round holyrood

30th June

The weather wasn't all that special and it seemed daft to drive somewhere, so we decided just to do a 10 miler round Holyrood. I was probably warned not to talk too much and to keep my distance (Mary doesn't always do chatty runs and sometimes insists on radio silence,) but hey I probably wasn't listening. Probably thinking about how many butterfly diversions I could squeeze in. Holyrood is particularly fine these days for fluttery friends.

I saw my first opportunity was going to be a quick visit to the Rad Road, so sprinted ahead while Mary went as far as the roundabout then dropped down to the Innocent Railway. My plan was to take 5 mins to see if anything was flying in the first bay or 2 then catch up to Mary. I reckoned I'd catch her again about Duddingston or just beyond. It would give her a chance to run without chatter and me a bit of a tempo interval to try and make up the distance. On the way up the hill I saw Roly coming down. He said something about training for a 24hr event. Yikes! 

first bay - nothing much going on

Grayling

Meadow Brown

sign warning of dangers, mostly at other end of crags

Obviously I spent longer hunting butterflies than I meant to, so really had to pick up the pace to hope to catch Mary. I passed Johnny along the Innocent Railway and we shouted hellos without stopping. Next Porty (Mark?) I fluffed the oncoming photo and only got one of his back. Shortly after I saw Mary in the distance and looked forward to slowing down and having a bit of a chat. After a short  while Mary told me that chatting was over and would I StFU. So I picked the pace back up and headed to the next butterfly stop at Haggis Knowe. I let Mary finish her 10 miler solo because the sun was now peeping through the cloud cover and a few Blues were coming out to play. No sign of the NBAs although I heard later they are not at all keen on the wind and will stay hidden or go elsewhere on breezy days.

Haggis Knowe and St Margaret's Loch

what was the kestrel watching?

Roly on his umpteenth lap and going strong!

looking towards Hunters Bog

sky beginning to clear

South West corner of Haggis Knowe

great for Common Blues 

So with the breeze making everything sway back and forth it was kind of tricky taking photos of small things from a distance, with all the grasses in between getting in the way. I played about with other settings; shooting on wide rather than zoom. Normally I'd stand 2m+ away from the butterfly and zoom in till it fills the screen. With a stiff breeze blowing the butterflies are so busy holding on they don't notice the camera being shoved in close so much, disguised by all the local movement. The results have a different look and feel from the normal zoom, but it's difficult to say exactly what that is. There is also a lower success rate as holding the camera down at the subject I can't see the screen so just have to hope things are properly framed and in focus which they rarely are. 

I also came across a couple of female common blues. While the males are a glorious solid blue (with black and white border) the females are quite an intriguing (and changeable) mix of blue / brown / purple with orange hearts round the perimeter. Less common as they hide in the long grass laying eggs. And so slightly higher on the Buchanan score chart. I followed this excellent specimen for ages until I eventually got the photo I was after. In fact I think I lost track of her then either found another very similar or more likely the same one 10 mins later, across the way where it was less blowy. 

male Common Blue

when the sun went in behind clouds this one went into shut down mode

and I was able to get a photo on my hand in case the other pics didn't come out

Common Blue female, aberration albocinta I am told

I eventually clocked up 12 miles doing Mary's 10 miler