salty big wood

04/09/18

I felt a trip to Saltoun Big Wood was overdue. I hoped there would still be some dragonfly action at the pond, and maybe a stray butterfly or 2. If not, I'd padlock my bike and run round the woods. I cycled there on Tuesday afternoon. I called past Nicky as the road out of Pencaitland was closed. Nicky advised the cyclepath which goes past Pencaitland and finishes near Saltoun. 

It's about 18 miles but took a couple of hours to get there as I stopped at the New Winton roadside butterfly installation. There were road works going on there so I didn't stay too long. Although there wasn't the amount or variety of butterflies there were last visit, the flowers were looking glorious and there were quite a few Whites dotted about. I took some pics then headed to Pencaitland, where I found Nicky in her garden, a bit under the weather with a virus Ben had picked up at school. I kept my distance while asking directions.

As soon as I arrived at the pond in the Big Wood I knew it was going to be good. The air was buzzing with the cellophane rattle of Common Hawkers, skirting the reeds for mates. As I walked round the perimeter all sorts of insects were taking off from the water's edge. Almost immediately I came across this pair of Black Darters on a leaf. This was very useful for subsequent identification of the females (underneath) which aren't black. 

Now I am assuming this (above) is a Common Darter. On my chart it looks easily confused with a Ruddy Darter or Vagrant Darter. But I have found that if there are several options and "common" is one of them, then that's most likely the one.

A while back, a couple inquired what we were excited about as they passed M and I taking pics of butterflies on the JMW. The guy let us know he had seen red dragonflies at Marl Loch and I saw his face drop when I said they were likely Common Darters. It definitely takes the shine off the joy of finding an exotic creature to hear it is a Common blue, Common Newt or a Common Darter. The largest and swiftest dragonflies over Saltoun pond were Common Hawkers, giant helicopters zipping back and forth urgently looking for a mate and getting into squabbles and dog-fights with other males. Occasionally they would hover long enough to tempt a photo but largely they would just encourage deletes later on. I must have taken 30~50 duff shots and only got 2 vaguely acceptable.

There were quite a few whites fluttering past, most were fairly old and shredded

Black Darter

Here (above and below) is the same Black Darter on the same stick at the pond side but shot lying down in the dirt and then from above. I was just trying to work around the local hazards but it made me appreciate the difference of choosing an angle and therefore background.

I mostly stood on the North side of the pond which meant backlit pics or a bit of reflected light off the water. Also the shrubs and small beach there seem to attract more insect life. Every now and then a Small Copper would fly about and then land for its picture to be taken. Looking at the identifying tear in its wing afterwards, I realised it was a singular Small Copper rather than several. (Last visit there had been a dozen or so round the other side, nectaring on Ragwort, but that had finished flowering.)

I think these are Emerald Damselflies, they were very small
and difficult to focus on in among the reeds and grasses in strong sunlight.

Lots of oak saplings have been planted nearby.

This is the main spot, right of my bike. I spent 2.5hrs just wandering around and taking nearly 800 photos. I have found that although the pond is the epicentre of activity, 50 yards back and into the woods you can often find specimens sunbathing or just taking a break. There were a couple of interesting butterflies as well. I was there well over 2 hrs and didn't even check out the other ponds.

Common and Black darters

 

Common Hawker

The (male) Hawkers would not perch very often. They would constantly patrol the pond perimeter following every contour and inlet. Presumably this is where the females hang out though I never saw any there. You could hear their wings rattle on the reeds when they went in too close, like cellophane caught in a fan. However, every now and then I'd come across one (as above) perched open-winged on a tree, or, more likely, see one taking off from the sandy shore or from a bush where it had been disturbed. I saw one on a tree trunk and had to walk 200 yards to get round and across the small soggy burn, only for it to see me before I got the camera up, and fly off. They have been around a long time (300 million years+) which is plenty time to develop sharp instincts.

white and 3 flies having a conference

Scoop of the day was this Comma. Fabulously fresh and delightfully hairy! Only one I saw, but it obligingly flew from one spot to another, close by, to give me plenty of photos.

hair raising!

definitely enjoying the Autumn fruits

 

you can see this one cleaning its eyes/face with its front legs

weirdly I felt this one was looking right at me in a questioning way,
(I chatted a bit while shooting some video)

 

that small copper again

 

So this (above) was the best shot I got of a Hawker in flight. While I was there a serious photographer turned up with a bag full of quipment and the intention of catching one in flight. There is some cache in putting those in-flight pics up on fbook dragonfly group pages. This guy had a camera that would do all sorts; from software that would catch dragonflies in flight, to macro stacking shots in camera. Personally I prefer to take pics of them at rest as you can see more detail and they don't have their legs folded away. I know the shot below is a bit blurry but it captures the feel of the moment.

 

Every now and then a Hawker would find a female and you could hear a clattering of wings as the male flew off with the (perhaps not always entirely receptive) female. I was possibly 20' below this couple but the camera was still able to track them. You could watch them fly off (often into nearby trees) for a great distance. 

 

Towards the end of the day I found this chap, who had landed on the protective sheath round an oak sapling. Initially I crept up taking photos from either side holding my breath in case he flew off. Then as I got closer I realised he must either be injured or exhausted from a hard day terrorising the pond. I was able to get in really close without spooking him.

When this fly came by for a close inspection I realised the hawker was not right. Surely it wouldn't entertain a green bottle up close, right under its face? I shoed away the fly and Mr Hawker still wasn't moving. I offered him the chance to sit on my hand for a photo shoot, while remembering they are called odonata for their jaws, and wondered could they actually bite fingers. He declined the invite and remained holding onto the polythene sheeting quite firmly, then suddenly flew off, but in a sleepy fashion rather than in attack mode. I followed him to where he landed in a tree and got a pic against the blue sky. I didn't hassle him any further.

close encounter

Apologies to Mark. I had a 5 o'clock meeting with him and had to text to postpone it. I had thought an hour would be plenty at Saltoun but found myself unable to leave until everything went quiet about 4.30. I only got home after 6. Great afternoon out and if you want to see dragonflies, one of the best spots there is. Thanks again Derek for drawing it to my attention earlier in the year. Pick a sunny day though.

 

36miles cycled, one walked