old haunts and new

Thurs 17th Sept.

The sun was out and I had the time to go butterflying, but where? Rather than get ambitious this late in the season I decided to visit some of my favourite haunts along the coast. I was fairly sure if there were butterflies about I could find them at a couple of spots I knew along the trails of East Lothian. I bought a return to NB getting off at Longniddry at 10am and running East to North Berwick. Only 18 miles but I managed to make it last well over 5hrs!

First up; Gosford Estate. I was pretty sure it was way too late for demoiselles but knew there would be speckleds and maybe more along the way. I also took the South entrance into the estate (as recommended by Dr. Neil) which is near the station and goes along some gravel trails past a stables and fields of horses before climbing a gate into the grounds of the big hoose. 

plenty speckleds basking in the sunshine

big hoose

I checked out the ponds looking for any kind of odonata but nothing much about. And the speckleds kept asking to have their photos taken. Some nice backlit spider webs dancing in the breeze. Not always that easy to get in focus or to see if you have nailed it or not so here's a tip: take loads and maybe one or 2 will turn out! And background can matter with such flimsy whimsical subjects.

I saw a couple of dudes with cameras and tripods and asked what they were after. Although birds were on the menu it was more just scenery, landscapes and reflections on the water. I was really quite surprised as they had exactly the same look and kit as birders, butterfliers and wildlifers if there is such a thing and I had them down as "one of us."

right enough, reflections

Not overly impressed with the range of butterflies in Gosford I moved quickly on to the Scottish Ornithological Club at Waterston House. They have planted the front garden there with all sorts of butterfly friendly plants. I was surprised to see nothing on the remains of yellow buddleia that just a week ago was heaving with RAs and Peacocks. Maybe I needed to adjust my expectations? Or maybe it was just too early in the day. I am not an early bird but sort of assumed most butterflies, if it is sunny, will hit the flowers from 10 onwards. Perhaps on cooler days they wait till the warmest couple of hours? 

roof of Waterston House, appropriately

I thought I'd take a few photos of the glorious blooms anyway, even if they were unadorned. However I found this bush near the house/gift shop entrance, that had a speckled, an admiral and a small tortoiseshell hopping from flower to flower. I couldn't quite get near enough and had to wait till they came to me. 

There was also a Silver Y moth. Doing what they do. Which is a frustrating dance round a few flowers without ever standing still for a photo, then when they see you, they nose dive into the depths and flutter around like a headless chicken with one wing cut off. They are quite attractive visually but rank really highly on the scale of bastards I refuse to chase after because they are just not worth the bother. 

Unlike the speckleds who balance on a prominence in the bright sun waiting to have their photo taken, looking handsome and speckly. Now THAT, (wise up Silvery Ys) that is how you get your photo posted here.

I couldn't resist another visit to the sunflower field so generously sown by Luffness Mains Farm. One of the absolute highlights of late Summer. I climbed over the small electric fence at the West side of the field and walked along the edge of the flowers counting 8 species of butterfly (and one moth) in a hundred yards. The yellow blooms radiated sunshine and warmth and made superb backdrops for the butterflies. RAs, Peacocks, Small T-shells, Speckleds, Small Large and GV Whites, and a singular Painted Lady!

gvw

Silver Y does amazing cammo.

small t-shell

peacock

I was delighted to see this Painted Lady. One of the few places I'd seen them this year was in this field. Last visit there was just the one specimen also. But not the same one. (I checked!) It was a little bit flighty but with patience and careful steps between the flowers I got a couple of shots. 

a few large white but hardly any settling like this one

these are the sheep in the field contained by the electric fence

After filling my boots with the sunflower butterflies I ran up the side of the golf course to the quarry where there can sometimes be the occasional early or late gem. Today it was this remarkably fresh looking Common Blue, the last one I saw this year. 17th Sept is not unheard of, but you won't see many beyond this point. Since it was still fairly new (the white fringe is evidence of this although it had that slightly transparent look you don't get on a brand new one,) and I asked Mary every time after that day when we drove past in the Berlingo for Gullane runs, to drop me off for a quick peek to see if it was still there. However Mary's love of butterflies has it's limits and I never got to find out how late into the month it was holding on for. I suspect it had a couple of weeks left. Hope it found some friends!

Also another great survivor was this Small Heath. They have a similar span on the calendar as the Blues. But there are only extreme outsiders still found in Scotland by mid September. 10th species of the day!

Moving on to Archerfields. A disappointing amount of butterflies there. Really just this drunken sailor (an Admiral is a sailor, right?) who had dented his rear wing no doubt reversing without looking. He flicked his wings at me, cranky and perhaps hungover on bramble wine.

I had noticed a small pond (on the map) near Archerfields House between Archerfields and Dirleton. I took a wee diversion to check it out. I had run past with Ben K a hundred years ago and remembered ducks with ducklings. But today I was looking for dragonflies. None on first inspection and then I saw a darter or 2 in the reeds. While checking them out, there was a flyby hawker (I think - just the once past) and several more speckled woods which almost justified standing in waist deep reeds and grasses. 

Then off to Dirleton and the yellow buddleias on the corner. Again, a poor turn out there and I didn't linger after getting a shot or 2 with the blue sky background offsetting the RAs.

young deer weighing up whether it needed to run or not

about 50 crows mobbing a buzzard (bottom left)

And then a short run into North Berwick and just enough time to make it to the coop then back to the station and the train waiting on the platform. Great day out and lovely places to visit. But definitely an end of season feel at several of the venues - that everything was just having a last gasp and that the curtain was falling. Oh well. Nice while it lasted and quite a few great days had, during a strange Summer.

18 miles over 5hrs 23 - superb!