down in the woods today

 

If you go down in the woods today

You're sure of a big surprise...

common hawker

16-09-25 The first surprise was cycling like a maniac on the bike ride to Saltoun Big Wood. I noticed there was a stiff tailwind and therefore a slight chance to go faster than the 74minutes I took last time. (Also wind assisted.) I am a bit out of shape these days and miss the days of running and busting a gut regularly at running sessions or races. Noticing that I seemed to be doing this faster than usual (and got through Porty and Musselburgh with a minimum of stoppage at traffic lights,) I stomped the section up to Tranent and out the flatter roads around Pencaitland. I hit the bus terminus on the other side of Pencaitland 30s after the hour and wondered if it was possible to get up the remaining hills to Saltoun in 9minutes.

I really knocked my pan in, especially when I turned the corner near West Saltoun and was faced with the near vertical climb for the last fifth of a mile with 1hr8mins and change already on the stopwatch. I was pretty sure I hadn't made it, but when I touched the entrance gate at the road end (nominal finish at exactly 16miles, as path beyond is lumpy and slow and gate is usually closed) the clock said I'd taken 69m30s. A best-this-year and probably best in last 5 years. Albeit wind assisted. (My all time record is 64 I think from times in past carrying much less gear.)  I knew the cycle home would be slow as it was back into the wind and my legs were now totally mashed from the cycle there.

I padlocked my bike at the usual spot and walked in towards the first pond. I was still a bit spaced out from the battle but watched a distant hawker land on the bushes just before the pond which was a nice treat to kick off. I approached with maximum stealth and managed a few photos without it flying off. Too many visual distractions from the background vegetation but good to know there was plenty odonata about. This was confirmed by the black darters basking on fallen logs and common darters flying about the pond with the hawkers.

black darter in flight!

the common hawkers often choose this pondside birch

on which to start the next generation

common hawkers

Darters will often take off, do a quick circuit and return to much the same spot. I tried to capture this as well as possible although it is nearly impossible to get decent focus on a fast flying insect as it lands.

common darter in flight over pond
taken from the video clip below

I took dozens of black darter photos. I didn't know it at the time but this was the last time I'd see any this year at Saltoun. By the next trip there, a week later on the 23rd, there was little to no sign of them. So I was retrospectively delighted to have taken way too many photos on this trip. Enjoy them now as there probably won't be any more till next August.

Syrphus ribesii

It is difficult to concentrate on the dragonflies at the pond without the nagging thought of all the butterfly action on the back trail I might be missing. Reluctantly I left the pond and headed up the hill. Nothing at the woodpile or second pond. Butterfly alley was not bad with plenty distractions although half the numbers of the previous few trips there. 20+ small whites and same amount of admirals, the rest pretty much single figures.

small tort hiding in the shadows

lots of admiral action

speckled wood

comma; quite a few about

small white

peacock

peacocks a bit thin on the ground
maybe 4 spotted in total

sericomyia silentis

a big juicy hoverfly!

Now while I was lost in the depths of the butterfly hunt I noticed a distant dog come round the corner of the trail ahead. I fully anticipated a dogwalker would follow and they'd both pass by in three minutes. About six minutes later a thought went through my mind where had they gone? That's odd. There are no other paths they could've taken. Had I mistaken the dog for a woodland creature? I went through a checklist of what it might have been and I almost rued not taking a photo. Could it have been a badger? It actually looked too big (too tall) for a badger, and not leggy or red enough to be a deer. Nope must've been a dog. But I couldn't work out why it hadn't come past. Odd indeed! 

Back to the butterflies!

comma-tastic!

small white taking off and comma

Why didn't I make a better job of putting the comma in the centre of the photo? Sometimes you ask these questions then remember there was a wind blowing, and the scabious was wafting back and forth. The comma was perfectly lit and you had to do the best you could before it flew off, removing any chance of a photo. Another reason I tend to operate the camera preference of high shutterspeed letting the ISO take up the slack, as my camera is really excellent (virtually noiseless) up to several thousand ISO. 

I happened to look down the trail and saw, to my dismay, a large alsatian dog right in the middle of the path, staring directly at me. Lots flitted through my head:
1/ this was clearly the large beast I'd seen up the trail. It was now down the trail. Like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park it had done a semi-circle through the trees and cut off my escape route! Clever!

2/ glad we don't have bears in this country

3/ fuck that's big

4/ most importantly SHOW NO FEAR

5/ stop saying FEAR

Once my brain stopped breathing too hard I realised this dog was looking a bit lost and looking at me to see if I could help rather than to see if I was a tasty snack. I approached slowly and took off my back pack. It jogged up to me and quickly it became obvious it wasn't angry just lost. I noticed a name tag on the collar and (praise be!) a mobile phone number. The name was Diesel.

Diesel the dog!

It wasn't as easy as you'd think to get the whole number off the tag and into my phone. I didn't have a pen with me and my brain wasn't exactly in relax and concentrate mode. The other thing I didn't have with me was a dog lead. Ironically I'd carried one in my backpack since I found it maybe 3 years ago near Gullane: a nice quality Harris tweed one that I thought may have been dropped by a pal, or would be gifted to her next time I saw her. We haven't met in that many years and I carried it all that time. Waiting till next I saw her.  Or had to retrieve... lets say a stray dog or one lost in the woods. Recently a clear out of my pack to dispense with any extraneous weight saw this lead hung up to retire at home. Unused. Waiting for just this occasion.

However, probably not a great idea to lasso a strange dog until we have established friendship and/or heirarchy. I called Diesel by his name and although he continued looking down the trail for his absent owner, his ears twitched and I knew we were going to be pals.

I eventually got the number into my mobile and phoned. I use my mobile for calls so seldom that I am not very proficient with it. A woman answered and I asked had she lost a large alsatian. She was very concerned and her first question might have been was I out walking another dog. Diesel it seems, does not mix well with other doggies. He is an ex-Police dog. The owner wasn't very clear about where she was other than she could see East Saltoun. (Probably a mile away?) Presumably searching all the fields that Diesel had crossed chasing a hare earlier. And she wasn't familiar with Saltoun Big Wood. 

I said I would walk with Diesel, who was looking more like a noble companion by now, in the direction of East Saltoun but over the back trail as that was the direction from which Diesel had appeared. She recalled a friend in Cricklecreek Kennels who she'd call and send in my direction. I hadn't heard of Cricklecreek but way back in my lizard brain a small voice suggested when I was out chasing a Jay, North East of butterfly alley I had maybe heard the distant barking of dogs. (March this year.)

A few minutes later the kennel woman phoned me and I was fairly sure (but not certain) I was heading in the right direction to meet her or arrive at the kennels. I left the woods at the top corner and continued on the single track through more trees down the side of open fields. Diesel trotted along bedside me, happy of the company and that the humans were probably sorting things out. He began to look quite cheerful. We had a look over a gap in the wall. He jumped over but I felt it was the wrong side and probably wanted to be heading over the other side at the far end of this stretch. I called him back and he bounded back across the field and over the wall to walk by my side. This was going very well. No growling and perfect behaviour! Lets hope we don't run into any other dogs!

The only painted lady all day appeared as I was explaining the plan to Diesel. Also a jay flew out of the nearest tree and I had to just concentrate on the dogwalking although I did get a record shot or 2 of the painted lady. Might be the last one of the season! 

At the far end of the woods beyond Saltoun Big Wood the path went right and onto more open ground.This seemed to be the correct way and Diesel thought so too, suddenly picking up the pace and running round the corner where he nearly bumped into the kennel owner. Success! Clearly excited by the possibility he wouldn't be stuck in the woods all night without dinner Diesel was jumping about a bit and so, to get him to stay still enough to have a lead put on, I called him by name fairly abruptly and (pride and delight) he came right over to my side like a champ. A lead was put on and my good deed for the day was done. I couldn't have asked to be found by a better companion.

The owner texted to say how awful she felt for having lost her dog and how pleased she was to have him back. I have been invited for coffee and cake next time I am in the area, which would be a good opportunity to get some decent photos of Diesel which I foolishly forgot to do during our twenty minute 'ordeal' together! By the time I returned to the woods it was pretty much going home time, but I felt I had had a very worthwhile adventure.

obsidentify says this is a tawny owl feather

lots of fungi about

Polietes sp.

Back at the pond and this female Hawker was looking a bit waterlogged. A male came enquiring but left without any further interest or was told to buzz off. She continued to egglay and/or mess about in the shallows but looked maybe towards the end of her time. 

soundtrack: I skyn by Prins Emanuel

backswimmer

baby newt

Below is the bit of the map featuring the dog walk. I met Diesel halfway along Butterfly Alley and delivered him top right where the blue line finishes. We probably covered half a mile. 

The cycle home was about 90minutes. My legs were still fried and with the wind in my face for the return journey it was bound to be slow. Good day though!