Tree Following 4: the larch

I'm studying a larch for Tree Following this year. This photo shows the larch within the context of its surroundings.

The larch stands by the side of the footpath that runs though Colinton Dell by the Water of Leith. This is now one of Edinburgh's most beautiful green spaces, but once was crowded with industry, there were numerous mills along the river. You can see a building in the background of this photo, this is a modern house built on the site of the old Bog's Mill House. The green field behind the larch is where the mill itself used to stand and is currently being turned into a wildflower meadow by the Water of Leith Conservation Trust.

The larch isn't just home to the long tailed tits, who I've watched building their nest in recent weeks (though I didn't see them today), it also has a bat box on its trunk. There are lots of bats in the area, mostly pipistrelles. Both Water of Leith Conservation Trust and the Edinburgh Countryside Rangers lead bat walks in the summer.

The female flowers of the larch are still in bloom and today I managed to get both flower and cone in the same photo.

For Tree Following.

The wild garlic is luxuriant throughout large parts of the Dells at the moment.

The birds are singing loudly. I watched a grey wagtail, running up and down along the riverbank, collecting insects for its chicks.