macro botanical

 

Sunday 18th Feb and I macro-ed the hell out of the botanics; robins, squirrels, the lot. It was excellent. It was a three robin day. Which is to say I had three different robins come sit on my hand. Even if nothing else had happened, that makes it a red letter day. But other stuff did happen! Ahh so many treats!

I think that was the day I saw the kingfisher sat on a branch on the WoL at Powderhall (as it has been doing frequently, recently) and I ducked down to get my camera out the back pack behind the wall. When I next looked it had gone and there was no point in continuing to unpack my camera. I had no clue as to whether it moved a few inches into cover or flew a mile upstream. Okay, next! I walked round to Inverleith Row and along to the Chinese Pond in the Botanics. My thoughts had been to visit the rock garden and alpine troughs to photograph the tiny plants and miniature mosses there in their intricate and delicate forms. But first, let's just check the kingfisher isn't fishing the pond.

No kingfisher. (No surprise.) I had to change from the 400mm lens to the macro and put on the flash unit and diffuser. As I was doing this, a squirrel, supposing I was getting out a huge bag of squirrel food, ran over and sat on my camera case to see if he could help. I felt reluctant to endorse such flagrant behaviour but fished out a walnut to keep him onside. I allowed him to snap off the top half but kept the lower since he was being so presumptuous. Mr. Squirrel was not pleased and burrowed his head into my hand to open the fingers that held onto the remaining piece. It was only later when there was a glimpse of long teeth in one of the photos I reconsidered some of the games we were playing and that he was being really very good natured and not doing any biting or clawing but trying to use gentle persuasion. I kind of forget squirrels have large strong teeth and if they can trash a wire bird feeder they could certainly give a memorable bite. Perhaps they are smart enough to recognise what passes for etiquette when dealing with human food sources.

Also waiting patiently in the wings was one of the robins. There are at least 2 in the Chinese Pond area, and they aren't the best of friends. They jealously guard their territory and intruders are seen off. This one, seeing the squirrel was getting the lion's share, came right over to say hello and hopped onto my hand for an inspection of goodies. He took so much time I was able to adjust the macro lens and get his photo. Not easy with one hand busy. And I see I forgot to move into better light. Had I been doing this properly I would have used my kit lens which zooms from 60mm down to 12mm and would have got all my hand and the robin in the whole frame. The macro lens is 60mm only.

hand getting dirty from tiny paws and claws

The second robin was just down from the pond and near the the main path. Sat in a tree, I'm sure he had been watching, and flew over for a few seeds. The feel of tiny delicate claws hanging on to fingertips is one of the great riches of the world. I got slightly more robin in the frame this time. 

Enough of the petting zoo, we're here to do some serious botanical studies. A warm low Winter light was great for catching the rhododendron flowers; some just buds, others fully in bloom. I was keeping an eye on flowering shrubs (for lepidoteral as well as photographic reasons) but also leaves, stems and seedpods that were visually compelling. I had half a thought there might be an early butterfly about the place but it was only just into double figure temps and not really that warm. I kept my gloves and hat on.

textural delights

A distance away from the Chinese hillside and I came across yet another robin watching me from a low tree. I held out an offering and he/she landed for a look and a couple of seeds or nuts. A three-robin day! This one seemed too far off the beaten track (I was wandering between trees on grassy hillside, avoiding the Sunday crowds) to be that used to human interaction although there must be sufficient traffic coming past to encourage such interactions. 

(gloves back on)

rhodie buds from above

Campbell's magnolia

Campbells Magnolia was still clamped shut when I checked. It lives just round a corner from the cafe and has flamboyant pink (not magnolia coloured!) flowers any time soon. They appear before the leaves and don't last that long in peak condition. I will return shortly to hopefully catch them in their prime early next week. The buds are ripe with visual innuendo.

praevernum means 'early spring'

I stopped at this shrub, a gloriously flowering rhodie with attendant bees and hoverflies as it was well lit in bright sunlight. I had been on my way to the Alpine troughs when I realised they were out of bounds given all the work there and refurb of the palm-house and greenhouses. I was having a bit of trouble getting close enough to the bees when all of a sudden my eye was caught by a large dark shape descending and a red admiral fell out of the sky and landed plop, on a flower. It was easily within reach of the macro lens and my heart raced while I took a whole heap of photos before even thinking about exposure settings and shutter speeds. I think I was holding my breath. I lost sight of it but knew I had at least a record shot or 5 and so all was not lost. Although admirals are now considered to overwinter in the UK they weren't always. However too many turn up on warmer Winter days suggesting they almost certainly do. I was cock-a-hoop to see one of the few examples, and a higher tariff species than the usual peacocks and commas that are far more likely to show themselves early in the year. There have been a couple of peacock sightings in Bawsinch reserve.

I was just wondering what I had done to deserve this minor miracle when it re-appeared and landed even closer. Had it been 10 yards away I would have been cursing the macro lens and racing to change to the 400mm! However it was a perfect outcome; I could not have chosen a better set up - sunlight coming from the right direction, lighting up a spectacular flowering shrub and the admiral at nearly eye level right next door to where I was standing and a decent specimen. It was almost so good it felt like cheating or dreaming. I moved to get a bit of blue sky in the photo and then shot some video. Checking the results I was over the moon. The photos looked like tropical flora with blue sky background - somehow I'd Hawaii-ed a red admiral in February. There was nobody around when it took place and I felt a bit like walking up to strangers in the Botanics and saying check THIS out!

It also occurred to me here was the first butterfly I'd shot with the macro lens. What an omen and what a way to start. I had been a little concerned it would be too fiddly a process for butterflies or anything moving faster than a ladybird but this was a fabulous example of its potential. I am feeling super stoked about the whole wildlife photography year ahead!

 

Feeling things couldn't get any better I checked out the Chinese pond again then headed home via Warriston. I wanted to replace the knackered bird feeder (fatballs removed, presumably by squirrels) and hang a plastic feeder in its place. I thought the squirrels might ignore a fatball feeder if there weren't any peanuts on board. I stopped at one of the flat platforms I put out birdfood and getting a fairly enthusiastic reception I loitered for a few moments to photo a robin or 2, a pair of blue tits and a female blackbird. 

bad Peggy!
I showed Peggy's owner the butterfly photos - at last an audience! 

how long will the replacement last?
place your bets now!

The daffodils at the West end of the crypts are now in bloom. I tried to get a photo looking down the line of crypts but it was all blurred out too much. I think I was crouched or kneeling on dirt and had the tilting screen out so was probably keen to get stood up before I ended up rolling about in the dirt. I am finally considering all 3 aspects of taking photos: shutter-speed, ISO and F stop. For much of what I was previously interested in, it was all about making sure the shutter-speed was high enough to freeze the action and that the subject was in the frame in an interesting composition. However I have more time for consideration of depth of field especially with stationary or slow moving bugs and how much of the image is in focus or deliberately blurred out. Okay brace yourself for lots more orange ladybird photos.

8 sleepyheads vs 1 adventurer

Mostly ladybirds huddle around (under) overhangs. Presumably to avoid snow falling and lying on top of them. They also mostly point upwards. Initially I was considering if this was like humans they prefer their heads to the top, but I suspect it is much more likely they do this to avoid trouble from raindrops; if they were pointing downwards it would collect around their face parts and could drown them.

with a finger for scale

looking into the abyss!

I think the crows were wondering why I was wasting time standing 

looking at gravestones very closely when I could have been feeding them

this one looked a bit different
later identified as perhaps a cream-spot ladybird

I spent a while sneaking up on sunbathing flies

a mixed bag huddle

This bee was looking a bit knackered and had stopped on a gravestone. I considered moving it to a more sheltered, less exposed spot. I got a couple of pics of it on my glove before the excitement got its motors revving and it recovered somewhat and flew off.

small island of moss

What a fantastic day! Great to see the sun out and warming everything up. I think there's some less good weather on the way. Often the way - a pretend Spring, then a fall of snow. Looking forward to the second butterfly of the year and lots more.

last robin of the day