tentsmuir revisited

27/06/2019

Sunny forecast, late June, camera battery charged, (spare in backpack), coffeed up, caught the train to Leuchars, this is going to be fantastic!

Edinburgh from across the Forth

I like the run in from Leuchars. In a few minutes you are through the military town and out onto trails across meadows. The anticipation is like a drum roll in my chest, though it often doesn't turn out exactly as I have planned. 

This visit my heart was pinned on Dark Green Fritillaries. But it was the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries that stole the prize. I was still smarting from the negative experiences earlier with SPBFs and although I didn't blame the butterflies directly, they had dropped a point or 2 on my love 'em or leave 'em mental score chart. In what felt almost like a concerted effort to win back my affections a good old number of them flitted and skittered about the swamp either side of the boardwalk you cross on the trails into Tentsmuir.

small pearl-bordered fritillary

Very obliging and making up for the poor welcome at Bavelaw.

I considered jumping off the raised boardwalk into knee deep splosh in order to get closer to the orange beauties, but was glad I didn't bother as enough of them came sufficiently close to where I was to get a load of photos. The swamp was wetter/deeper than last time and I was glad to keep my shoes dry for now.

I was a bit sorry not to see any DGFs while crossing the meadows. I think maybe one zoomed by but kept going at 70mph over the horizon. And no blues either, though that was to change shortly. Plenty of Ringlets (never very easy to get close to) and an occasional Meadow Brown (even worse!)

The Painted Ladies with their massive influx from abroad have inadvertently de-valued themselves. I will now run past them without switching the camera on unless they are really picturesquely positioned (as below) or there are a herd of them in close proximity. Devalued or not it is still a total pleasure to have so many all along the coast, taking off as you run past and making the place feel strangely European. I believe there is a more local emergence happening and we should be seeing some less faded specimens appearing shortly.

Even before I had properly left the car park at Kinshaldy I had bumped into a Grayling. I had found them at Tentsmuir last year (further up the coast) and hoped to bump into them again although there were fewer this time than last. They do seem to have a good idea of what colour background to place themselves on, to make them disappear. Iain has said you can get them to raise their forewing (with orange and an eye spot) as a defence mechanism by throwing twigs or stones near them. It is possible - just - but I wasn't fast enough to get a photo before the wing went back down. I think an assistant may be required.

I ran North up the coastal treeline towards the Ice House. Pretty soon I was stopping to photograph Common Blues, which were out in good numbers although I failed to spot any females. They were recently emerged and SUPERB!

I saw a couple of DG Frits here too. If I had known that would be the sum total for the day I would have made more of an effort to get a few photos. The one above flew off as I got close and I didn't bother chasing it. I assumed wrongly that the meadow near the Ice House would be heaving with them, as it was this time last year. It may have been slightly later in the year. Anyway when I got there it was alarming empty of butterflies of any sort. Ooops!

a herd of Painted Ladies!

weird plants

NO FRITS!

new visitor centre thingy

Bearing in mind that phrase: if you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got; I decided to try some different trails. I usually just stick to the perimeter then go along to Morton Lochs. I decided to cut South off the top coastal path sooner and explore the interior on my way to the Lochs this time. Almost immediately I came across this tombstone like thing. It is a quote from a monk from St Andrews Cathedral in the 1100s who described the place as a lawless area full of "devils, bears and oxen."

As I came to a 90' corner I saw an Orange Tip. It stopped me dead, as they (particularly the males) have been absent from the Lothians for quite some time. It was like I stepped back into another season. It jousted with a Common Blue; I'm not sure that each would know what to make of the other. It wasn't pristine, the Orange Tip, but fresh enough not to have just lasted from weeks and weeks ago. Definitely a late starter. Hopefully he will find a late starter female, though I didn't see any the whole time I was there.

blast from the past!

Ringlet! This one stood still for a photo, thank you!

The small coppers were attracted to this white flowering plant, which made a great prominent platform on which to take their pics. They seemed to be very fresh although there was an older one or 2 which looked like they'd been through a washing machine, with quite a hot fast tumble.

fading lady

You can spot a wildlife enthusiast miles off if he has a big enough lens. This (above) was the biggest of the day near a stretch of land beside Morton Lochs, known for butterflies. Only a blue and a ringlet or 2. I then ran over to the drainage ditch where I planned to have lunch. I was just approaching it when this dude with a camera gets up from the bench there. Oh no he's going to disturb my lunch. Actually he turned out to be Keith P my pal from a million years ago when we sang in the school choir together. He lives nearby and I had told him my schedule for today. I hadn't expected him to show as he was away photographing seabirds at Fowlsheugh. However he got back in plenty time. We walked about the drainage ditch taking photos of 4 spotted chasers and damselflies while chatting and I ate my sandwiches. Nice (and unexpected) catch-up.

4 spotted chaser

green tiger beetle

Morton Loch

small copping

blank ringlet

I saw Keith off and ran back across towards the Ice House. I had hoped to bump into some more DGFs but it was getting late in the day. I was not very hopeful and sure enough there were no further sightings. It was a pleasant run back to the station. I stopped off for a cold drink at the kiosk in the car park then ran back the way I'd come. 

These days I carry a pair of reading glasses in my backpack so I can check through all the day's photos on the train and delete the obviously rubbish ones. There was over 800 so it makes the journey disappear, and by the time I've done that we were just about home. Tentsmuir is a superb place to spend the day exploring and there's always something unexpected turns up. Highly recommended. And the kiosk in the car park is open after 5pm! Good to know on a HOT day.

 Red Admirals impersonating wingsuit base jumpers

25 miles plus 2 from station/home