Summer by the Water of Leith

Very hot today! I made my weekly walk along the Water of Leith and was glad of the shade from the avundant trees along most of 'my' stretch of the river.

The orchid field isn't sheltered, though it's still very wet underfoot. The common spotted orchids are at their best at the moment, but they are well hidden away in the other vegetation! The field seems much more overgrown than last year.

 One of the things I'm trying to do with my photography is to perfect a technique for taking photos of insects and other small things. I'm quite pleased with this beetle, though I don't know what species it is! It very kindly stayed still for long enough for me to take a few photos. This is the best one.

 I love the chandelier catkins of the hornbeam tree at this time of year. It's not a tree that's native to this part of the UK (though it is native further south). It was planted during the time when the area was full of watermills, because the wood is very hard and was useful for building machinery and mill workings.

There were baby birds everywhere today. Young robins, just past the very fluffy stage, but still with only a speck of red on their breasts wandering alongside the paths and an adorable and tiny young coal tit, it's face all yellow, as they are when they're young, came right up to me and hopped round in the branches just above my head.

For Nature Notes. 

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