Autumnal Aberdeenshire

 

17~20th Sept. Another trip to see Mary's mum who is doing pretty well all things considered. So well she sacked her care workers! We felt a visit was overdue, threw the moth trap in the car, and headed North. The fact the weather was better there for 3 days than it was in the Lothians was just a piece of well-timed good fortune. 

Guelder-rose

The drive was uneventful - we have stopped at Peggy Scott's "restaurant" before (halfway between Forfar and Brechin on the Northbound side of the A90) for a legstretch and bowl of soup and it is slightly better than the average motorway cafe. We stopped this time and it wasn't awful. More to stretch legs than enjoy the sumptuous cuisine.

pear tree

The garden at Monymusk had changed a lot since the last visit at the end of June. The fruit was out on the apple and pear trees and there was a definite Autumnal feel, with leaves turning spectacular colours on the creepers. 

virginia creeper

apple trees

Less in the way of butterflies although occasional small whites and speckleds still about and an admiral or 2. Lots of bees and hovers about the dandelions.

carder bee

small white

Surphus ribesii

Guelder-rose

apples

homegrown chillies in the greenhouse - tasty!

pitcher plant

Fox-and-cubs

a small collection of unfortunates in the greenhouse

Common blow fly - Calliphora vicina

Since this fly was enjoying sitting in the sunshine and I had the macro lens on, I spent a while chasing it about and getting fairly close. Although it is one of the most commonplace insects you can find in your house or garden it still looks pretty amazing if you can get in close enough. Not necessarily pretty, but, you know, fascinating. (Obsidentify gave the identity. Which cuts through much of the difficulty of opening a book on insects. A book which says there are 12 gen and 29 sp and only illustrates 4 of them, none of which is Calliphora vicina.) (I am a complete convert and evangelist for Obsidentify - even if it gets things wrong from time to time it cuts out a LOT of bookwork and searching on the internet.)

Having done a little internetting on this species it looks like this handsome fella is a male - the females have wider set eyes. The other most common blowfly is Calliphora vomitoria which has more of a distinctive orange beard. (Presumably from all that vomitoria?)  

blow fly

Cape gooseberry

Off to Castle Fraser on Thurs 18 arriving there not long after 11am. It is a short drive and after the joys of the last visit there featuring a close encounter with a humming-bird hawk-moth in the walled garden we were hoping for similar this time. The weather was perfect - blue skies and not too much wind. The garden is splendid and planted with lots of good flowers in bloom for the pollinators. I had the macro lens on in anticipation of this.

walled garden (rectangle) just under the car park (start / finish)
plus dragonfly pond walk North, other walk to the South

Syrphus ribesii again

admiral

Syrphus ribesii

quite a few admirals about

honey bee

small white

We were already knee deep in red admirals and hoverflies when Mary spotted a hummer at the valerian on the North wall which was the best place for insects, and where we saw them last visit. Mostly these very swift fliers avoid human proximity, but on the last occasion and again today they seemed to mostly ignore myself shoving my camera in their face. It (we probably only saw one on this occasion) kept doing so many circuits of the remaining and slightly tatty valerian that Mary eventually felt she had more than enough pics and video and left the area! This is unheard of for humming-bird hawk-moths. Usually they are gone long before you feel like you may have captured enough!

I felt I might have got even better footage in slo-mo (at 120 frames per second) than last visit. My youTube video (from last visit) has four times the views of any other video I have put up. I couldn't find anything of similar quality in a quick hunt around youTube/the internet. And this trip's video was an improvement on that. Partly because I had the macro lens on which is really spectacular quality and it forces you to get closer to the subject to fill the frame. I got down on my knees and tried to get within inches of the insect as it buzzed around the flowers at full tilt. I got so much slo-mo footage I even shot some in real time just for a comparison. The slo-mo looks so easy and smooth I thought it worth putting a clip or two up in real time to show how quickly you have to respond to keep the wee buggers in the frame. I'll post this here but the main video (which I am really pleased with) has to go at the bottom of the page as embedding it elsewhere (from youTube as it is more than 100mb) is a challenge beyond my IT skills.
edit update: the video of Crathes Castle garden and grounds will go at the bottom of this page, I'll put the humming-bird hawk-moth video on a seperate page.

here's what they look like in real time - messy!

1/3200 of a second

I also shot these still images. I wasn't that concerned about photos as the slo-mo is so condensed you can extract still images from the video file although they are slightly smaller than the usual photo size. You have to shoot using extremely high shutterspeed to freeze the wings, although being a bright day this was not a problem. 

1/5000 of a second

1/8000 of a second

We could not have realistically expected to see these fantastic insects again and felt honoured and very lucky they turned up again on the same day we did. And behaved in an uncharacteristcally obliging way. I am super-happy with the footage I got and regard the video (linked here on youTube) as a career high. 

great to see lots of admirals

I took this photo of the sundial in the centre of the walled garden
at almost exactly midday - it was pretty accurate

Phaeolus schweinitzii - velvet-top fungus, (dyers mazegill)
as seen recently in Saltoun

Fly agaric - Amanita muscaria

These red topped beauties seem to have made their way from the recreational drug users handbook to the hipsters healthfood shop. In a similar way as psilocybin (magic) mushrooms have found their way into the treatment for severe mental health issues, these large and potentially toxic fungi are now being regarded for health and herbal remedy uses. Obviously don't go picking and eating them randomly; well do if you like, but don't come complaining to me when you die. My barber was telling me he prepared them in some sort of tea which negates the potentially unpleasant chemicals - you have to prepare it in a certain way. I have mostly no great interest in eating stuff I've found in the woods (much preferring the supermarket) so you can do your own research but here is a starting point (Galloway Wild Foods) that at least broaches the subject.

nice to see lots of these on the woodland (dragonfly pond) walk

there were darters, common and black along the edge of the large dragonfly pond

I tried to get some pics of them flying

black darter

red kite - sadly never came nearer

coal tit

Just for fun I put this weathervane through Obsidentify.
It said result uncertain but 83% likely it was a peregrine falcon.

Thanks to Mary for taking this splendid shot of Castle Fraser
I'd have to change lenses to get it all in.

We haven't ever bothered to go inside the castle. Partly because we are more interested in the garden and estate (which are free, car park is £5), partly because it seems to cost about £20 each. Although we have never properly investigated.

After doing a tour of the grounds we had another look round the walled garden. This time a comma and small tort were also photographed along with apples full of wasps and a gap in the wall where a load of honey bees were congregating. I shot some video of a handsome admiral blowing back and forth in the light wind, and the other buzzing insects.

honkers overhead

Obsidentify says 85% Great white-fronted geese and who am I to argue - if it was over the Lothians I'd be surprised if they weren't greylags or pink-footed. 

admiral and colour-coordinated berries

a lovely apple full of wasps!

there were a few blackbirds in this oasis of flowers and fruits

small tort (and friend) on the purple torch

bee hive

admiral and buzzy things
click twice

a speckled wood in Monymusk garden

African wall art

next morning I was up and taking photos in the garden again

bullfinch (f)

wren

The previous night I set out my moth trap. I haven't used it much and it is tricky trying to remember how it goes together and sets up. I tried it in a different place to last time (beside the orchard, hoping the fallen fruits would attract large and powerful moths!) But alas, much the same as last time - mostly small and modest 50-shades-of-brown moths. And a couple of spiders and caddis flies as well. It is always like unwrapping christmas presents though, as you take the trap apart next morning waiting for the reveal!

This fly seems to have got into the wrong part of this blog - it landed on my hand while I was doing something on my phone or ipad and I photo-ed it with my mobile. This underlines the poverty of iPhone photos vs a decent camera. I try to remind people on the internet about this regularly, in particular a rather stubborn woman who trotted out that tired old excuse of the mobile phone zombies... "the best camera is the one you have with you." Actually no, that one is a huge compromise camera built to be as flat as possible and do the best it can while fitting in your back pocket. While it will do fine for landscapes, selfies and snaps of your lunch for insta, if you want to do justice to wildlife then get a really cheap payg mobile phone on the minimum tariff and with the money you save, buy a really expensive mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.

Mycophaga testacea

zoomed in and tweaked pic from mobile - still meh

Halesus Digitatus - a large caddis fly

This was the largest and most exotic thing out the light trap. There were a couple in there. Obsidentify said Halesus sp. but there are only 2 species and the wing markings are specific to each. The other one, Halesus radiatus has smoother lines on wings not like these sequential blob patterns. It wasn't keen on company and scarpered off, quite quickly on the ground, and then flew off. 

Silver Y

Green-brindled crescent

Pink-barred sallow

Pink-barred sallow

Metellina sp.

Chestnut

ditto

ditto

Rosy rustic

Small wainscot

ditto with thumb for scale

Red-green carpet

ditto

Metellina sp.

Bibio longipes

There were quite a few gnat-looking types who had showed up for the disco. Most didn't seem to merit a photo and I tipped them out into the morning, checking all the packing material for any strays who might be hiding in dark corners. There was a beetle but it was much smaller than the one below which must've heard there was a photoshoot and came scampering across the lawn. And then would not hold still for a photo. I had it on my hand but it did not stop running the whole time and (while Mary tried to get a half decent photo) it went up my arm over my back and down the other. Photos had to be taken while it was moving. Unfortunately it was super-speedy as well as devishly handsome!

Carabus problematicus (no kidding!)

thanks to Mary for these 4 photos

although she flatly refused to touch the subject!

woah not up there!

Turns out Mary's instincts were right. Apparently violet ground beetles (one of the largest UK insect species) can give you a nasty nip with their powerful jaws if you try to get overly chummy with them! This one was too busy running to stop for a bite.

amazing autumnal colours

great spotted woodpecker 

hedges at Crathes Castle

On Friday we ventured out to Crathes Castle, Banchory. This part of Aberdeenshire is rich in historical mansions which are now owned by trusts and for a small contribution you can have a nosey. Having found Castle Fraser excellent, we thought we should give Crathes a go. It was unclear exactly what the price of admission would be and how much you were obliged to pay to have fun there. Again we were not really interested in interiors as much as the great outdoors. This time the garden admission was £7.50 although you could walk round the grounds for only the £5 car park charge. (I think the interior trip was around £20, we didn't ask.) The woman in the shop tried to sell us an annual trust membership, but we declined the three figure mortgage.

Almost immediately into the walled garden we forgave/understood the admission price. It was jammed with amazing plants and shrubs in an exquisite fashion. I think gardening is supposed to be the new rock'n'roll for over 50s. Mary and I were really impressed with how this place was laid out and couldn't imagine how many gardeners they must employ to keep it in shape. It was a kind of grey day but the place was a total spectacle with a number of beautiful trees and other immaculate lawns, decorative borders and topiary hedges.

Mary even said she thought it superior to our own Botanics in Edinburgh. Which is high praise indeed. It was much smaller than the Botanics but seemed to have a lot crammed in; and the odd looking hedges and quirky statues gave it a charming eccentric character. Naturally every right thinking garden bird and butterfly from miles around were here. Pretty much only red admirals though. (Dozens of them.) I suspect if the sun had been out there'd have been more than just one small tort and a few whites kicking about. I saw a humming-bird hawk-moth very briefly but it was off and didn't return, so no photos today. We waited about but there was no second appearance.

I took the above photo with the DJI. If it had been sunnier I'd have put the street lens on my G9 and taken a few more wide shots. The zoom is great for individual flowers and butterflies but the landscapes really needed a wide shot to capture the layout and feel of the place. I shot a load of video walkthrough to try to capture just that but the quality and look of the DJI on a grey day isn't great. Posted at the bottom of the page. It gives an idea at least. We may well return next year in the Spring if not sooner as it is a magnificent garden and well worth a visit.

Autumn colours creeping in

lots of small relatively tame birds flitting about

quite a few quirky statues
this of a boy holding a tortoise/turtle on his back issuing water from its beak

ceratostigma with admiral

nicely done dragonfly sculpture

lots of topiary

small tort on catmint

Not a huge amount going on in the greenhouses. We found this mouse who wasn't very well and looked like it had eaten poison and wouldn't last much longer. There was also a robin which we tried to shoo out the greenhouse, holding doors open and flapping a bit but I think it was more happy to stay there.

great tit

There were lots of birds in the garden and we felt they were sitting in the nearby shrubs and trees and gentle mocking us and our inability to take their photos. 

robin

chiffchaff

how much does a greek urn?

plummy wasps

As you can see in the video we went for a walk through the wooded surroundings looking for the advertised pine martins, otters, woodpeckers and red squirrels of which we saw zero. Nothing more than wood pigeons and crows although the woodland paths were neatly laid out and if we were still runners it would be an excellent place to knock out a few scenic miles. Lots of fungi. Not many other people which is always appreciated, and I imagine it gets much busier at weekends. 

dead as a dor beetle
the brightly coloured undersides of a deceased dung beetle

Andy and Karen looked after us like kings.
On Friday night they pushed the boat out with a Braai.

"A South African braai (pronounced "bry") is a barbeque and a fundamental cultural tradition involving cooking meat over a wood (or charcoal) fire, but it's also a social gathering for friends and family to connect and celebrate any occasion. While similar to an American barbeque, the braai emphasizes the entire experience - from building the fire to the long, slow cooking process and hours of socializing - and generally forbids gas grills. The word "braai" comes from the Afrikaans word braaivleis, meaning "grilled meat"."                 
from the internet

K & A spent a number of years living in S Africa and our accommodation was decorated with momentos from there, including three familiars who are hung on the wall opposite the bed. A Springbok, Wildebeast and Impala. They are very handsome and we have grown to think of them as friends. K & A also love gadgets and have Alexa in the lodge as well as in control of the lighting etc in various rooms of their home. We have been known to drink too much red wine and see if we can get Alexa to pronouce on borderline taboo subjects like AI, Amazon and Jeff Bezos, and the intelligence of Donald Trump. She mostly resists controversy and the most leftfield thing we have ever got out of her is to do an Australian accent along with some stereotypical Australian sentiments. In a perfect world the Impala's mouth would move when Alexa spoke.

I have Siri (the equivalent) on my iPad and yet I rarely ever use it.

using a flash

natural lighting

A few photos from the journey home.

gynecologist or porn star?

a mangled Cairn o' Mount

We drove home via Banchory to Fettercairn / Cairn o' Mount (then the A90) which is a scenic version of the otherwise faster roads East to Stonehaven and South on the A90. From the top of Cairn o' Mount you get a long view out to the East Coast. By the time my iPhone photo has transformed the crisp colourful Apple image through the mangle filter onto my PC via a drab grey iCloud it has lost nearly everything of interest. Isn't it great the way different platforms work together?

When you ask google to make a route from Monymusk to Edinburgh it says 139miles by car in 2hrs44mins. Right enough we stop for soup and to shake a leg, or take the scenic route, but I feel we've done a good job if we get out the car at the far end under 4hrs. Similarly it says you could do the journey on foot in 2 days. (It reduces the route to 124miles on foot) I wonder what they base that on? Even holding a gun to most (mid-pack ultra runners) heads you're still looking at 3 days. 11hrs49m (134miles) on a bike also seems optimistic. Okay that's everything.
A great 3 days away!

another quality vanity plate

Crathes Castle the video
soundtrack Echo Ridge by Adrian Disch