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David

Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden: tapered drone fly on a flower

Edinburgh Royal Botanical Garden:  tapered drone fly on a flower

A tapered drone fly is quite a common species of hoverfly. Less sure about the flower this one has chosen to rest on: it’s actually one of the plants pictured on the sign outside one of the entrances of the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh.

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David

Dunbars Close Gardens, Edinburgh: imperial fritillary

Dunbars Close Gardens, Edinburgh: imperial fritillary

Also flowering in the Dunbar’s Close Gardens, an imperial fritillary standing lone and proud.

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David

Dunbars Close Gardens, Edinburgh: snakes head fritillaries

Dunbars Close Gardens, Edinburgh: snakes head fritillaries

Dunbar’s Close Gardens is a small formal garden about half way up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It’s easy to miss even by someone who is looking for it. The entrance is one of the many low passageways leading off the main drag, with just a tiny plaque to indicate what lies beyond.

When we were there, the snakes head fritillaries were the first flowers to grab our intention.

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David

Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh

Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh

The rugged hills of Salisbury Crags at the foot of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The peak at Arthur’s Seat wasn’t visible from were I was standing, but I didn’t want to go any further towards the crowds gathering for the weekly Park Run.

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David

Hyacynths and barrenwort, Scottish Parliament building

Hyacynths and barrenwort, Scottish Parliament building

From the flowerbeds outside the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. The yellow flowers are some species of barrenworts: not native plants anywhere in Britain, and presumably at one time thought to be a cure for human infertility. I wonder who selected them for these flower beds, and why.

Hyacynths and barrenwort, Scottish Parliament building
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David

Mugdock Country Park: oyster fungus

Mugdock Country Park: oyster fungus

There haven’t been many spring fungi this year, or at least I haven’t noticed very many. One exception was these oyster fungi on a pile of felled logs.

Mugdock Country Park: oyster fungus