flies down in hunter's bog

 

27th June

Still no sign of Summer. However in order to blow off the cobwebs I went out with the camera to find some intermittent sunshine and well, you never know what. No butterflies, but I got partially lucky with a cracking fly I haven't seen before or since. 

When I arrived at the Holyrood Palace entrance the swallows were doing that thing where they fly over the playing fields at 90mph and use any passers-by as goalposts round which they turn and wheel. I haven't played this game in ages and since I have a new camera maybe I can record it better than ever before. That was mainly the case however an awful lot of shots were taken for the few posted here. Partly because I turned the camera to burstmode and then machine-gunned off pics as they hurtled past at huge speed. I experimented at different zooms and shutterspeeds. I had the long lens on and found the best results at 100mm. (200mm, 35mm equivalent). I have then cropped the images. The first session I had the shutterspeed around 1/2500th of a second. The second session 1/640th and I quite like the background blurring as I was moving the camera as the birds whizzed past. It is almost impossible to keep tracking the birds as they go past - you have to allow a certain amount of guestimate; hit and hope, spray and pray, and be prepared to bin large amounts of deletes. 

The majority if not all of the photos show their beaks to be closed. (ie not feeding.) I previously wondered if they were flying over the grass low to catch insects just above the turf. However having watched how they zoom back and forth flying round pedestrians I honestly think they are just doing it for fun. It would be like a super fast video game and visual thrill. I know I would if I could. I have never seen one mess up and bump into a gull, crow or obstacle.

Also there were some house martins I think, joining in. They have a white tank top as well but shorter tails. It is just thrilling to see these small and beautifully aerodynamic birds travel through the air with such consumate skill and dexterity. While I feel some of the photos came out okay there is still improvements possible and will give it further efforts if the time and weather prevail.

this one is recognisable from the damaged tail-feather

I went up the stone trap to near the sweet peas, where there had been reports of NBAs. No sign of them but there were quite a few flies and this spider which I got a couple of photos of before it felt my presence and nipped off into the undergrowth. I hope I didn't ruin its nest building. I say nest, I am assuming it was starting to build something like the construction in the photo underneath. When you stop to look closely into the leaves and grass it is surprising how much you notice. Stuff that you don't when running or even walking slowly past.

not sure if this is caterpillars or spiders or what

It was still early on when I came across this fly below. It is only about 10mm long but looked liked nothing I'd seen before, particularly the wings which give it the ludicrous common name of Sieve-Winged Snailkiller. Coremacera marginata. Fairly widespread down South but scarce North of Cumbria, the larvae prey on land snails giving it the snailkilling reputation. Adults feed on nectar. While I was taking photos it walked across the leaf it was on as if to pose nearer the camera. I had the flash on and wondered if it was trying to find the source of bright light in lieu of the sun. I can't recall any insect ever approaching to have its photo taken. It made me feel the day was worthwhile, to discover this new species and that it was not commonplace. I will be on the lookout for more. Mairi said she had seen one not far from where I was, so there may be a small colony in Holyrood.

Coremacera marginata

Dolichopus

Muscina

Enoplognatha ovata

According to the British Arachnalogical Society, Enoplognatha ovata is one of our most common, most recognisable and prettiest species of comb-footed spiders. Also known as candy striped spiders. 

Thelaira, a long-legged hairy fly

Peacock caterpillars which will emerge in a months time

nice to chat to Steve who was out running,
hope to join him for some training runs soon

Google lens says this is a Common Red Ant (also called a European Fire Ant) Myrmica rubra. They can be aggressive, attacking rather than retreating, being equipped with a stinger, but lacking the ability to spray formic acid like the Formica species. I found a nest in Hunters Bog while kneeling on it. When I stood up I had loads of new friends on my trouser knee! I brushed them off gently.

That one (above) came from a plant I was holding still while photographing ants and aphids again. I think some ran onto my hand. One of the most notable things about them is that they are the ants that have the special (and very odd) relationship with Large Blue butterflies. 

red ants farming aphids

ruby tiger caterpillar

google lens gave several ideas for this species
none seemed particularly reliable

for an idea of the size of this individual see below

my thumbnail is 10mm at the cuticle making this fly
about 3.5mm long or 4.5mm with wings

good old marmalade hoverfly - much easier to ID!

seven-spot ladybird

silver-green leaf weevil, Phyllobious argentatus

These weevils (there were 2) gave me the usual amount of grief; hiding under leaves and generally running away at speed. Many MANY photos were taken, just these 2 made the grade, and there is still work to be done.

another home / nest / nursery

Meanwhile down at St Margaret's Loch there were some ducks. I lured them over with a handful of seeds which they weren't terribly impressed with. (For once I had no bread.)

male tufted duck

much as he looks happy and smiling, this chap was actually
angrily shouting complains and threats at his fellow rival ducks.

Back to Holyrood playing fields. I had put away the camera (after changing back to the long lens for distant ducks) but since the sun made an appearance (on the way home) and the swallows were flying again, I got it back out. Slightly lower shutter speed and maybe slightly more light. Didn't get anything remarkable but the camera did a decent hit-rate of focussing on the birds. There is the feeling I could get something special if I stood here for an hour or two. But can I be bothered? Trouble is there are very few sunny days currently and many subjects are waiting for a decent weather window. We'll see. 

bullet-like aerodynamics

a housemartin
(now that's what I call quite good)