no hoots given

 

8th July

Here we are into July already. This was something of a frustrating trip and yet also fairly enjoyable. I had heard there was a family of long-eared owls in the Pentlands. Gordon had been walking his dog and had enjoyed a tremendous display from them - the adults flying nearby and catching food to give to youngsters in the trees overhead. Loads of photos were going up on birding sites, others having similar encounters. I waited until a decent weather day and caught the 44 bus to Balerno terminus.

With Mary being a bit crocked, it is a long time since I have gone into the Pentlands. Emperor moths and green hairstreaks would have been the last mission (although Bonaly) on the 23rd April. And I tend to forget just how fab the place is. I walked up to Threipmuir car park and thought I should probably do the Red Moss boardwalk while I was there. It is a favourite little circuit and often dragonflies and large moths can be seen, as well as butterflies. It was a little too late for small pearl-bordereds and sure enough, none were seen.

no shortage of ringlets and small skippers

and pretty orchids

r'admiral

mushrooms on the moss

interesting looking bug at the dragonfly pond
but not much else - apart from large red damselflies

LRD

an old battered peacock

jut as I got to Thriepmuir an osprey made off with a large fish

but that was the last I saw of it

probably due to people using the place for swimming and paddle-boarding

there was a small triangle of flowering thistles with a rich
collection of (very fresh) small torts, some browns and occasional r'admiral

I stopped for 15mins to take their photos

narrow-bordered 5-spot burnet moth

Mary and I have been meaning to return with swimming gear

plenty wee birds about

fading painted lady and volucella pellucens

I took a couple of turns around the place but there was no sign of owls. I looked up into the trees at the place where Gordon had seen them and there was still no owls. Perhaps it was the wrong the time of day, I had nothing to guide me. Although second time around the designated area I bumped into a retired couple who were also on an owl hunt. It was his third time (I suspect the wife hadn't bothered on every occasion) and he was feeling very cheated. Especially because his pal had taken mobile phone photos (he showed me) of an owl or owlet filling the screen. Not even a proper camera! A mobile phone! Enough to make a seasoned birder rage! 

Obviously if they appeared they were not difficult to find. However at other times they were well hidden in the trees or up high in a nest. This occasion was definitely the latter as I had a very scrupulous search about, knowing it wasn't easy to return so I'd probably not bother again. Eventually I gave up and decided to just enjoy what was there. So set off up the back of Harlaw and over towards Black Hill. You can see the path I took on the map at the bottom of the page. 

The first thing I noticed was there were plenty of butterflies about. Mostly ringlets, small skippers and meadow browns, but with an admiral, painted lady or small tort thrown in from time to time. It made the walk very pleasant although when I loitered too long next to a stand of thistles, after a short time I'd get horse flies or clegs landing on me and then injecting their needle-like syringes into bare flesh. My least favourite fly-friends. They leave red itchy lumps for a couple of days.

Towards Black Springs I came across a DGF. I was very pleased, having been unsure if they flew here. Shortly, another one picked up on the first and they went spiralling into the sky together before the first returned to comb the path for females. And sitting on the ocassional flower to refuel. It was quite well worn but still made a decent photo.

I was photographing this small tort when the DGF unexpectedly returned
to photobomb it, plopping down right beside us.

I also came across this common blue along the Threipmuir shoreline.

Good to see the younger generation making rope swings out over the water. Although I was disappointed to see they have adopted the death diving method popular on youTube clips. It feels like just another oversees influence invading our traditions. At least it was young people outdoors in good weather and not a screen or mobile phone in sight.

They saw no owls either and were equally disappointed.
It was very little compensation to have a dog-walker tell us he saw them
the day before just right here as he went past with his dogs.

so that's what was in the backpacks

Northern eggar

On the way home I took another turn around Red Moss boardwalk. I did see a large moth as predicted but it was a week or 2 off schedule to see it flying. Nothing else worth taking a photo of which was quite surprising.

nice to see a field of lacy phacelia
I walked the some of the perimeter and saw a few butterflies

But not as many as on the thistles in the corner of the field where loads of ringlets and small skippers barged in to feed. I must have stood twenty minutes or more taking photos and videos. Before walking down to the terminus just as the number 44 arrived. Perfect timing. Home James and don't spare the horses!

skipper time!

video clips from the day including red admiral, great tit gasping in heat,
heron gasping, small skippers, ringlets, and soldier beetles on thistles

8.6miles in 5hrs24m

feathers in heathers

 

29-06-26 A couple of days later and I decided to do a favourite route; Longniddry to Gullane off the NB train. Partly because nothing else called out for attention, partly because there might be a few DGFs lurking about the dunes near the golf course between Aberlady and Gullane. 

First obvious mistake was the wind. Why was mother nature blowing so hard and spoiling it for those who would have preferred less; the butterflies, the birds, the photographers. Oh well. At least the kite surfers were having fun. There were a couple of admirals and painted ladies along the coastal trails but neither their condition (faded and a bit past it) nor my photos (faded and a bit past it), were worth posting here.

silver Y

yellow shell

I likely stopped at Margiotta's and picked up a sandwich for later. I swithered about Postman's Walk or along the front to the pedestrian bridge at Aberlady. I decided on the former although I didn't have high hopes for holly blues as it was early for second brood chaps. However it was slightly out the wind and to my surprise the newly flowered thistles round the boundary wall of the first big white house at the corner entertained ten small tortoiseshells. 

It is usually a decent spot for one or 2 small torts and a peacock but this was something else. I have since returned hoping they'd be there again but they only stayed until the first thistles went fluffy headed then left. So timing was crucial. Wonder where they hide before and after? Dispersed to other venues. However on this occasion they were resplendent on the thistles. Although tricky to photograph in one group. 

5 in a row - the max I could get in a group photo

the big white house in question

an occasional admiral was in attendance

wildflowers vs crop

an occasional faded painted lady too

plenty small skippers everywhere you looked

there is a thin path between crop and jungle

the ringlets like to stay hidden

mostly just irritating

mating pair

this feather, presumably from a magpie, set off an idea for 
curating found feathers among shrubs or wildflowers - feathers in heathers!

another small tort (but no holly blues at Postman's)

swan family at Marl Loch

Possibly the most common blues I've seen at Aberlady. I did not head to the beach but turned right and followed the sandy trail up the side of the golf course which eventually goes past the tank trap concrete blocks, heading towards Gullane Point. I hoped for DGFs and while there were a few flying by, they were neither stopping nor posing for photos. It felt quite frustrating - I could see the targets plus loads more common blues, skippers and ringlets but just not getting photos. While it was pleasant it wasn't satisfying and the frustration outweighed the enjoyment.

I'd come across an occasional DGF sitting low in the grass
but they never let me approach closer than this before escaping at speed

small heath

small heath

I do enjoy the burnet moths. Because they grow up eating ragwort, they have a poinsonous content that discourages predators. So they are rarely flightly and very obliging. They are also spectacularly coloured and it was a delight to see them on the vipers bugloss. Mostly narrow-bordered 5 spot burnets, slightly ahead of the later emerging six-spot burnets. 

common blue on low-lying thyme

Long after I'd given up on the dark green fritillaries this female landed briefly on this vb just as I was walking past. This was exactly what all those males were chasing across the landscape for, and they'd missed this one which leisurely nectared on the vipers bugloss while I got the best DGF pics of the day. It was small compensation but I was very grateful.

small skipper

I ate my sandwich at the concrete blocks. I had a wander about the top section as they often have a wee selection of butterflies hiding amongst the large stone blocks in pillows of thyme and other close to the ground flowers. Nothing much to report - I think the strong gusting wind was keeping everything at bay. Further down the trail to Gullane another feathers in heathers installation; a (male) pheasant feather which I propped up in sea buckthorn.

followed by a female pheasant feather on pretty flowers
which I have failed as yet to identify

painted lady

I should have taken a better photo of this person near Gullane Point. I knew she was a distant member of the same clan as myself from the scrutiny she was giving the outdoors. It was, on this occasion, wildflowers and plants, not butterflies and birds, but we got talking and had a mutual friend in Joanie. This was Margaret C and when she mentioned Edinburgh Nats I knew she'd know Joanie. Everyone knows Joanie.

Immediately after our chat there were a couple of stonechats who were keen to pose for photos and really happy to sit very close. They were probably scolding me for being on their land but I like to think we all enjoyed the encounter. There were likely youngsters in a nest not far away as the mum had a fly in her beak to pass on.

dad

mum

a distant tease from another DGF

a red admiral where there is often one just before Gullane car park

a burnet pupa case

5-spotters

burnet moth plus maybe 3 pupa cases (empty)

There were loads of 5-spotters just before Gullane car park. I tried to shoot them in flight just because they are quite slow flying and tend to nearly hover around flowers.

gull feather in viper's bugloss

I was interested to see how the newly manufactured ponds the other side of Gullane were doing. Nothing much at the first but it was a delight to see a swallow or martin fly down and scoop water or take a bit of a plunge into the water before shooting off again. Unfortunately I was far too slow to photograph the moment and although I waited for ages it did not return. I think it will take another year before the vegetation grows round in such a way to give wildlife the confidence to use it. The second pond nearby was built around an existing swampy puddle and had entirely dried up apart from the feeder stream trickling into it.

I then saw a kestrel hunting near the highest dune nearby. I wandered over when I saw it catch a mouse but it wasn't super keen on posing for photos and so I didn't hassle it unduly.

mouse tail disappearing

painted lady

dozens of small skippers

a slightly rarer (so far this year) 6 spot burnet moth

I went back through the woods and saw a couple of red admirals. It was now getting quite late in the day and a bit dingy in the woods. The red admiral posed nicely and I had the feeling he wanted to be friends - nearly sat on my hand; swooped in very close - but was just a little shy. So sat beside me on the floor, when not jousting with his pal.

more small skippers

RA

RA x 2

the only large skipper today
and likely the last one of the year

ringlet

birds and butterflies

The bus ride back to town from Gullane was uneventful. I probably listened to Joanna Cherry's audiobook account of her rather trying time with the SNP which is far from flattering about Nicola and Peter and their cabal. "Keeping the Dream Alive." Worth a listen although I would rather have heard a little more about her private life - largely it is 99.9% political to-and-fro and not really anything else. I grew up in the same street as Joanna and know her folks.

She also lived along the road from my current address and I did work there for either her or maybe her sister who lived in the flat after Joanna moved. She has had a very successsful career as a lawyer and politician and it was sad to see her go no further in politics as she invariably spoke extremely well when interviewed by journalists or challenged by other politicos. She was sidelined by Sturgeon possibly for looking too much like competition and for contradicting some of Nicola's naive gender policies. She reads the audiobook herself. Well worth a look/listen.