Monday 29 April 2013

Birds, birds, birds

Wonderful birds today in Colinton Dell, along the Water of Leith! Loud birdsong from blackcaps, wrens, robins, chaffinches, blackbirds, mistle thrushes and a song thrush. (Not to mention a very loud discordent song from a grey squirrel!). Quieter song from the willow warblers, whose beautiful descending warble can be lost when so many other birds are singing. Also the calls of chiffchaffs, long tailed tits and blue tits.

Three chaffinches flew across my path at one point then I saw one of the males had stopped on a branch and had his head tilted right to one side as though he was watching something very carefully. And indeed he was, for after a couple of seconds a female appeared, but hopped right past the hopeful male and ignored him!

Swallows flying just above the trees, dippers collecting nest material from around the river. A wonderful view of a kingfisher, which flew, a streak of electric blue downriver then stopped. I watched it on its perch as it showed me first its orange front then its blue and turquoise back then dived into the water twice before disappearing into the bushes overhanging the water.

Lovely also to see celandines in bloom everywhere alongside the few flowered leek. The ramsons aren't in bloom yet but their leaves are wide and glossy and scenting the air with garlic!They are excellent to eat, but I always feel a bit concerned due to the number of dogs that run around in Colinton Dell!

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more!

13 comments:

PJ said...

I'm sure it was quite beautiful, J.

Bill said...

front view back view
does the kingfisher
know I'm here

Bill said...

May i quote the two sentences devoted to the kingfisher and post them, together with "front view back view," at my blog?

eileeninmd said...

Sounds like a lovely day, seeing great birds and beautiful flowers. Have a happy week!

Ms Sparrow said...

Wow, what a good birding day you had!
Your blackbird looks a lot like our American robin but I listened to the song and it's a little different. When I was in England once, I watched a blackbird in a park and its behaviour was just like our robin's in the way it would hop around and cock its head to listen for worms.

RG said...

Quite a picture you "painted" there. What fish in the water are the kingfishers feeding on?

bunnits said...

What a great addition to your day.

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Juliet,

What a lovely lot of birds you saw on your outing. Must have been a great time.
Happy week
hugs
Carolyn

Crafty Green Poet said...

Hi Bill - of course you can, I'd be delighted, thanks!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Wow you really painted quite the picture here...I felt I was there. There is nothing more beautifuil than birdsong.

Little Miss Titch said...

sounds lovely

Kathie Brown said...

I did not know you get dippers over there! I love that species of bird!

Bill said...

Thanks, Juliet. I'll post it at the weekend.