gullane

 

7th May

Mary was off and the weather was looking mixed but sunny in parts; jump in the car and off to Gullane, more for a run than a butterfly hunt, but you never know. We parked in the usual place and headed to Aberlady but instead of the usual JMW took a diversion off the golf course past Luffness to see what was there. The most exciting thing was loads of walls. Not particularly easy to catch feeding on the coltsfoot and I was getting too distracted by a raggedy small copper and other flying things to make a decent job of it. In fact I was surprised to find I did not have the quality of image (of walls) I had thought I did. I didn't want to try Mary's patience so tried to be fairly quick. The walls are never that keen to oblige, but lovely to see some fresh and richly coloured ones in the sunshine.

best copper of the day was on the roadside wildflowers

Also nice to see my first Mother Shipton Moth of the year. One of the more vibrantly patterned moths. I chased it, thinking it might be a small heath which was today's prime target. Nothing out yet that I could find. Plenty shipton moths in Holyrood Park. And Small Heaths, and Walls in due course but I haven't seen any yet in Holyrood this year. 

wall (m)

no shortage of ticks though - found 3 before they dug in

I was so distracted by the walls that I forgot to get a decent photo of this cinnabar moth. Again, the first one of the year. There is a (completely fabricated and changeable) tariff list in my head and if several species are all dancing in front of me I tend to target them according to the highest tariff first. Which can change depending on abundance, freshness and have-I-already-got-a-photo-of-it. I blame this and trying not to bore Mary, for leaving without a spectacular portfolio of butterfly and moth pics. Had I been on my own I would have stayed longer and taken more pics. Although they might not have come out any better!

When we went across the bridge to Aberlady NNR we noticed the tiny caterpillars on threads were doing their annual thing. Always and only at this time of the year they descend on threads and often we find them on sleeves or shoulders on the drive home. In order to get a photo of them (and not just the background) you have to hold your hand out to the plane they are on and focus the camera on that, then holding down the shutter release remove your hand and take the photo. Like Mary is doing in the image above. They are tiny and I have no idea what they grow into, perhaps micro moths or wee flies of some sort.

goose, stepping

Marl Loch - no sign of 4 spotted chasers yet, but soon

As we got to the beach there were many heavy grey clouds building along the coast and we wondered if we were in for a soaking. I was now glad of the 2 layers I had been regretting wearing earlier in the hot sunshine. I think Mary put her extra layer back on.

dead gannet

dead cold for swimming

dead puffin

half moulted buck

We were both really hungry by the time we got back to Gullane and sat in the car eating coop sandwiches while the worst of the weather passed over. There was a bit of a downpour but the sun was re-appearing by the time we headed off. Mary generously asked if I wanted a wander down Postman's Walk. We kept our jackets on after parking at the Aberlady end and walking the half mile to the suntrap corner where there is (sometimes in warm weather) an abundance of butterflies. Unfortunately the downpour had discouraged all but a few Orange Tips and about a million gnats / mosquitoes / midges / aphids. I should prob know what these little airborn annoyances are but have never been interested enough to find out. Along with St Mark's flies they were out in their thousands.

trees were looking verdant against the purple skies
but alas no Holly Blues or Walls

OT egg (orange oval)

Like the tiny caterpillars, in order to get the camera to focus on the flies and not Mary I focussed it on the nearby wall (closer than Mary) and keeping the shutter release (half) down turned to take a shot in this direction. It only shows a fraction of the clouds of insects but gives an idea. In many ways, better those clouds of insects (potential food for birds etc.) than farmers using insecticides to wipe them out.

As the sun moves behind clouds orange tips close up for business and go into stasis. Which makes for plenty time dicking about I mean practising taking photos from all angles. Here are 2 shots from either side (sunlit and backlit) distant and close up.

Really a pretty decent day out running with a few first of the year species, and plenty room for improving photos as the season progresses. As soon as we get some decent weather?