small blue kisses

8th May. I am pleased to say I set this adventure in motion (accidentally) by posting a photo of that small heath at Gullane. Iain saw it and dropped what he was doing, hurrying out at an unlikely time in the afternoon, knowing that when the small heaths emerge so do the small blues, a far more exotic dish. He hadn't anticipated either species appearing quite so early and it caught him off-guard - it has been a season of world record early appearances. Sure enough he found them, and in impressively large numbers. I read his update online and the happy memories of running up the coastal trails from Berwick-upon-Tweed inspired me to change plans, pack a bag and book a train ticket to Berwick the next day. And it turned out very nicely!

I got off the train at 10.10. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and I was running up one of the best coastal trails in search of some delightful butterflies. Doesn't get any better than this. There is a bit of tarmac heading out of town and then you cross the railwayline onto the coast which is a mix of golf courses, caravan parks, undulating cliffs and pebbly bays. There is a constant cheep and peep of small birds singing and on this occasion there were loads of sedge warblers making the most noise. They have an impressive range of beatboxing tunes frantically thrashed out. I kept getting distracted and having to stop to record their antics.

sedge warbler

reed bunting

ignoring the hawthorn flies

sedgers beatboxing

stonechat

drinker moth caterpillar

I always take a photo at the caravan site just before the Scottish Border. I look quite chunky in this year's. Either because the convex glass is distorting the image or because I am a bit chunky. 😬

the majority of the walls are already looking a bit worn

meh

Lots of these birds flying swiftly over the fields catching insects but which
of our 4 species are they? Luckily I have this handy pic (below) I found online. 

Looks like it is a house martin. I can comprehend the differences
when I am reminded, but have trouble retaining all their tells in my head.

more adventures in small heath uppers
shutterspeed okay but focus very poor

It is nearly 6 miles to Lamberton and Catscairn, home of the Small Blue. Iain had let me know he was going to Blaikie Heugh and then Catscairn and I told him it would take me around an hour to get there off the 10.10 train unless distracted. It turned out to be 80mins. Too many distractions!

Just as I arrived so did another gent. He was also looking out for small blues and turned out to be an ex-local lepidoterist now living down South. Peter Summers. Both Iain and Peter were well aware of each other, though this was a first (unplanned) contact. Couldn't have planned it better! There was much chat while I scurried about looking for small blues. Peter was keeping butterfly diaries long before the internet was a thing and of course information was harder to exchange. Along with digital cameras things have got so much easier and information more widely available.

there were a few blues about but not
in the numbers they were, on the scree slopes next door

At this point I changed from the long lens to the macro. Small blues are the smallest UK butterfly and are happy to dive into the undergrowth, as much as perch on a good vantage point. In order to get in close the macro is the weapon of choice although you have to be super-slow-moving if putting a lens right up to them without scaring them off. Patience required. But isn't it always?

hopper instar

another immature grasshopper, on my backpack

Climbing carefully down the slope was tricky. Not just the gradient but the dry dusty stones were like ballbearings and keeping your footing was imperative not to go shooting into the gorse or taking the long slide down to the sea. There are a couple of shelves on which lots of blues danced about. They will fly off as you approach but don't go far and often return to favourite spots. 

I was cursing losing the one on gorse petals, when another landed on my leg. That bit of green next to it was the remnant of where I was kneeling on a gravel/grass mix. I really need to get butterflying kneepads. (Mary has since ordered me a pair of gardening ones off the internet.) I was amused as the blue was clearly licking the salt off my legs. I had been running for about half the 6 miles and had a good covering of electrolytes which the butterfly was enjoying. It then changed venue to my shorts, then up to my hand. This was too good!

I was able to turn my hand to get the light and butterfly-aspect I required while operating the camera with just one hand. I was very glad I didn't have the long lens on, which has a frustrating minimum focal distance of 6 inches beyond my full stretch, meaning I can't photo anything on my hand. My new best buddy was in no hurry to leave and stayed for quite a while. Just looked at the exif data - first pic was taken at 12.36 when it landed on my leg and the last pic at 12.45. I then climbed up the slope 60 yards to show Iain and Peter and it hitched a lift the whole way. Ten minutes of small blue bliss! I make no apologies for posting a million photos and some video below! It was the highlight of the day, if not the year.

nah... too hairy

nah... not salty enough

oooh, just right!

small blue kisses video, click twice
(2 of the clips shot in slo-mo)

many species and local haunts being discussed!

the Buttercycle!
quite a machine - but if I got one would I ever use my normal bike again?

I left Iain and Peter discussing all things butterfly and headed onward in a Northerly direction. I initially had a plan to get to St Abbs and the small coppers there, before catching the 6.10pm bus back to Berwick for the 7-ish train home. However that was now looking less feasible and I considered an earlier more relaxed option involving fewer miles and a nice lunch at the pub! It was far too warm a day to go rushing anywhere.

I met his beetle on the slope down into the East end of Burnmouth. It is a Brown Mint Leaf Beetle, Chrysolina staphylaea, and an absolute beauty!. Did you ever see such a rich red-brown? It was quite sedate which allowed me these photos before I returned it to some foliage. I kept the macro lens on despite the fact the long lens would be better for birds and flighty butterflies. Always a difficult choice knowing you can turn a corner and be faced with a subject more suitable to the other lens and a hurried pit-stop change. I haven't timed this but it takes at least a minute to swap I think. But you have to be careful about not stirring up dust at the same time, and taking the back pack off and setting it all down. Maybe 90seconds actually? I'll time it sometime in the field. It feels like a major operation and risks getting dust on the sensor and fingerprints on the glass.

this is so good it almost looks posed!
Go and look thoughtful up the steps there, while you, you hang your head.(actually texting!)

Partanhall - you can't even get down this road on google maps.

Because I only visit on sunny days this place always seems to have a holiday atmosphere!

flower on Burnmouth Brae

I was regretting the lack of long lens when this kestrel decided to hover over the field I was in. These shots are taken with the macro lens but would have been much better with 4.4 times the magnification.

shamefully bad shot of a cinnabar moth
I haven't seen many this year and taken even fewer decent pics!

small copper

love a big yellow field
and so do the insects

Blaikie heugh / fancove head

pipit

geology porn

Again lens regret. Not very sure of what species these were. I'd guess linnets, twite or pipits (or warblers). I think I missed some wheatears up towards the top as well. But I wanted to keep the macro lens on for the shelf of grass at Blaikie Heugh. Perhaps more small blues or other beauties. However there was next to nothing there despite a concerted search. Or rather, a solitary ruby tiger moth. Which looked a bit hacked off with me and flew off after the briefest of interviews.

shoe-fly

angry ruby tiger!

sunlit wall

this should have been great but both the butterfly
and the sea-pinks (thrift) were past their best

haring off

pipit

a last sedger hiding in the thicket

Usually there are some starlings as you approach Eyemouth. I think they were there today but not playing ball. I made up for it later at the bus stop. Instead I had to make doo with a wood pigeon, a scary Leith boat and a bloke in a wetsuit pretending to be a seal for the tourists.

lifelike!
(no sign of floundering)

I stopped by the Contented Sole for a pint. I was hoping to get an outside table and maybe eat my sandwiches but the outside table was occupied. I had a pint of Strongbow. Not as good as the Staropramen last visit. It tasted like the pipes needed cleaned. But I've had worse!

zip tie crow

The best thing in Eyemouth (other than the snacks I bought in the coop) were some sculptures made from recycled materials found on beaches by one Scapa Joe. Scapa Joe turns out to be both Caroline and Dean who do paintings and sculptures about climate change and go under the collaborative name Scapa Joe. I think I preferred the work before I found that out. Also while I really like the simplicity of these works, some of their other stuff beats you over the head with obvious socio-political-ecological whinging messages. As I say, I liked the small charming sculptures in a derelict shop window more before I saw the rest of the website. 

borderline genius use of beach-found false teeth and blue nylon netting

now that is a car!
and what a paint-job!

great coat of many colours on this starling

I made sure I was at the Eyemouth bus stop early. I had checked the timetable and thought it best to head home early rather than run towards St Abbs only to have no time to look around - this happened last visit and was sort of wasted energy beyond Eyemouth. I finally got some starling shots in the grassy area (graveyard?) opposite the coop bus stop. I was keeping one eye up the road for the bus appearing and managed to catch it when it did. Quick ride back to Berwick and a day return ticket let me catch an earlier train back. I hoped this would leave enough in the tank for another big day out the following day! (Spoiler alert: it did, but I felt the combined days activities a lot more than I would have just a few years ago.)

red bits running, blue and green dawdling
11miles in 5hrs39mins
Fabulous day out!