Yesterday, we had a lovely walk yesterday around Corstorphine Hill. It was very cold and there was some snow on the ground as well as visible on the distant Pentland Hills. There was plenty of bird activity, we heard a woodpecker (probably a great spotted woodpecker) drumming, as well as several birds singing, including chaffinch, robin, blackbird and dunnock). I had excellent views of a goldfinch and 2 bullfinches.
We also had excellent views of three zebras, as our walk passed by the boundary of Edinburgh Zoo. Edinburgh Zoo is recognised as one that does genuinely help international conservation but currently it is causing controversy in Edinburgh by trying to extend its boundaries onto the Local Nature Reserve that covers most of Corstorphine Hill. Corstorphine HIll is an important area for conservation and recreation in Edinburgh. The Friends of Corstorphine Hill are co-ordinating efforts to prevent the expansion of the zoo.
You can see photos of earlier walks round Corstorphine Hill here, here and here.
Hi - I've popped over from Gautami Tripathy's blog. I checked out your previous photos of Corstorphine Hill - I'd say it needs protection! It's gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteYou have an amazing array of colorful birds there Juliet. We have very few, at least not in this neck-of-the-woods, with bright yellow markings or coloring. Corstorphine Hill is a beautiful area - hopefully it will stay protected.
ReplyDeleteAh the contentions of conservationists! Here it is about should the farmers farm ALL the land or should they have to plant trees and shrubs along the streams to shade and cool the water???
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have been having a wonderful weekend. Happy Easter to you. x
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems of taking stories from activists' websites is that they do not tell the whole story!
ReplyDeleteThe zoo needs an extra bit of land to enable wheelchair users and buggy pushers an easier (and legal) route up the hill. IN EXCHANGE (that's the bit missing) the zoo plans to give up some land - more than they are asking for.
HERES ANOTHER BIT missed out - there are already about 60 buildings on the land they want to sell.
OH YES, heres another bit - they do not want to take over the Conservation Biome - just give a clear classification of that part of Corstorphine.
Anonymous, thanks for your comments, though its always useful with that kind of comment, if the writer doesn't remain anonymous. My understanding is that the land the zoo is offering up for exchange is not of as high a quality as the land it intends to buy over. Yes I understand the bit about needing better disabled access (a challenge for any building situated on Corstorphine Hill). I am however genuinely concerned about the plans and it is difficult to find out what the plans really are, the zoo haven't directly answered my query as yet so the only place i can get information is Friends of Corstorphine Hill.
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