mrs. k and the sunshine band

 

There was some walking and some running for the purposes of health and fitness between christmas and the 3rd Jan but the sun did not shine the whole time and it was pretty dismal. None of it worth noting down here really and precious few photos worth looking at. I will spare you. Instead we jump to the morning of the third (yes happy new year to you too!) when the sun reappeared, and I jogged along to climb over the bridge into Warriston. I thought I'd check the walkway along Powderhall / Logie Green Rd first and see if there were any kingfishers about. Do this often enough and eventually, bingo! It may well have been the Botanics female (who is setting up shop with a male at the duck pond) taking a break because the technicians at the Botanics were clearing away the christmas lightshow.

She obviously wasn't that bothered by my company as she didn't fly off miles up or down the river, but continued moving between perches on the Powderhall side of the river (not Warriston) and often just a few metres away from where I was standing. People were walking past, some noticing, some oblivious. The bird kept watching the water. I was hoping she'd go sit on a branch in sunlight but couldn't really complain about her sitting in the shade, when she was so obliging. After she eventually moved to the other side of the river I threw in the towel and went into the cemetery to see who else was about before the sun disappeared. It was unusual to start the day with the highlight.

I put out some seeds and nuts on the 1859 stone by the riverside. It was catching the dappled sun and would make a well-lit platform for the birds' photos. Shortly a robin turned up, closely followed by some great tits and then squirrels and magpies and wood pigeons.

I whistled to some bullfinches but they stayed in the trees.

While I was doing that the local squirrels shimmied down the ivy clad tree and landed on the food. Normally I'd put nuts on a low stone along the way for them, to keep them apart from the birds. Then the magpies got involved and it was time to go have a walk round the place and see who else was about.

incoming!

there were a couple of redwings but they too flew up out of reach

Along at the flat stone nearer the tunnel I put out some seeds and within a short space of time a couple of blackbirds and a blue tit were being hounded by a bossy robin who seemed to be overseeing things and ensuring that nobody took more than their fair share. The smaller birds reacted by scooting in and out as fast as possible to avoid a scolding while the blackbirds pretty much ignored the robin.

1/1000 of a second (at ISO 8000)
not quite quick enough to freeze the action

Through the tunnel and out the other side and not a lot happening at first. A few wrens in deep cover chirruping their alarm calls. And these 2 great tits flying and perching right beside where I was taking photos. The one below landed directly overhead and I was pleased that although I only had a second or 2 to take the photo, the claws are sharp and shiny!

The light in the place was lovely - the low warm sun lighting up what grass and plants had survived the December weather and casting long shadows. I eventually gave in and put out some food for the above-crypt crows and magpies. They know the routine and are happy to pose for photos for minimum wage; literally peanuts. 

I bumped into this chap who was also remarkably friendly. He didn't seem that much bothered by the seeds I put down, though took a few and got the idea we were friends. While I was taking his photo the great tits swooped by for another hello, then were off again. I waved to Rosanna who is a fellow photographer and has a long Nikon lens with which she takes great photos of the sparrowhawk. No sign of any birds of prey today.

nice to seem some bulbs pushing through
pretending Spring is around the corner

only a couple of orange ladybirds on the Smellie gravestone

I hear the oranges have had a great year, perhaps as a result of being one of the few things in Warriston who thrive on moss or green damp on the gravestones of which there has been plenty after the wet spring. While many other species of ladybird numbers have been down, the oranges have been counted in numbers that go into thousands! (And yet still just 2 on this stone that usually has 30~50 by mid-Winter.) 

another sighting of the fattest squirrel by the tunnel

on the way home at St Marks

a video of the kingfisher, a crow breaking ice for a drink
and the squirrels eating peanuts on the 1859 stone (with bullfinch calls)