signs of spring?

 

24th Jan

Possibly a little premature to be ushering in Springtime just yet, but it is tempting, when seeing the snow drops and burgeoning daffodils pushing through the soil, to hope that an early Spring is just around the corner. 

There have been a couple of sunny-ish days lately and they have been a reminder that all is not lost, that there is hope and stuff worth the wait just around the corner. January is nearly done, Feb is always nice and short as a month (with sometimes unseasonably warm bits) and then we are defo into the good times. I shouldn't complain about Winter dragging its feet; I feel as I get older that life is whizzing by far too fast. Once in your 60s you can just about count the remaining good years on fingers and toes and I am in no hurry to get to the last few squares on the snakes and ladders board. As Richard L said recently "maybe your life is too good?" in reply to me suggesting it was all going through my fingers too quickly like sand and that I hated to waste so much of it waiting out crappy Winters. He might be right. Many of the less welcome things like poor health and hard work are not typically a part of my daily grind and mostly I do as I please. To those obliged to work hard or who have heath issues or folk to look after or a job they hate, it must seem as though I am blessed. Or just selfish and lazy. Ahh the grass is always greener. Although I have to admit my grass is pretty green. 

okay this one is here twice
but only because he is delightful and cheerful!

I've been along to Warriston a couple of times lately. The time before this was on the 22nd. The day after some pretty strong winds. A couple of large branches were blown down near the War Memorial and the place was officially closed. I'd gone in by the bridge at Powderhall so hadn't seen any signs saying closed. Given how closed it was there were still a few dog walkers, though not as many as usual. It was only when I left the riverside area for a look around North of the tunnel I bumped into a council official assessing the damage (very prompt given it only happened the night before) who let me know the place was closed, while still being friendly and not just chucking me out. I went nowhere near the fallen branches. You could see the from where they had fallen and knocked into other branches and gravestones the forces and weights involved and it was not something that required close inspection. 

This female blackbird turned up and decided the food was hers and hers alone. She took exception to anyone else having the cheek to visit the gravestone on which I'd put some seeds and bread. She would sit in the nearby tree and if anyone landed on her feeding platform she chased them off. Even a male blackbird who scarpered when she chased him. I think he must have been a juvenile or recent adult as he showed no resistance to her bullying. She would chase him from perch to perch and he flew off each time.

coward (or youngster)

Usually it is the robins who behave like dicks. However they were also being chased by this determined female. It all went on for some time, long after the blackie had had her fill of food. She would take an occasional seed as she chased the other garden birds, but was doing it just for fun or misguided instinct as she stopped eating after the first couple of visits. Everyone else had to time their raids with precision - when she chased off other unfortunates or when she wasn't looking. It all ended when a crow descended and dropped in to feed. She sat in the tree next door saying nothing.

a full load

quick! Mrs B isn't looking!

game over!

This crow isn't one of my usual familiars. It was very nervous and you can see is ready to fly off if I come any closer. I tend to stick around (at feeding stations) and discourage the crows and magpies so the garden birds can get a share before I leave, and then the crows, magpies and squirrels tidy up.

nice to see the grey wagtail at the stream

Here are 4 shots of the fallen limbs on the 22nd Jan - not great as I had the long lens on and a phone or the short lens would have taken better scenery shots...

Council official quick off the mark.

storm damage taped off by the 24th

daffs coming through!

early daffodils

tree creeper

blue tit shouting

snow drops throughout the cemetery
always a welcome flower 

I put these gifs together on ezgif maker online. They are not the best possible quality but give an idea of the blackbird being bossy. I took them using the pre-burst mode. You keep your finger on the shutter release halfway down until something happens, then push it all the way down to record in burst mode a full second prior to the action which generally catches the incident, like a bird flying off from a perch, without having to anticipate the action.