summertime!

Friday 28th June

This run down the coast of East Lothian was the day after the Tentsmuir trip. Skies were blue and I had managed to avoid booking any work for this week so didn't go in search of any. Instead I went in search of - you've guessed it - butterflies. In fact I was so driven by my quest for lepidoptera that over the course of 7 days I ran 101miles for the week following Thurs 27th. Normally I'd have to make a significant effort to cover that ground. I knew I had been out a few long days but because the pace on these runs is often relaxed verging on walking pace for large stretches, the week didn't feel that taxing. Also, due to a couple of glitches with my gps I hadn't calculated until now that I'd actually gone over the hundred miles. This is inadvertently good training for a couple of projects coming up, one of them a running holiday in Sept. that involves a good number of daily miles in what could be warmish weather.

yellowhammer on JCB, of course

I got off the North Berwick train one station early at Drem. It is about the nearest station to Aberlady and I had a notion to chase Blues and Fritillaries on the savanna there. I got off the train to dazzling blue skies and was feeling absolutely at one with the world, running round the field perimeters and along trails to get to Aberlady. First port of call was a corner beside the golf course which is a good spot with wind shade for butterflies. I was there about 20mins chasing the newly arrived Small Skippers when Abbie arrived, wildlife expert and butterfly legend. I think we did more chatting than taking photos. 

I hope this is just watering the crops but you can't help but feel there are 

chemicals being sprayed as well.

small skipper

small heath

Abbie

common blue

the skippers hold their wings in this unique v format

The day was really heating up. I was keen to get down to the savanna, between Marl Loch and the beach, to look for Dark Green Fritillaries. A quick diversion past Marl Loch and although there were 4 Spotted Chasers zipping about the water I didn't stop longer than to take a couple of pics and then head off.

Nothing much was forthcoming as I went past the butterfly bush, which I will have to call something else, as the Ranger's chop and burn in 2017 has effectively removed all the butterflies from this once rich spot. Prior to October 2017 if there was little happening elsewhere (butterfly-wise over the whole nature reserve) this was one spot where I could always be sure of a few RAs, Small Torts, Commas and Peacocks with Whites, DGFs and Blues in the surrounding grasses. However since the ranger John Harrison tried to contain the "spread" of the Sea Buckthorn in that one spot alone (no other Buckthorn bushes were to my knowledge targetted in this slash-and-burn festival) by chopping it back and then burning the cut branches he has removed whatever was the magical draw to this spot for the butterflies. He didn't mean to, his intentions were otherwise. But he has single handedly changed this spot from being butterfly central to just another area exactly the same as every other on the reserve. Thanks John, great work.

Eyes peeled in Fritillary Alley but still no orange terrors. I hoped there would be a stray one or 2 on the Sea Rocket on the beach. I had to go past the birds just before the beach and they were not shy about letting me know how unwelcome I was. Maybe they were shouting come and see my nest and offspring but I suspect it was the reverse. 

being shunned

gerroff my land

The Sea Rocket and sand background makes for fab photos. One of my all time fave pics I took was a DGF on these flowers last year. Alas none of them about today but there was a super fresh Small T which I chased for ages. It was so bright I couldn't tell if the pics I had taken were properly in focus or not. Best take some more then. 

Painted Lady

 

Loads of Burnet moths about, 5 and 6 spotters

Abbie had suggested climbing the hill this side of Gullane Car Park as she had encountered DGFs there. It certainly makes for pleasing views, looking back towards Edinburgh over the golf course. While I was up there I got 2 extemely brief impressions of what might have been the orange terrors. One zipped past and over the hill and disappeared. The other did a very clever move, reversing direction in mid-air and disappearing behind its own wing. I searched the spot for a long time looking for clues but no sign of any further DGF presence. I spent 20minutes twiddling my thumbs wondering if I was up to the chase even if it materialised. I suspected not and reluctantly headed back down the hill. I took a direct line through difficult long grass just because sometimes the less well trod path throws up jollies. This proved to be the case: I heard a thrumming buzzing sound and the air was filled with thousands, maybe tens of thousands of (I presume) honey bees. 

The epi-centre was somewhere in the bushes and I was not overly keen to interfere or get involved. The noise and activity was fascinating. There was no sense of an overall hive mind, just thousands of insects all flying about at great speed in every direction. It was very intoxicating while at the same time I could understand how if you were given to a fear of bees this could easily induce concern or panic.

There was a swarm of bees on Princes St, near the Balmoral Hotel the other week and it was so joyous (by comparison to the jaded workers on their lunch break and tourists and street performers) that I was sorry not to have time to stop and record proceedings. Sadly the general feelings of the majority of human onlookers seemed to be fear, hatred and OMG! Not many happy faces! 

I am a fan of many winged insects but individual bees don't especially do it for me. Mary and I have been known to have a bee-off photo competition when there are no butterflies or dragonflies about but on a prime Summer day when there are loads of butterflies I will probably run past every bee-on-flowerhead without bothering to notice it. Nor do I buy into that internet myth that civilisation would crumble in 4 years if all the bees died. Nor do I buy into the myth that we could kill all the bees (without systematic targetting of ALL the thousands of species of bees) by just overworking the honey bees we employ to pollinate crops. There is quite a lot on the internet that doesn't bear scrutiny.

This swarm was something else though and I left the area buzzing. (Sorry) Through the car park at Gullane and I paused for a laugh with the ice cream van woman who is super chatty. I possibly refilled my reservoir with cold drinks. 

At the other side of the woods I met and chatted to Olive and Rosie again.
They have a regular daily walk, often along the coast here.

I was just thinking it was nearly a perfect day out. And why couldn't I really enjoy it as the best possible run without any Dark Green Fritillaries. I'd had near perfect weather and a totally absorbing time out. Did it really matter if the stars of the show were missing? Would that be just avarice to hanker for the icing on the cake?

As it was I didn't have to decide. I was descending to the beach at Archerfields below the golf course they are tarting up for the Open or whatever golf tournament is starting soon. I saw a shrub in flower and felt I should check it out for likely pollinators / nectar hunters. Several amazing butterflies flew about the place and I knew I had struck orange!

Although no bigger than a Painted Lady they swagged and zoom about the place and have a presence that is unmistakable. They appear around Aberlady and Gullane in the first half of July and frequently don't wave or stop for a picture as they zoom past at 60mph. This adds to their caché or rather the caché of getting a photo. So what you have to do is find something they might want to sit on and feed. I haven't looked up this bush yet but I think it looks like some sort of pivet or hedgey type shrub. The DGFs are quite partial to it. As are the Painted Ladies and Small Ts. So if the sun is shining, go stand there and get an easy (easier) photo. It still won't be handed to you on a plate. Interestingly there are a number of these shrubs, flowering, dotted about the place along the coast. Some seem to be visited by butterflies more than others. Don't tell John Harrison he'll probably want to burn this one down.

The shrub in question, 20 yards East of the propeller cone folly.
A quick google would suggest it was Chinese Privet Ligustrum sinense. 

best viewed with your back to the golf course!

a Painted Lady taking off

With my (butter)cup now overflowing I headed to Yellowcraigs then inland on the JMW to North Berwick and a train home. Fabulous day out! Now is peak butterfly season! Highly recommended.