes I saw the distant shape of the shorty as it quartered the savannah. I went over to the boundary of the field and watched. I took some photos but it kept to the far side of the area. I hoped it was visible from the path where the gent with the long lens would be leaving. He might have got some photos after all.

I was already quite a distance behind Mary. She had marched on when I stopped to photograph the stonechats. I nearly caught up and saw her head to the beach. But I had stopped to chat to the guy and now had stood for another 5 minutes. I hoped she was having fun on the beach and had found stuff to get involved with. And not standing at the other end of the beach drumming her fingers. She has never once done that but it is what goes through my mind when I'm assessing how long I can dick about and still not get into trouble. There can be quite a leeway but I'd rather not push my luck. The owl was doing circuits and there was the possibility it might come over for a decent photo any minute. How long to wait? Another minute and then I must dash.

tiny Mary at the other end of the beach

Whew! I can still see Mary. But she was at the other end of the beach. I ran all the way to catch up and it was suddenly too warm and I was sweating. Too warm for a running in a duvet jacket! We walked back to Gullane. Along the way we saw an unclaimed shoe and a couple of women skinny dipping, which was pretty bold. It was at the furthest reach of my zoom and I didn't realise they weren't wearing swimwear until I got the photo home. Mary and I didn't even discuss whether it was swimming weather or not.

However we have been keeping the cold shower thing going. Every time we shower we do 60secs of the shower on max cold. It has become much more an ordeal since the filler tank in the attic got down to about 2 degrees. It is so cold it makes you sing/shout and march. Fairly unpleasant but I think it might be good for you. You should give it a go. One positive thing: now, instead of coming out the warm shower feeling shivery and cold while drying yourself and getting into warm clothes, you feel (emerging from the cold water torture) warm as toast and as if you are wearing protective armour. Although it slightly ruins the experience of having a lovely warm shower. 

bold!

over 4 miles, under 2 hrs