Mary holiday

 

20th Sept

Mary had some holidays mid-Sept and although not glam or abroad we enjoyed a few days mucking about locally. The forecast wasn't particularly great on Monday 20th and I was surprised when Mary suggested a trip to Saltoun Big Wood. She knows how much I like it there, and I was glad she thought it worth a trip as well. And since we were going in the car we wouldn't even have to mess about with bikes and the fairly drab cycle there. And could take big cameras. And wear nearly normal clothes! I was pretty sure there wouldn't be much in the way of butterflies and dragonflies and tried to suppress my insect hunting inclinations as much as possible and not be like an unbearable child if there was f' all in the overcast surroundings. I'm fairly sure I mismanaged all of that. But we had a good time nevertheless.

not everyone thought being outdoors today was where it was at

hardly in the gate and this gvw suggested it wouldn't be a wasted trip

black darters at the lower ponds
seems to have been a great year for them

quite a few speckleds still about but not a lot else

many mushrooms

peacock

another green veined white

lots of fruiting brambles 

Today's challenge was butterflies-on-brambles photos. This was as close as it got so you'll just have to imagine the fiery orange of a comma sipping fruit juice from beautifully coloured berries. It really wasn't the day for it today although there were lots of great autumnal colours about.

2 spiders, a common darter and a speckled wood

We came across this exposed tree trunk which was a favoured spot for sunbathing with the locals. I was intrigued by the proximity of spider and darter. I'm not sure who would come off worse if they went at it and I suspect they weren't sure either, as both had to be aware of each other, and neither was shaping up to make a move. Eventually the dragonfly flew up and then landed behind the spider and slightly more distant. I'm pretty sure they had decided on a truce. Few predators will take a risk with something that could inflict damage unless food is scarce. I think my money would be on the dragonfly as it has superior mobility and a considerably larger mass.

Mexican standoff

tiny fungii on the side of the dead log

tactical reposition by darter

wow that's a big one

inkcap maybe?

When we got to the top of the trail known previously as butterfly alley there was a route choice option. We could go back the same way or complete the square taking the other 2 sides. I was for option 1 feeling something more than the peacock and GVWs might flutter out the woods onto the purple scabious flowers that help give butterfly alley its moniker, Mary was for option 2. She was quite insistent for reasons she was unable to identify. Given her spooky luck pulling holly blues and many other examples out of her butterfly hat I gave into option 2 and sure enough just after the big tall mushroom I saw a red admiral (the first of the day) fly up out of the undergrowth.

It had been disturbed by our proximity and flew off to land high in a tree. (Photo below.) It was probably even more disturbed by me throwing sticks up said tree. Now before I get excommunicated from Butterfly Conservation can I just say there is no way in the world I was throwing sticks AT the RA. Just at the leaves some distance from the butterfly. So that the distant swish in the branches below might encourage it to shift position. Really just like a gentle "hello" and an offer from below to "come out to play". Before that issue was entirely resolved, on a trip into the undergrowth to collect the next batch of throwing wood, I noticed a dead leaf sat on the soil. Not only was it sat edge on which seemed at odds, but it was exactly the same shape in outline as that of a comma butterfly. I only glanced it out the corner of my eye but my brain latched onto it and shouted you know that shape. Put down the boomerangs and have a look. 

RA high in the tree

only comma of the day

Although it has those very individually shaped wings - to perhaps mimic a fallen dead leaf - they are such a distinctive pattern that they shouted out to me. It did help that it was sat on a smooth surface of light coloured clay. I was very pleased and stopped harassing the poor admiral and put on my ninja cloaking device to approach this one with maximum stealth. Mary noticed what was going on and came over to get a photo or 2. We watched from a respectable distance avoiding all sudden movements. As if waking from a dream it slowly began to stir and then gradually began to open its wings. Just about the point I was anticipating seeing its marvellous uppers it executed the famous Weis-Fogh upstroke wing clap and was gone. 

didn't hang about

Meanwhile we saw this RA on the bracken. Was this the one from up in the tree? I think it saw us waving a friendly hello and decided to investigate, flopping down onto these ferns and sitting in the sun, looking spectacular. It seemed to be larger than any red admiral I had ever seen. They don't vary much in size and are one of the top 5 largest of the UK butterflies, but this one seemed very glossy and unusually wide of wingspan. Maybe just a comparison thing after seeing the comma which seemed to be a particularly small specimen. I took photos and shot some video before it curtsied and swooped off to a taller fern where it could look down at us from above. Unfortunately I couldn't get close enough to get my hand etc. into the same photo for scale. I teased Mary saying how right I was to choose to come this way rather than go back the same way we'd come. Apparently you don't have to have children to do Dad jokes.

superior

more mushrooms

more autumn

more slug

On the way back past the ponds, I couldn't resist another hunt round the perimeter to find some black darters. Mary had given up trying to photo the large blue Hawkers and I'd been saying watch the tree trunks near the ponds as you often catch them resting there, when the sun isn't solar-powering them up. I found one, but by the time I told Mary about it, it had seen me moving closer and flown off. 

common hawker

last speckled wood of the day

dandelion party

bees playing hide and seek

We both really enjoyed the walk and felt we had been really lucky to see all that we had. There were lots of birds singing in the trees but they are so difficult to see before the leaves drop. Not long now till that, and birding season begins in earnest. Pretty much at the end of the butterfly season with only a few brave hanger-onners to go. It has been a good summer with plenty of sunny days, so I really can't complain. Although I always feel a bit sad about heading into autumn with the prospect of colder, shorter days ahead.
<Looks out gloves and hats> 

sparrer