[31/05/2018]

The local area that we know most about is the old railway walkway from Pinkhill to Balgreen Tram Stop and the Water of Leith between Roseburn and Colinton, including the sections of road that link them together. We walk and explore these stretches year round, in all weathers and different times of the day.

Our Patch never runs out of surprises. A couple of months ago we were watched by a roe deer that had managed to find itself between the water and the wall by the prison. We saw it once more but not since. There are otters and mink, woodland and water birds and a host of native and naturalised plants. It's the insects that have caught our attention. Learning to identify them, finding out about their lifecycles, where they live and what they interact with.

Recently, the Nats visited and discovered more. A small white geranium by the walled garden at Redhall. Nearby, some figwort plants which we must have often walked past without looking. A few days earlier near Selkirk a strange bug had been noticed on a figwort plant and it turned out to be one of the figwort weevils, Cionus scrophulariae. This weirdly inconspicuous weevil was here too, in fact, two mating pairs.

We never lose interest in walking the familar routes and beginning to understand the connections between nature and man. Social media is a great way to share knowledge and increase the depth of interest in the world but nothing beats getting out and making your own discoveries.

We are happy to share Our Place, Edinburgh's River, with the curious.