watery leith

 

10-01-26 Another less-than-ideal hunt for the f'kingfisher who we missed by 24hrs. Maybe only a couple as RF posted photos of it from earlier the same day. Anyway here's some stuff we did see.

a heron on a building site
I missed the interaction of 2 herons having a tiff

much as I like pigeons, I'm not sure I'd like them this much

The water (of Leith) was very clear today. Not sure why as loads of melt water is coming off the hills and levels have been way higher than average. However it seems very still and transparent. Maybe the greater amount of water has washed away all the silt? For whatever reason it was possible to see goosanders (and later, dippers) fishing. A very slight compensation for lack of target species or much of anything to point the camera at.

goosander (m)

grey wagtail

contemplative Gormley

I waited around at the gallery bridge and the weir just downstream of the Gormley statue. A grey wagtail was fishing on the weir and almost coming close enough to take pics of and video. It was a small compensation for the absolute absense of kingfisher. Didn't even see a flash of turquoise and orange. I walked up and down the same stretch for half an hour in the cold. I suppose I should be grateful I don't have to go work for a living.

wagtail on a shopping trolley

okay then
makes a change from the usual deep water warning

Highlight of the day was this fox. I had seen lots of photos of same, taken by Sachi and Rosanna but I had not seen the fox here in a year or more. It was on the opposite side of the river in the same spot as usually seen (I think) where it lounges for much of the day, if the photos are to be believed. I could easily have walked past without seeing it and probably did earlier. I only spotted it when it got up, stretched and walked up the slope to the garden with the wooden shed and lawn. I took a million photos none of which were better than these. It looked in fine condition and quite large and I was unsure if male or female.

I believe urban foxes are far more relaxed around humans than their rural cousins. A fox in the countryside will generally be super-cautious about humans due to decades of persecution. However the ones that roam the cyclepaths of Edinburgh have come to understand humans don't chase them off and try to kill them. And quite a few give them food and encourage them to take up residence in their gardens. This one was well aware of the humans across the river and myself pointing a camera at it, and didn't give a hoot. It was sleepy and relaxed, and, a bit like the albeit absent kingfisher, regards humans as just harmless parts of the scenery. There is much more chance of getting closer to otters, foxes, kingfishers and kestrels in an urban setting than a rural one.

bit of a stretch and then off up towards the house, 

away from the river

here comes trouble

At this point I was joined by Madam. She had been doing some activity, a small run with sore legs probably, until then. Initially I thought about waiting, then set off ahead, saying text me if/when you show up. We have a different amount of enthusiasm for hanging about waiting for wildlife to show up, so it made sense I do an hour of it before Mary turns up. Then we are both ready to leave the kingfisher spot 5 mins after M's arrival. I suspect I really need to get up earlier in the day to catch kingfishers. 

Mary had gone out the door without gloves only realising when she got out into the cold street but too lazy to climb the stairs again. I gave her my top pair leaving me just with thin running gloves. We walked and chatted down the WoL until parting company near the Botanics. I had not had my requisite hit of photos to quench my addiction so needed to traipse around in search of jollies there. If nothing else there'd be squirrels and robins.

matching hair and house

there was a lack of dippers out today
just this one - too far away to make much of

sleet-wet tree bark

robin in shitty light

And sure enough there were squirrels and robins!

great tit

this tall robin was testing out his sharp claws on the Chinese hillside pond

blackbird

this robin (by the willow pond) took seeds from my hand

he shoots, he scores

difficult photo to level

you know things are bad when reduced to photos of moorhens!

and herons (WoL at Powderhall)

Not very vegan of me, but what I thought when I saw this heron's head zoomed in like this was you could make a very fine pair of salad tongs with that beak. Put a U shaped sprung steel at the back and maybe add a comical googly eye. Okay a bit disrepectful, but very much in line with the rather dark menu the heron has zero qualms about; from riverside furries to cute little ducklings. He who lives by the sword and all that.

goosander (m)

Another example of urban acclimatisation. Goosanders will swim away from humans in the borders where they have been persecuted for salmon poaching etc by those who prefer to kill the fish themselves. In Edinburgh they have learned that riverside humans will throw bread for duckies and so goosanders can be easily bribed to swim towards the camera. I think they are superb looking birds and am grateful for both their aesthetic and company. Not everyone is of the same opinion; Mary reckons they are a bit meh. 

goosander (f)

wren

St Marks Gormley going grey

the day's video clips

Popped into Tesco's for some messages then on Leith Walk I bumped into Mr Wagtail. I don't know if there are 2 or twenty of them about, but I keep seeing street (pied) wagtails and strangely in the main thoroughfare. Like right on the pavements among the deliveroo bikes zooming past, drunks tossing fag ends, and people far too busy to notice where they are stepping. And they (the wagtails) on the floor mixing it with everyone, these tiny delicate beauties. Because I had my camera in my harness I took it out and immediately tried to get some photos even though the light was by now tragic.

I cranked up the results in post and was pretty pleased. In fact it inspired me to head out next time the sun came out, with the camera and a better lens for street bird photography. But of course when you go looking for them specifically, there is no sign and I walked round the block a few times before throwing in the towel, changing back to the zoom and heading to Warriston. Defo a project waiting for some decent weather and one or 2 accommodating wagtails.

I was really close to this untimid bird. I think the minimum focal distance of my zoom is 1.3m. And at points I had to step back because I was much closer to the bird than that. Which did not mind my presence at all, hopping right alongside, busy looking for crumbs and edibles. I threw down some sunflower hearts but it didn't even notice them. 

absolute charmer up close