guide to east lothian

6th July

Pals Colin and Joan were coming down from Perth for a day to Aberlady to have a look round for butterflies. I'd been in touch with Colin (through facebook) lots in the last year or so, as his enthusiasm for butterflies has grown. We have loads in common as the pair of them are also (hill) runners. When I heard they were planning to have a look round Aberlady and Gullane I suggested I meet them, partly because I enjoy regular trips there, partly to point out places I know might be butterfly rich.

I arrived in plenty time to padlock my bike beside the car park. I had been watching the skies during the cycle there and wasn't optimistic about the weather. I worried there'd be little in the way of butterflies. Still at least I'd be able to point at places and say come back here on a sunny day. The nature reserve is quite large and certain places, that look nearly identical to everywhere else, are just so much better. Often it is difficult to determine absolutely why, possibly the available flowers, or just the right angle of slope to the sun. As I padlocked my bike I saw some brown jobs lurking in the grass right next door and took a couple of photos of ringlets and meadow browns that were as decent as any that year so far. Maybe it would be okay after all?

There was a fairly poor showing to start with; it was still mostly overcast. However since we had loads of runners and races in common there was no shortage of chat. Also it is a great place for a walk so at the very least we'd have that. And things seemed to be improving. We saw a few blues and the occasional DGF however there wasn't an overabundance of stationary lepidoptera. 

After a quick look at Marl Loch (no dragonflies or damselflies) we went along to fritillary alley. It was beginning to warm up and there were a few more blues on the red clover and wildflowers at the side of the path. I might have been tempted to wander back and forth this area as it has always been associated with butterflies for me. However I had recently walked and cycled up the footpath that goes in a straight line to Gullane Point and found there is an area there particularly rich in butterflies. As we wandered up there (C&J had arrived in walking clothes not running clothes) the place began to come alive with flutterings. I would charge into a field of waist-high grass after a DGF and 3 more would fly out from where they were hiding. 

I recommended the ground around the concrete tanks traps. Large blocks of cement placed there in WW2 to obstruct an invasion, near the main path. There is wild thyme growing in several patches near the blocks and almost immediately we were all off calling out species names of the many butterflies nectaring on the thyme. Colin was first to find a Small Skipper which was the prime target for them today. Skippers haven't travelled as far North as Perthshire.This was the area I had found my first small skipper of the year and there were several about today, mostly feeding on the thyme. Having already ticked that box I was more distracted by a fritillary which seemed massive by comparison, and a very newly emerged common blue which was dazzling in the sunlight. I was very pleased Aberlady hadn't let us down. From then on in, everything else was just a bonus. 

I think the slightly overcast weather helped keep the DGFs below frenzy level. After a certain temperature and amount of sun (especially early in the DGF season) they just take off and fly round like crazy looking for mates and not resting or nectaring. However we would turn a corner and come across one placidly atop a thistle waiting while you adjust the aperture, focussed and took a dozen shots. Actually I went home with fewer shots than usual. I worried slightly it might have been that I was talking more than paying attention to the butterflies. It is a rare treat to get company who are runners AND butterfly hunters. And it made a very enjoyable afternoon.

Also on the wish list was Walls. I was pretty sure I hadn't seen any of these browns for ages and that they were between broods, but we went up to the large house near the top of the hill where a boundary wall faces the sun and if there are walls, well, they'll be there. They weren't but the field next door had many flying things to chase and also it led round to where we had spotted Holly Blues last August. A bit early for them possibly but it would be a real coup if we spotted any. Nada again. But at least C&J will know where to look in a couple of weeks, if this year plays out like last year.

After a look at the ivy wall behind the famous Gullane public toilets (no HBs there either) we joined the John Muir Way on the other side of the golf course to return to Aberlady car park. There are a couple of large spreads of thistles in the chest deep grasses off the trail. Not particularly fun to wade through but buzzing with small torts and DGFs and a curiously small sized green veined white in nearly perfect condition, on the leading edge of the second generation emergence.

A few more small skipper and burnet moths on the scabious and knapweed by the side of the JMW to round off a brilliant afternoon. I was relieved it all worked out perfectly and we even managed to get back to the car park in time for those 2 to drive North for a swim session Joan had later. Now that was lucky! I rarely find that a great day's butterflying and punctuality go hand in hand.