Sunday, 29 June 2008

Water of Leith

A shape, sinous and brown, running along the riverbank - look an otter, but it turns out to be a mink. Now the Water of Leith has been cleaned up, the otters are out-competing the mink. But it's only ever mink that we see...

Under the bridge, a flurry of finches - a greenfinch feeding two fledglings and a goldfinch hurrying from bridge to tree and back again....

In the trees by the side of the river, the blue and pink pastel of a plump bullfinch, while a grey heron stands sentinel in the water....

rushing river -
grey wagtail leaps and turns
to chase flies.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

makes me want to be there, looking for otters and only seeing mink. Wonderful.

polona said...

what a delightful trip!

Raven's Wing Poetry said...

What a precise image in your haiku. Very nice.

-Nicole

Bill said...

Fine descriptive writing in prose and verse.

Janice Thomson said...

I love Herons of any kind and will never forget my shock when I finally heard one :) You have many songbirds and such colorful ones too. Delightful haiku as well.

RG said...

Great little trip along the creek!

Scot said...

the picture is perfect

Anonymous said...

I have never seen a mink in the wild. What an abundance of nature you have in your local area!

A wildlife gardener said...

What a lovely picture you have painted. I was quite carried away. I could almost paint it from your wonderful description :)