Marketing.

Yesterday, I succumbed to an outright piece of marketing - rare for ,I think. I chose to buy the Saturday edition of the Independent purely on the basis that they were giving away a free CD of Sigur Ros. Although I read the Independent most weekdays, the Grauniad is my Saturday paper of choice - on the basis of its magazine and, I think their listings (which are tailored for Scotland).

Friends of mine have raved about Sigur Ros, so I thought I'd see what they were like. Advertising music so far: but it isn't their fault that their tunes get picked up by advertisers. And I am sure Iceland is grateful for the hard currency!

Marketing.

Yesterday, I succumbed to an outright piece of marketing - rare for ,I think. I chose to buy the Saturday edition of the Independent purely on the basis that they were giving away a free CD of Sigur Ros. Although I read the Independent most weekdays, the Grauniad is my Saturday paper of choice - on the basis of its magazine and, I think their listings (which are tailored for Scotland).

Friends of mine have raved about Sigur Ros, so I thought I'd see what they were like. Advertising music so far: but it isn't their fault that their tunes get picked up by advertisers. And I am sure Iceland is grateful for the hard currency!

Union Canal

I went for a walk along the Union Canal – the second time in a week (and, actually, the second time ever). The first time, I hadn’t taken my camera with me, so when last Wednesday turned out to be a beautiful, cold, sunny winter’s day, I decided to retrace my steps.

( More pictures and a few words behind the cut… )

Union Canal

I went for a walk along the Union Canal – the second time in a week (and, actually, the second time ever). The first time, I hadn’t taken my camera with me, so when last Wednesday turned out to be a beautiful, cold, sunny winter’s day, I decided to retrace my steps.

( More pictures and a few words behind the cut… )

Funny ducks.

Walking beside the Water of Leith – and last week on the canal, too – I have often seen large ducks with a somewhat vicious look hooked beak. I know these ducks are either goosander or merganser, but I can never remember which.

Instead I just call them “funny ducks”.

After taking this picture last Thursday, I once more had to look them up in my bird book to see if they were goosander or merganser.

I realised why I find it so hard to remember. They are goosander; the latin binomial for which is Mergus merganser.

So goosander are M. merganser.

Just to make sure we’ve got this straight, merganser are M. serator.

Funny ducks.

Walking beside the Water of Leith – and last week on the canal, too – I have often seen large ducks with a somewhat vicious look hooked beak. I know these ducks are either goosander or merganser, but I can never remember which.

Instead I just call them “funny ducks”.

After taking this picture last Thursday, I once more had to look them up in my bird book to see if they were goosander or merganser.

I realised why I find it so hard to remember. They are goosander; the latin binomial for which is Mergus merganser.

So goosander are M. merganser.

Just to make sure we’ve got this straight, merganser are M. serator.