uncommon blue

31st May & 1st June

Last year the first Common Blue I saw was in Holyrood Pk on 10th June. They are such a fantastic and vivid butterfly they always make my heart beat faster and seem to represent the beginning of Summer. I had been hoping all this superb weather would encourage an earlier emergence this year, so have been looking for them for a week or 2; relishing their return. A couple of trips to East Lothian had proved fruitless. Then, as word came in of sightings from the Borders, (traditionally just ahead of us,) on the last day of May on my way home through the park after a rewarding day elsewhere, I went past a spot Ken and I had checked out recently for NBAs, and saw the vibrant flash of unmistakable blue. Hallelujah! Summer has arrived!

First up, what I did with the day up to that point. I had heard a second hand rumour that there had been Banded Demoiselles sighted in the Musselburgh Lagoons. A year ago an unreliable (not a butterfly expert) but enthusiastic source had said they thought they maybe saw Holly Blues there. So I have always thought I should go have a look. But the lagoons are on the other side of a 6 mile run or cycle just to get there and so I haven't until now. The possible Bandy spotting was enough to motivate me. I have suspected they probably lurk in some hidden backwater of the Esk along with many riches but it's not enough in my backyard. Anyway I packed the pannier bag with supplies and cycled there on the 31st. It is quite a large area with not a lot of obvious spots. There is a boating pond that was surrounded by distancing but irritating locals sunbathing and generally frightening the horses. The pond looked pretty but didn't have just quite enough reeds and ungardened wildness to support anything as exotic as demoiselles. There were a few damselflies. I tried to stir up the enthusiasm to take their pictures. 

I checked out the birding ponds but they were distanced by obligatory paths and you couldn't get to the waters edge without raising jeers from the bird hides. Mainly though it was just too windy. There was a stiff onshore breeze that pelted anything in this pancake flat landscape. I found some trees and checked out the windshade side of them and spoke to a birder but it was all looking like a wasted trip without insider info. What was I doing wasting a glorious sunny day here when I could be checking out possible blues and NBAs in Holyrood. First, though, I'd skoot past Pinkie Burn that skirts Pinkie Playing fields. From google maps and personal experience I guessed it had just the right mix of shopping trolley squalor, nettles and wildflowers to support some wildlife. It would only take 2 minutes.

I spent the next 30 minutes or more having a great time with the speckled woods I met there. There was a winding single track dirt path through the trees and at every sun-dappled corner there was a speckled wood on a nettle or leaf. I haven't really had my fill of speckleds this summer so far, and it was so much fun that all thoughts of racing to Holyrood were put on hold. The great thing was they sat (fairly) still for the camera allowing me to edge in slowly, slowly till I had the macro set lens just an inch from their hairy faces. Some flew off, others sat proudly. Most had closed wings as the sun was really belting down. However that helped pick out the minute details and made for rich bokeh backgrounds. On the other side of the small burn was a grassy path and I would inevitably see something alluring from there (wings open shot) and race back round to see if I could catch it. There was enough of a mix of success and failure to keep me "in the zone" and loving it for (just checked the gps) 55mins!

The only strange thing was it seemed exactly right for all sorts of wildlife especially damselflies and dragonflies, and yet of them, there were none. Not a whisper. Maybe not enough shopping trolleys?

So I felt my cup was already overflowing when I detoured past Holyrood. I nearly didn't bother; keen to get home and see what speckled delights I had captured. I knew they were the best photos I'd take that day, and they were. I had a quick scope of the hairstreak layby but felt there was little there likely to hold my attention. I went to the barriers at the top end of the Radical Rd.

pick of the litter

lockdown has hugely increased the amount of mindless littering going on in beauty spots

mother shipton moth

barriers at Rad Rd

This is where I saw the first C Blue last year. 10th June 2019. Ken had appeared and we took photos and wandered down to the NBAs at the bottom of the scree slope. The Hoyrood blues tend to stay fairly close to one place and if found can often be found again within a hundred yards on subsequent days. Apart from small heaths there wasn't much about. I went down to the NBA site at the bottom of the stone chute but there was a couple picnicking there. As I said earlier this sort of punishment has probably spoiled that site for NBAs and the small number of butterflies that hung out there previously. 

Feeling a bit downbeat about this I continued round the grass below the crags then on a whim decided to check out the other side of the raised mound that runs parallel to the crags and acts as a stone trap for falling rocks off the crags. Last time I was there (see previous blog Northern Brown Argus and venue 3) with Ken the place was heaving with small heaths. It does not get much human traffic so is worth a visit. There was a small patch of birds-foot trefoil and my heart flipped over when I saw a bright blue form fly 10 yards and land. Undoubtedly a Common Blue, the first of the year! I was really excited and it was like meeting an old friend. Ahh yes, I remember how much I like you! Sounds daft to attribute that depth of feeling to an uncaring insect but it is the combination of anticipation and waiting half a year or more and then the sight of that amazing blue sheen in the sunlight. Cheerful fuckwords might well have been ejaculated. It looked so much bigger than the NBAs and Small Coppers probably due to that amazing white-frilled shimmering blue. Photos don't really do it justice!

I believe these yellow flowers are birds-foot trefoil. I had been mistaking them for kidney vetch which also has yellow flowers and is much loved by butterflies. And I'm not sure what the yellow flowers halfway up the slope directly above this site (and the small fence) are but they are something different yet and not so popular with the butterflies. Prob due to less shelter from wind.

If the Common Blue (and there was only one here on that occasion) flew off it wouldn't go far and generally return to the same area. It was reluctant to let me anywhere close with the camera. Although I managed a few macro shots it was far easier to just take zoom shots from 2 or 3 metres away. If I tried to get in close it would fly off unless really involved with a complex bit of nectaring. I had remembered them as horribly flighty down at Aberlady, but here the first two I encountered this year were really comparatively friendly, or rather, not that bothered about my presence.

There were several other treats at this site. At least 2 NBAs. I saw what felt like loads, and yet only ever saw 2 (jousting) at the same time so can't swear there was more than 2. There was also a small copper and various shipton moths. (Again impossible to say if it was 1, 2 or many.) So I would have plenty to take pics of while waiting for the blue to settle somewhere photogenic. It was just brilliant. Doesn't get better than this!

macro - looking up towards crags

pretty much zilch in focus but I like this shot

I did wonder if the brown wings suggested NBA but it is the Blue sure enough.

Iain identified the caterpillar as a 6 spot burnet moth.

Haven't seen that many in Holyrood, so one to look out for in about a month.

I went home elated, and excited to see the results of many hundreds of photos. I have yet to nail a foolproof way of sorting the focus when shooting macro pics, so much of it being just hit-and-hope as I can't really see the (non tilting) screen most of the time I shoot macro, or put my eye to the viewfinder as this would freak out the butterflies more than just holding the camera at arms length and slowly presenting it as closely (30mm) to the subject as possible. So the delete rate is huge. Out of 800 photos maybe 150 go straight in the recycle bin. Quickly followed by as many again. I might have to get a walking camera with tilting screen sometime when work gets busy again. Though generally I am reasonably pleased with the results I get from a camera small enough to run with. Compared to the large and heavy DSLRs friends heft about and their results. Anyway enough blethers. I was so delighted by the common blue I went out next day to see it again. I knew I was risking a let down as it would be impossible to match the joy of the previous day's speckleds AND a blue. But hell, the sun is out, let's live dangerously!

1st June. Sure enough my new best friend was just where I left him. Hurray! He seemed pleased to see me which I didn't believe for a second. But he flew straight over and did a loop or 2 round me. I had worn a blue vest and shoes in his honour and that may have stirred some deep territorial urges to see me off. I should probably have dressed in a browny purply top with orange flashes like the female common blues. There has been some chat on facebook recently about what colours are most favourable with butterflies. Black is a no-no, blue seems to interest them. 

you lookin at me?

I included these 3 pics to show how the iridescence moves with the light on a new NBA. They are a fabulous butterfly and would be far more popular if only they were a tad bigger. Most people just won't ever see one. 😥 

not sure if that orange pellet on the petal is a butterfly egg,

 an aphid or a little bit of breakfast egg yolk that needs wiped off

bloooooo

I must apologise to this copper for the substandard photo

and for ignoring it in favour of just about everything else. Sorry.

NBA on what I thought was just "a type of dandelion" but is

more likely Mouse-ear Hawkweed. (ffs) (Which is a type of daisy.)

just looking at this - makes me want to put on my running shoes 

and go take photos of the same - just so MAGIC! (back shortly)

Update: it was windy and cold and there were none about. 😥

shiptons

I got lured up onto the higher alpine slopes below the crags because of all the flowering valerian. There was red and pink and this white flower which may be something different and was in smaller amounts. There were bees and an occasional small heath. I had been hoping there might be a whole eco system of butterflies madly gorging on all the flowers but alas no, there was just a difficult scramble off the hill. Initially I tried to continue South East to the top end of the Radical Rd or below it. But I gradually got entangled in smaller paths with scratchy bushes and brambles all around. Until I gave up and retreated (legs scored and bramble-slashed) out and down the way I'd gone up. All in all a bit of a crappy adventure and not recommended although all those flowers are pretty. 

kestrel hovering on updrafts

Now this is Common Blue number 2. Exactly where number one was last year (Rad Rd barriers) and probably the reincarnation/offspring of last year's. It must have emerged while I was in the park because there was no sign of it first time past and next time past you could see it a hundred yards away standing out like a spill of blue paint on a light green carpet. It was hungry as hell and spent all the time I was there head down in the trefoil. (Just what part looks like what bird's foot?) (Googled it and it's the seed pods and grudgingly, yes they look like birds' feet.)

below Crow Hill

On the way home I stopped to take a pic of the NBAs at venue 3 because I had a feeling I maybe hadn't got that open wing shot with oily blue colours nailed. Hmm, the shot below shows the colours but is far from sharp. Possibly wind or just the problems of shooting a very small insect. Still room for improvement, although by the time the sun comes back summer may have come and gone. If that was all the summer we're getting it is still better than most years! Loving the Blues!