best part of the day: dudd

Saturday, 5 April 2025

dudd

26-03-25 A walk around Holyrood and Duddingston, mainly Duddingston but not 100% successful hence the title dudd. I was thinking about the butterflies and birds I might come across in the Wells o' Wearie and along the Innocent Railway to Bawsinch. Strong place for early butterflies but either the weather wasn't quite right or the wildlife wasn't playing ball. I'll keep it brief.

It all started well when I followed these 2 delightful long-tailed tits near the Wells o' Wearie. Directly below Samson's Ribs. They were nest-building and one had a feather it was taking home. Their nests are really delicate; full of spiders webs and lichen and softer than any material. I have one on my bookcase at home and it is an endless source of joy. As usual they were very tricky to catch without branches obscuring them or without movement blur as they hop about continuously. Many photos taken to get these three.

thrush

I was hoping for orange tips in Wells o' Wearie. Or at least commas or small torts. Maybe an admiral? Nope, none. It wasn't unpleasant quietly walking about the small ponds between the Innocent railway and the golf course. Nobody else there. Unfortunately no butterflies nor many birds either.

dunnock

I gave up and headed to Bawsinch. I have a key to get in after joining Scottish Wildlife Trust or whoever and it is nice to be away from dogs and children. Right in the first 20 yards a peacock flew up although I failed to see where it went. A good omen. Although I had maybe left it a tad late, the sunshine being replaced with low cloud and cooler temps. Bugger!

never going to get a decent shot lying in the grass

I went round the path near the road to get to the bit that runs parallel to the Innocent Railway. There are ponds and I hoped to see frogs or toads and butterflies. There was one Small Tort, a hoverfly or 2 and a reluctant peacock, maybe 2. Everyone was complaining about the weather which always promises so much and rarely delivers. I agreed. I also got a photo which I was extremely pleased with - this hoverfly mid-air. Not easy to do when the camera is busy wanting to focus on the background grass and trees. I pulled the focus back towards me with a function button I have nominated to do this and the focus found the hoverfly and I knocked off a couple of shots before it flew out of the frame. Google lens says some sort of Eristalis. I don't really care although I do like hoverflies, mainly because they hover, which gives me a slim chance to get a shot of them in flight. Possibly shot of the day although it might have been better if it was looking in my direction. Can't have everything.

the peacock was nice but not really playing
as it had got a bit chilly

Likewise there were several commas about the same stretch but they had all gone to ground. I know this because I bumped into Stewart (?) the hugely knowledgeable cycling postie and we chatted about all the stuff we'd like to see, some of the stuff we'd seen and how things were going. It passed the time very pleasantly as the weather deteriorated. While chatting a BoP flew overhead and we wondered kestrel or sparrowhawk. I'd raised my camera and got a shot so we were able to see it was the latter.

another drone fly or maybe the same one?

sparrowhawk - really numerous lately

I said goodbye, saying I was heading up Crow Hill to look for wheatears. And if there weren't any there at least the exertion would burn a few calories. I still have quite a lot of Winter fat I hope to get rid of before it turns into Summer fat. Or just all year round fat. I am not running as much but weirdly just as hungry as if I was doing ultras every weekend. And find the constant struggle to not eat all the flippin time a constant struggle.

On the way up the Duddingston Steps I came across this rather dapper comma. Richard had mentioned there was one halfway up and it liked to sunbathe on one of the actual steps. I took photos and then climbed on, a lot of up still to get, to get to the top of Crow Hill.

There were no wheatears that I could see on Crow Hill summit or elsewhere. Nothing but a cold harsh wind. I had a good look twice or three times - no need to check for butterflies; it was way too cold and windy. I took the wrong way off the hill. Shows how long it has been. I thought well I know this way goes round to the front but I didn't really remember the price you pay, going round to meet the 7 Hills race route which involves a couple of sections of steep rock and slippy dirt ball-bearings and camera-smashing downsteps. Or you can turn to face the rock and go down like a baby. I did a bit of that too. The only bright spot was I caught a bee-fly warming up. At first I thought it was a corpse, then I noticed it was beating its wings to warm up enough to get airborne. There were many more bee-flies to follow but this was one of the first of the year and I was happy to photograph it. It buzzed for a while then took off.