On our very first day in Edinburgh, we wandered about the Royal Botanic Garden in a jet-lagged daze. An accipiter profile high overhead was one of the day’s first birds. Sparrowhawk presumably. A Kestrel made an appearance, but more on these anon. And a Buzzard (Buteo buteo) was seen twice, the second time being mobbed by corvids.
Meanwhile a Dunnock (Prunella modularis) crumbed about around our snacks. An old name for this species was Hedge Sparrow.
Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) were a daily sight, starting with two on our first day.
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) youngster being fed.
Another Corvidae clan member, a Common Magpie (Pica pica).
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), like a giant cousin of the more familiar:
The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), a.k.a. Feral Pigeon, on more or less native ground.
Thanks for the tour .Have fun
There’s a lot more to come!