mixed fortunes down the Esk

 

15th Jan

The forecast was promising and I had a plan. I had seen a few folk posting photos of a kingfisher from Valleyfield Pond. Where? Just the other side of Penicuik there is a smallish man-made pond about the size of a 25m swimming pool, possibly narrower than that. From google maps and images it looked like if there was one fishing there pond-side it would be well in range of my camera. I got up early, couldn't be bothered doing sandwiches, and caught an early bus (X62) heading out of town. Leith Walk was empty of public transport so I ran the first mile to Chamber St before the X62 appeared. (G9 in protective case in backpack.)

Less than quarter of a mile from the bus stop in Penicuik my great idea bit the dust. The pond was frozen! This was the first day of colder weather and I hadn't considered the pond would be solid ice. I think there might have been a frost free wet hole in the centre but the chances of a kingfisher hanging about were zero. I briefly chatted with Vicky, another foiled photographer carrying a huge lens full frame job, who had been there for an hour waiting in vain. Then set off down the Esk. My plan had been to get some kingfisher pics then head down the Esk as far as I could be bothered, looking for other birds (dippers, wagtails, more kingfishers) then bus home. I was annoyed but optimistic there would be more to see along the way. It is a favourite path for running and one I didn't get to do much because it is on the wrong side of town for easy access. Best make the most of a bad deal.

It was a day for dippers. I saw several at regular intervals; more than I got decent photos. It was bright, sunny weather but the river carves a valley into which the light doesn't always reach. There was reasonable ambient light and I was optimistic that round every corner there MIGHT be an amazing photo. Mostly there wasn't but I was managing a low-footed jog, despite carrying the awfy expensive camera and the scenery was passing quickly.

I also carried my iPhone. Not just to text Mary when bored but to get wide shots and scenery without having to swap lenses from the zoom to the 12~60. The next photo below was taken with the 100~400 although I was a long way away from that bridge when I took the photo. Unless the scenery was particularly photogenic I couldn't be arsed getting out the iPhone to snap a pic. Also not being terribly au fait with the workings of the iPhone camera (because I hate mobile phones) I have a habit of taking either 30 photos when meaning to take one plus a backup, or shooting a video clip or series of shots without meaning to. And later in the day I get an email saying your iCloud is nearly full, would you like to rent some storage and pay for it for the rest of your life because you are too lazy to archive and delete your photos? 

long lens scenery

All along the riverside trails I would allow myself to get distracted. I have run here enough to know there are a few corners and places off the beaten track worth a wander and poke around before rejoining the main path. Being a Monday there were only a few dogwalkers and East European girls pushing prams with a dog in tow, and talking in East European. Otherwise I had a lot of the place to myself. One diversion led me to a corner of river away from the main trails which was beautifully lit and would have been the ideal spot for a kingfisher to sit on a low branch over the water checking for fish. But nothing. Not even a dipper. Curses. It was a perfect spot. Where is the nature for fucks sake?! Round the next corner a huge heron stood on a branch exactly as I imagined the kingfishers might. We eyed each other suspiciously.

more dipper action
proud to say I kept dry feet all day!

on long straight stretches
I could photo the scenery with the long lens at 100mm

There was a couple of miles of pleasant enough going on lonely cyclepaths but with zero wildlife from there, to where the Dalkeith path turns off to Roslyn Glen. I had spent a mile walking behind a woman. She was doing a decent pace but I wanted to go just a little faster. It might seem creepy to slowly catch up and overtake so I held back; taking photos of f-all. Eventually I got too bored and marched onwards, being overtly cheerful as I caught up. "Lovely day!" etc. She agreed and said that was all to change tomorrow. Right enough the forecast was snowstorms for Tuesday and doom and gloom. (Edinburgh seemed to miss the worst of it.) Better make the most of this decent spell of crisp clear weather. High pressure indeed.

I also overhauled a bloke walking a dog (I was jogging again) and then took the turn off to Roslyn Glen. After the descent to the river there is a slightly magical feeling in the valley. The high sided cliffs on one side and walls of ancient ruins on the other. Sure enough I caught sight of a distant kingfisher flashing turquoise, low along the river before flying to a perch. It kept an eye on me although was trying to move upstream past me. It changed perch to right across the river from me but hid deep in riverside branch and foliage. Another shimmering flash of colour announced it was travelling upstream and I retraced steps fighting through branches and sticks to get close to a vantage point. No further photos were taken despite haunting the area for 10 minutes.

A bit further on and there is a narrow dirt path, almost invisible, that climbs steeply up the wooded valley between the trees. The sunlight and bird calls lured me up. I wondered if this was advisable as there were plenty mud and leaf litter slides available and I was carrying a few months wages of camera. Fortune favours the bold. I was hoping for jays and sparrowhawks. I got not one usable photo of the bullfinches that flitted through and the same amount of shots of a couple of bluetits that also took the michael. Ten minutes later I clambered back down to the main path. At least I hadn't fallen and broken anything. A little further on I looked for a grey wagtail I had followed last time here and to my surprise found it, or one like it, before crossing the bridge. 

icy frostickles

The next section was prone to mud and sploshy trails so I was glad to find them mostly frozen solid. There are some planks laid across the worst parts but they were almost unnecessary today. A robin, curious to see who was coming through his domain sat very close to path. While I was taking his photo a something shot past; a very small something. I suspected goldcrest as it was up in the trees rather than down in the leaf litter (wren-like.) I immediately ghosted the robin in favour of the tree-something which moved every time the camera lens got to within 10 degrees of it. Out of 25 shots taken one is passable. It wasn't trying to be difficult, it could have easily flown off instead of checking out one tree after another right beside me. It is just when they are busy they are double busy and move in fast-forward from perch to branch more quickly than the eye can follow.

fleeting glimpse of a goldcrest

The next section has a special place in my heart and brain as there were a couple of early season commas recorded here. (Blog here.) In fact they may have been the first butterflies of 2023 back on the 27th March, as I can't find any earlier butterflies blogged last year. So I was keeping my eyes open, not for lepidoptera but for birds. I saw something brown and weird looking and when I lifted the camera and zoomed in it turned out to be the wrong end of a roe deer. I tried to move into a better position by climbing up the slope a bit but it quickly saw me and moved on.

A short while later, going up an incline there was a small path off to the left. I have no idea what encouraged me to follow it, just an instinct it might be a good area worth a bit of a look around. About 20 yards later I saw a deer up ahead. Like REALLY close. And stranger yet, it hadn't seen me. I crept forward in super stealth mode expecting it to hoof it at maximum velocity any second. However it took a look about, then lowered its head and continued grazing. I got slightly closer then stopped as I was only about 8 yards away, maybe closer. This was way closer than deer allow and I expected to be rumbled any second. I hurriedly shot loads of photos and video. I became aware there were 2 adults a few yards further away which might account for this youngster not being more cautious. If mum and dad aren't spooked then there is nothing to fear?

I could not believe my luck. I have never been so close to wild deer. I kept taking pics. The youngster looked about and looked right at me. I was among trees and maybe that broke up my outline and it didn't realise I was a human. Having taken more photos than I could possibly need I said hello. And gave a 2 note whistle, expecting to prompt a stampede. Nothing! An ear twitched in my direction but all three animals were unmoved. After a while they casually walked off into the woods and I felt as if I was coming round from a dream. 

bye then!

stand still, deer

I spent the next 30 minutes with that frisson of excitement and buzz when you've been close to something really special. I was even more pleased when a small party of bullfinchers, a couple of females and at least one male, landed in trees close by. I had heard a few whistling earlier in Roslyn Glen but failed to get close enough for photos. These very obligingly came and sat in a tree next door. I failed to get any photo but when they moved it was to another nearby tree and I humped over the tussocky grass giving chase at a jog. A couple of trees later and they let me catch up and I got the photos that had eluded me earlier. Not particularly close up but the new camera lets me crop down a bright image without much loss of quality.

mrs bullfinch

mr bullfinch

unintentional ICM

I am getting used to the new camera and learning to appreciate its abilities which are considerable. One problem, or rather, a thing I keep doing by mistake when wearing gloves. I wear 2 pairs of gloves on a cold day like today; Ronhill thin running gloves, under Alpkit duvet-jacket-like gloves. It makes my fingers (comparatively) clumsy and because it is near near the power-off button I often push the start-video-recording button when I go to turn the camera off. Since the camera is turned off a moment after I start video recording I get (on the computer at the end of the day) several 2 second bursts of video usually pointed at the ground speeding past in an abstract blur.

These are easily deleted although I rather liked the swoop of green grass and undergrowth (above) that one clip caught. I extracted the still from the video and post it here for your enjoyment. Very much in the manner of the Intentional Camera Movement movement I have been on about before, where the photographer sets the shutter speed to slow while moving the camera deliberately to induce motion blur. Hopefully I won't make a habit of it.

redwing

These 2 photos (above and below) were taken with the iPhone along a section of ridge between Roslyn and Polton. I only ever pass along this ridge about twice a year when doing long runs on the Esk and couldn't really tell you exactly where it is on the map. But is has something very pleasing about it - possibly a little unnerving as either side drops off steeply leaving a thin dirt trail along a ridge. I couldn't get a photo of it with the long lens so stopped and got the iPhone out which did not too bad a job, although I tweaked the pics later to improve them. I should really have changed over to the kit lens as it is a unique place and worth trying to capture the atmosphere.

If only the long tailed tit had turned to look at that point!

long-tailed tit

last dipper

dipper singing over the noise of the river

I left the trail at Lasswade and caught a bus at the Laird and Dog Inn back into town. The light was going and I had covered as many miles as I wanted. I had only eaten one Deliciously Ella bar (highly recommended) and was ready to get home for a late lunch!

the queue for the bus

9 miles in 4hrs25
extra 2 miles at start and finish