postman's walk

 

18th May

This was a superb day and we felt totally stoked to be out having fun. Mary wasn't working and was keen to do a slightly longer run and possibly in East Lothian. I had suspected the weather might be better than forecast. (Monday had some glorious sunny spells not accurately predicted either.) I felt a trip to Aberlady and Gullane was in order and wanted to catch up with the Holly Blues. Alison H and Fiona M had (independently) posted pics of the female HBs at Postman's Walk, Aberlady and I thought it might be a last chance before the weather broke, while they were still fresh and recently emerged. I was trying to decide between train and bike (or both) as transport until Mary said she was up for a run and would drive us there; but if I wanted to concentrate on butterflies I'd be doing it solo as she would be running, not hanging about. Ooooh, choices! I kind of wanted both a longer run and also the butterfly hunt.

We drove to Gullane and parked at the usual spot. The sky was clear, sun blazing and the long sleeved top was removed before we even started. I had decided to run with Mary and REALLY hoped the sun would stay out for an hour beyond that, when Mary would drive us to Postman's Walk. Although I had the bridge camera in my back pack, I carried the compact in my hand and shot any butterflies along the way with that. Mary ran with just a waist belt which contained her small Canon. Right from the first mile there were butterflies out enjoying the sunshine. Mostly Mary kept running while I stopped for a photo, then sprinted to catch up, although occasionally M would stop for a breather if we saw anything worth a photoshoot.

green tortoise beetle

Until the other day I'd never heard of, or seen, a green tortoise beetle. Iain posted one he'd found. We found this one on Mary's running top. No idea how it got there. Like a cross between a ladybird and a shield bug. Very cute. 

Across the bridge at Aberlady and this wall (f) was less flighty than most. It was landing on dandelions and seemed like it would make a great photo. Mary has to get close with her camera and every time she approached, it flew off to the next flower. I said she'd never get close enough and of course that made her more determined to chase it across acres of savanna while I looked for small heath. Mary said she saw one but it disappeared into the long grass. I was unable to kick any up, although assumed one or 2 would cross our path at some point. It was at the top of a wish list of species I hoped to see today. Eventually Mary got her close up shot of the wall. Pretty good quality for a sub£100 camera.

photo: Mary

The beach was wonderful - no other humans and the tide was super low leaving a huge expanse of sand. Although there were clouds around the horizon overhead it was blue skies. I was hoping it would stay that way till after our run, for the butterflies. We had seen some butterfly activity but considering the weather, not that much. I knew the route we would take was up past the gatehouse at Archerfields and that the lilac bushes there would be in bloom. I hoped there would be a good crowd of nectaring insects.

sprints!

meadow pipit (I think)
just googled differences between rock and meadow and still uncertain!

Thrift. I love the sea pink season. However it is really short. You cannot hang about waiting for butterflies to land on it or getting just the right view behind it. In no time it is past its best and you have missed the photo. I was chasing various butterflies about and this green veined white happened to land on some but it isn't the best photo ever. Moments later a small heath (my first this year) fluttered by. I chased it as it dived into the long grass, a cowardly but effective defence against the paparazzi. There was another one moments later and the pics from that were even worse. I didn't have time to coax either into better surroundings.

small heath - best (photo) of a bad bunch

Mary pulling down the sun blinds.

sea pinks

This deer must have been a youngster. It stood quite close by munching away, completely unconcerned. I snuck closer for photos and while it noted my presence I think it accurately deduced the chances of me outrunning it from 30 yards away were negligible. Usually they bound off if you get to within 60 or even 100 yards.

stating the obvious at Archerfields

There were loads of speckled woods in the dappled sunlight patches next to the golf course. However I was keen to get to the gatehouse. I was sure the lilac bushes there would be heaving with all the whites plus a few of the others: peacocks, speckleds, small torts and walls. Maybe a red admiral or painted lady. (Here is the link to that blog from last year.) When we got there however there was bugger all. I could not believe it. The flowers were in bloom, the place was thick with lilac perfume, but no butterflies. WTF?!!! It has been a really strange Spring for butterflies not turning up where they have been spotted previously at this time. Swapping notes with others further North and way down South this does seem to be the story all over the country. There are plenty photos of nearly every anticipated species but people are reporting fewer of each about and certain areas devoid of any of the regulars for this time of year. What happened to global warming? Hopefully things will get back on track before the end of the summer. It does feel slightly alarming. Butterflies are often an indicator of ecological health. To have numbers this much below average is not a good sign. And if fewer breed now, then next year numbers will be down too. I think it is almost all due to lower than normal temperatures. Butterflies do not enjoy the hail showers. 

However, the sun was still out. Which was something. We had a refuel from the Gullane coop. Sandwiches and juice. The woman behind the counter told Mary if she bought crisps it would qualify as a meal deal and be cheaper. So I had my annual packet of crisps. While I quite enjoyed their saltiness I hate the way they stick to your teeth and give you the mouth feel of an ashtray. I had to go wash my hands in the public loos (now open again at last!) before touching my camera and rinse out my mouth. 

We drove to Aberlady and parked just round the corner from Roly S's house at the entrance to Postman's Walk. I was in a hurry to get my fill of Holly Blues over at the far corner and would have marched past the first HB site if it weren't for a male holly blue flying at about eye level and settling on the flowering bits of the holly like tree just yards from the field entrance. We took some photos but it was not very easy to get the right angles, as it was facing away from the cameras.

By now I was so amped up it was hard not to break into a jog and run along the path. However you see much more going at a sedate pace so I tried not to run. There were clouds of flies and smaller insects along the field edge, basking in the heat of the day. It felt like maybe 20' but we had nothing to measure it with.

So it was a surprise to find an absence of Holly Blues at the field corner. I thought I maybe rushed past the ivy covered walls in too much of a hurry. Or that 3pm was too late in the day and they'd all gone home. I went up and back and saw nothing. I decided to check the garlic mustard flowers for OTs and OT eggs, thinking as soon as I occupy myself with other stuff the blues will appear. I saw Mary taking photos beside the ivy and hoped she had found one. She wasn't sure initially what she had found as it was the right colour but not quite the right shape. It turned out to be not one, but 2 HBs; and the unusual shape was the result of them being (as the people in lab coats say) in cop. An excellent find! The chances of finding a mating pair of Holly Blues in Scotland is extremely slim. Not because it doesn't go on, but because apart from East Lothian there just aren't that many HBs regularly observed in Scotland. Yet again Mary was crucial in our holly blue experience. I had probably walked past the mating pair twice without spotting them. They are extremely small and you can mistake their silvery white underwings for the bounce of sunlight off the glossy leaves. We both took a million photos each.

After a short time Mary suggested we venture into the woods behind. I hoped there might be a few more whites and speckleds, and sure enough there was. We both went off in different directions and there were loads of butterflies dancing about in the dappled light between the trees. Round about the friary ruins seemed to be the best spot, and I saw trains of 4 or more speckleds chasing each other in ascending spirals as we spent 20 minutes, lost in concentration, taking the best photos of the day. Not as rare as holly blues mating, to get a shot of a mere green veined white on a yellow flower but aesthetically, a better photograph. If there were any large whites about I failed to get their picture. Having ticked the small heath box, large whites were now top of the "most wanted" list. Yet again they eluded capture. I had hoped we would bump into some on the several lilac bushes we had passed today.

green veined white (f)

orange tip (f)

speckled wood on a nettle leaf

On the walk along the field perimeter, back to the car, I spotted this small copper on garlic mustard flowers. You can see an orange tip egg between the petals. 

There were loads of OTs most of them flying about and reluctant to land in such warm weather. However towards the end of the day (after 4pm) they begin to calm down and this one sat still for ages while we took another million photos.

Another fantastic day running and "butterflying" in East Lothian, home of the holly blue!