buttanics

Butterflies at the botanics over 3 visits. I might have to change the title, buttanics sucks. Moving swiftly onwards, the botanics an be a useful venue for finding the last of the seasons fliers if the wind is breezy but the sun is out. But they are not equally spread throughout the gardens. You have to know where to look. And even then they switch about without warning. Those long white plumes (top photo) in the herbaceous border (there are a couple of types, some with purple foliage some with green) are great for Red Admirals, or have been in the past. A couple of years ago there were a dozen RAs hanging off them. Yet this year I saw one on the first occasion and 2 on the next. On the third trip I found them all near the John Hope Gateway (Inverleith Pk side) on a flowering bush there. 

Above the garden toilets (and glasshouses) there is a spot where Holly Blues have been seen (on the wrong side of the tall holly trees) and I always go past as the gardeners have hidden away a buddleia almost as if ashamed of this commonplace shrub that grows like a weed along the banks for the Water of Leith. Often there will be a couple of RAs and a peacock dodging about between that and the hydrangea on the other side of the through way. And a Speckled Wood sunbathing and patrolling, perched on the large green leaves nearby. It will fly round you if it feels you are intruding and chase all comers, from the hoverflies to the Admirals.

The visits have been so regular as my mum is holidaying in the Western General, a couple of streets away from her own home and getting excellent attention and encouragement from the staff there until she is well enough to return home from this sabbatical. The botanics are on the way there and if the sun is out I pop in for a quick march round the various spots where butterflies hang. After speaking to Andrew and Alan (on maybe the 16th?) we said goodbye and within minutes I had turned a corner of the rockery and found 3 Painted Ladies busily feeding on these frilly blooms. They were so busy and unmoved by my taking photos that I was able to try some more macro shots. Some of the details of scales on wings and claws on ends of legs were outstanding and more than I expected. There is a very poor success rate and I shot several hundred pics to get just a handful that worked. After a couple of record shots I quick-stepped back to where I had left the other 2 (you are not allowed to run here) to see if I could let them know of the find, but they had gone. I heard they found some other PLs near the WoL so it worked out fine. 

note: claw / foot

backlit peacock on hydrangea

Iain used this shot as the cover pic for East Scottish Butterflies fb page.
(There is no higher accolade!)

name that butterfly?

macro: focus on front of butterfly

focus on back

I was going to stack these 2 but they are a long way off the same shot and by the time I'd photoshopped all the extraneous stuff away at least one of us would be bored rigid.

The Botanics look fab around now.
These 2 shots are in the Chinese Garden where in the Winter a robin will eat from your hand.

And if you get really lucky the kingfisher will turn up at the pond.

honestly

While I was taking a million pics of the Painted Ladies a small white turned up. Hadn't seen one in ages and it was good enough to pose on a couple of flowers before passing through.

I have seen a couple of cats recently, stalking through the gardens.
This is one, the other is a lean looking Burmese or similar.

So this is the new disco for the RAs.
There were maybe about 10 frequenting this flowering shrub.

Just near the entrance and as if you were going left to the herbaceous border.
Happy hunting!