1st Aug and 2nd Aug, Holyrood Park, Festival Special.
What with getting behind with these blogs I had almost forgotten a couple of excellent jaunts up to Holyrood, late in the day, between 4 and 7.15pm; real butterfly bedtime stuff. But due to the fantastic light there were a few gems to be had. Despite the festival just kicking off, the signage and barriers discouraging entry to the Radical Road meant I had a lot of the place to myself.
The first day, Thursday, I went up to check out the buddleia bushes near the NBA site, towards the Commie Pool roundabout. There are lots there and I thought it must be like a huge beacon for the new influx of Painted Ladies, come to visit festive Edinburgh. Sure enough there were dozens of PLs basking in the northern sunshine. As I said in the last blog I had become a bit glib about these blow-ins and was hoping for a red admiral, peacock, or comma or 2. The buddleia had been weirdly ignored by the butterflies this season till now, but it could be that it only becomes irresistible later on as it starts to age and perhaps emit whatever it is the butterflies love. Suddenly youTube videos were popping up with hundreds of butterflies (and a LOT of them Painted Ladies) swarming over the backyard buddleias.
comma!
Within a short while I noticed the tangy orange of a comma. Bingo! It was quite small and bit raggedy round the edges although that is the signature dish of the comma, as well as the white C on the underwing. It wasn't easy to stand or clamber over the scree slopes there. The stones shift as you walk and it can be worse coming down than going up as the whole slope of large gravelly rocks starts to move like a hesitant escalator under your feet. I had a return of the broken-camera-paranoia which I got for quite a few weeks after whacking my TZ100 hard off the ground when I slipped and fell backwards on a steep grassy slope back in early May. Like going back in the water after a shark attack. The comma, unlike the Painted Ladies, keeps himself relatively scarce and seldom travels in packs. This makes it a rare treat and gives added value, more kudos, to this attractive and uniquely shaped butterfly. Also I love the orange butterflies. I'd maybe try to convince you it is because the warmth of orange against the green vegetation makes a great contrast for photographs. And not that orange is my favourite colour, because I'm not a 12 year old schoolgirl. Nor is it (just relax into the therapist's chair here) that Orangey was my favourite teddy in my first few years after pupating. Certainly not that.
bad Orangey
Did I ever mention he spent 30 years in a bin bag in my mum's attic until I was clearing out one day and found this black bag full of soft toys. Hoiked out Orangey and got such a kick in the chest I couldn't either put him back up there or throw him out. So he, this attic Mandela, had to come home to live with a couple of other relics from times past. To entertain Mary, they arrange themselves into a pornographic tableau which she will walk past for a few days until she notices then give a shriek of horror.
I then noticed a larger, newer Comma on a buddleia plume. I slowly crept across the scree trying not to make any sudden movements. To my growing excitement a peacock landed beside it, then as I fought to steady my shaking hands, another. I had a couple of seconds to get decent shots before the crowded comma departed. They could have done slightly better spacing and composition but I did feel very fortunate!
that's the money shot!
I looked to see where the comma had flown off to and saw the above backlit silhouette. It kept closing its wings and virtually disappearing behind the thick stem. It was quite a distance away so was tricky to keep in frame while I wobbled on ball bearing scree. Open your wings - I telepathically telegraphed the comma, but it was having nothing of it, and between looking through the EVF and trying to see it without the camera in front of my eye, it disappeared. I was relieved to at least rescue one shot.
a number of PLs would bask with open wings pressed flat on the rocks
Just at the bottom of the slope - of course the best vantage point for seeing over the buddleia -
was a large conference of ants who, if you stood on their special place would run up your leg and make enquires. At first you would think it was just the grass tickling while you focussed on that distant comma. After a while you'd look down then do a polka or maybe cha cha cha. The above photo was just the remaining hangers-on-ers after several vigorous gangnam style moves.
An occasional white would flutter by but they mostly didn't stop for pics.
This one (Small White methinks) seems to have gone for the minimal look.
also an occasional copper, more later
here was a baby long tailed tit I think
meadow brown
small skipper
Doesn't Maniola Jurtina sound exotic like maybe a flamenco dancer with a past and a boyfriend with a gun? And a world away from one of our most common UK butterflies, the Meadow Brown. There seemed to be either a new emergence around the crags in early August or a concensus for all the Meadow Browns in Holyrood to meet there and sunbathe. There were hundreds. And slightly less jumpy than usual. Maybe late in the day is a good time to try to photograph them. They can be very annoying, given they are neither rare nor exotic. Nobody seems to have told them, and they behave like you would be happy to chase them across fields of thistles for the pleasure of putting a blurry distant photo on a blog. However if you crave a challenge then trying to get a decent photo of Maniola is a good place to start. As the sun went down (although still 2 or 3 hours till sunset!) they would pose on flowers and thistles with their wings open, catching the last warmth of the day before beddy-byes.
I couldn't choose between these 2 photos:
top one sharper; bottom one more refraction and colours on wings
interesting blue colours in left forewing catching sunlight
there was a tragic fatal climbing accident on the crags in July
Painted Lady trying to blend in.
still one or 2 common blues about
oh oh, male common blue spots female common blue
male gets excited
male gets very excited
female buggers off
bah
grayling also showing how to confuse the photographer/predator
by blending in
backlit PL
okay butterflies that's all for today, zebedee says time for bed!
So the next day, Friday, while the festival goers began hammering down drinks and spending way too much cash seeing nothing important, I returned to the crags, this time even later in day. There was an excellent show there. I arrived after 5 and took the last photos of the small copper at 7.17pm. Right enough the copper was probably cursing me under its breath wondering did I not have a home to go to, being well past chucking out time. And no sign of any commas. Probably too late? But a splendid Red Admiral all glossy black with a lovely mane of hair. Aren't butterflies an amazing mix of prettily painted beauty and quite hairy insect horrors? Just like life?!
the RA wasn't up for a photo shoot and kept its distance
occasional GVW
peacock
probably inadvisable method of Grayling photography
Now I was pleased to see this as I don't think it is that common a behaviour. First one then 2 graylings nectaring on buddleia (that was growing out a crack in the crag well above head height). They have been less evident of late having been very active during the Summer on the crags. The photos aren't super sharp as I was teetering on rocks and rough ground below and they didn't hang around for long and would frustratingly often hang upside down or side-on to the camera (how do they know?) so they only present a thin sliver of wing and body. They are the masters of disguise and cunning and can disappear in front of your nose.
making a bee-line
small heath
cinnabar caterpillars
going Meadow Brown
Watching meadow browns in the evening sun was enormously pleasant and I slowly began to merge into the scenery, to become part of the landscape. I moved calmly to avoid disturbing the butterflies and their drowsiness began to effect me. I was in a light trance and just wandering back and forth lazily along the bays of the crags looking out for interesting photos and enjoying the fall of light on flowers and butterflies. I could hear distant voices from above the crags swirling down like a foreign language. It was warm and peaceful and I stepped carefully through the long grasses. I gingerly stalked the photo below, the shadows on the butterfly, the warm background colours. When a dude walked past and asked was I appreciating mother nature, I had to clear my throat to speak, like I was returning from sleep or a delightful dream.
small skipper
I was considering winding it up when I saw this very dazzling copper near the end of the Rad Rd. It was basking in the remains of the day and having disturbed it once, I stalked it very carefully, crawling and slithering through the long grass like a snake, getting down low to shoot it on its own level. If anyone was watching they might have thought I was having a protracted but rather relaxed fit. After getting a couple of shots well lit by the sun (without getting my own shadow in the way), I thought a back-lit shot might work well. I slithered around to the East keeping the copper about 3 yards away through the grass trying to establish a line of sight in what was quite a lot of dazzle. I used the evf as I couldn't see anything on the screen. I just got the one shot then looked up to see it gone. Okay, hope that worked. Time for home. Long time since I've seen a show that good. Great value! Very immersive. Magnificent evening out at the festival!
golden copper
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