Yesterday we visited Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens. We loved meeting this family of Moorhens. There were four very young chicks and one adolescent from this year's first brood. The first photo below shows the adult with three of the very young chicks
and here the adult is at the back and the adolescent is in the front
It was lovely to see the adult and the adolescent both feeding the young chicks.
We were happy to find a good number of hoverflies in some parts of the gardens, including this Batman Hoverfly (Myothropea florea)
but the most unexpected find of the visit was this array of Birds Nest fungi! I've only once before seen this unusual fungus and never before in such abundance!
On Friday, we had a lovely lunchtime walk around North Merchiston Cemetery (which now has a nicely updated website, which you can see here). This cemetery is officially full now (you can only be buried here now if you already have a family burial plot) and is left pretty much to its own devices for the benefit of nature (obviously there needs to be some management though, which can be a tricky thing to get right). On Friday, we were interested to find several young Hawthorn Shieldbugs on a Holly bush
3 comments:
What a lovely spot!
Your visit to Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens sounds wonderful! Meeting the Moorhen family must have been a delightful experience, and seeing both the adult and adolescent caring for the chicks is such a heartwarming sight.
The Batman Hoverfly is quite a find—its unique markings are fascinating. And discovering the Birds Nest fungi in such abundance is definitely a special treat; it’s always exciting to encounter something rare and unusual in nature.
Your lunchtime walk around North Merchiston Cemetery sounds equally intriguing. The balance of natural beauty and thoughtful management must make it a unique place to explore. The young Hawthorn Shieldbugs on the Holly bush are a great addition to your day’s discoveries.
Thanks for sharing these charming snapshots of your adventures!
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I would love to visit those gardens! Lovely to have that on your doorstep! 😁
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