holly blues

 

1st August
So often when out hunting butterflies you don't find quite the thing you were looking for. But perhaps along the way you come across something else worthwhile or even better. Other times you find the thing you were looking for but on the wrong day, when you weren't looking for it. This happened on the first of August. I was out for the usual Gullane run that Saturday, with Mary and Nick, and felt I didn't really need to do the whole butterfly thing as I'd had a great day out two days before (last blog) and also the sun wasn't really out enough. 

snowberries at the "top of the hill"

Of course I can be easily swayed, so when the sun started to shine towards the end of our run I asked if we could divert the run back to the car by going up and over the hill past the snowberries that the Holly Blues like to fly over. I was pleased to find there were indeed quite a few HBs out and about. Nick and Mary did hill reps up and down the short grass round the corner while I got some cracking HB shots. All males but in tip top condition which considerably adds to the cachet. Nick and Mary were fairly indifferent about my excitement.

Which got me thinking would there be any more HBs about Gullane? I knew it would be unfair to Mary to drag her off to St Adrian's but at the same time you don't get many ideal days and find yourself right among these rare beauties. I said to Mary I'd make my own way home and she could drive off. (Nick was already off in his own car.) Mary generously said she could do a Spanish lesson on her phone and gave me half an hour. I scampered off like a happy puppy, although I was thinking that wasn't really long enough. But hey, better than a run to Drem for the train, or a bus back from Gullane.

I wandered into St A's and it looked pretty dead. I was looking up at the tall holly trees and couldn't see anything. I had already walked past the bush with yellow and white flowers on which I'd got a decent photo of a holly blue last visit. I supposed I should check it out just in case, and there, right at my elbow, was a small, powder blue beauty. I raced to get my camera out in something of a blind panic. Maybe half an hour would be plenty.

Every now and then it flew off to another plant or to do a circuit of the churchyard, then back to the yellow and white flowers. It also landed on the spherical blue plants nearby but I failed to get any kind of a decent close up before it flew back to the other shrub. 

Then as I was moving around the flowers trying to get a decent shot of the butterfly, as well as the best possible background colours, a second HB flew down and landed on the flower next to the other one. I nearly swallowed my tongue! And was tripping over myself trying to position the camera where I'd get a decent angle and as much of the scene in focus as possible. It is rare for male HBs to sit quietly together - more likely they will noise each other up and fly about in spiralling circles, in a similar way to common blue males. I knew I only had a matter of seconds to make the most of it and shot off a number of photos. I just started the video and one of them took off. Oh well, hopefully the photos would be enough, and in focus.

I am pleased to report I was back to the car in about 31minutes and Mary was just finishing her Spanish lesson. Best ever Holly Blue pics! The one at the top of this page made the cover photo for East Scottish Butterflies fb group page. No higher accolade! 😎