birthday botanics butterflies

2nd Oct 2019

Last of the Summer Wine Butterflies.

I noticed the weather was set fine for the 2nd so took that day off during a busy work week to do some chores, visit mum in hospital, get a haircut and run around like a mental sorting things and doing laundry. However I did take a joyful moment or 2 to check out the butterfly action along the Water of Leith and in the Botanics. 

My birthday was on Thurs, the 3rd, but since the weather was far better the day before I moved it notionally to then. And what a day it turned out. I had to go to the paint shop to buy stuff for the following week and was hoping the cloud cover stayed away for the rest of the afternoon. Happily it did. As a result when I got to the Water of Leith the buddleias were busy with madly nectaring Red Admirals in various states; from brand new fresh to a bit tattered and old. There was a brief appearance from a passing Speckled Wood but I only got one photo before it left.

just the one pic

 

I had heard from Andrew there were loads of butteflies where the WoL goes past the bottom of Logie Green Rd. The bit where B&Q used to be - along to the Haig poppy factory/gates on the way to Canonmills. This spot is popular with birders as well as there is a fair bit of kingfisher action around there. I had been there about 10 mins when (around 2.40pm) there was the signature peep peep peep of the high pitched kingfisher whistle. At first I couldn't see where it had landed but a woman about my age, Steph, pointed it out. She was a regular and had lots of useful info on kingfisher habits. She also just had a small compact camera not a huge lensed monster. (She said she didn't bother hanging out at the Botanics as she couldn't be bothered with those men and their penis extension lenses. I said I'd pass that on to couple of them I knew.)

At first this youngster landed near us, though hidden in the leaves on the other side of the river. It then flew under the bridge and sat on the metal trough attached under the bridge, dived into the water and hoiked out a fish, which it landed on the walkway on our side. It was not easy to lean over the wall and get a decent shot but I was surprised how well some of the pics came out given the sun was causing all sorts of glare issues.

whap, take that!

Steph knew that swallowing the fish whole would produce hiccups in the bird and sure enough it sat back up on the metal siding giving little jumps every 20secs. I shot some video capturing this. It then flew back towards us (but on the opposite bank) and hopped around the branches, sometimes visible sometimes hidden. A proper birthday treat! (No great photos as that side was mostly in shade.) 

peek-a-boo

Meanwhile the butterflies were getting jealous of the attention the bird was getting and mounted a tripple pronged display. It was heading towards 3pm so I reluctantly left to try and catch the remains of the day in the Botanics. Andrew and Ken had mentioned the Demonstration Garden and some verbena there, popular with the RAs and PLs. On the way I passed a posse of long-tailed tits, (always a delight) almost too lightening quick through the trees to catch.

I walked passed the empty vebena once or twice wondering if I had the right place. (Just behind the large beech hedge and herbaceous border.) (The purple torch is mostly spent although there might have been a singular RA there briefly.) The sun came out again from behind a cloud, and as if by some magic, a couple of RAs appeared from deep within the nearby holly hedge. 

As I started to take photos, utilising a similar magic, Ken and Andrew also appeared. We wandered around the Demonstration Garden far too young and good looking to be considered anything like the cast of the Summer Wine programme. Despite Mary's accusations. Incidentally I used to hate, hate, hate that telly prog. And thought that when (at least) one of the actors died, that would surely be the end of it. And yet somehow they replaced him and the bland sunday evening fare trundled onwards ad infinitum. (Changing cast outlined here.) I told the lads what Steph reckoned about those men of the Botanics, and they said their equipment was relatively modest by comparison to big Phil's. 

There was further discussion about equipment and its limitations. Having a long lens on a dslr means either carrying an alternative lens for macro or (like Ken) not having a macro lens and just standing back to shoot close ups. There was an envious tone just detectable between the compliments about my compact (large)-pocket sized camera that morphed painlessly from zoom to macro and back at the touch of a button. And that I could stand right beside a nectaring butterfly pointing my TZ200 just 30mm away from the subject, getting macro shots showing amazing detail of the insect with a decent sweep of blurry background. 

Ken and Andrew also swapped notes on straps as well - Ken had recently got a neoprene strap as the original would gouge a trough in his neck if worn all day. I was chuffed with the direction of conversation and lack of downside mentioned about carrying a compact rather than going full dslr or interchangeable lenses. Which I couldn't run with. Though more of my time these days is spent walking, looking for photos, rather than taking pics on the hoof as a secondary consideration. I will probably wait till the lottery win before purchasing further equipment.

Painted Lady emerging from the holly hedge

It was late in the day for Painted Ladies. This one braved the cool afternoon but didn't hang about. The sun came and went as did the butterflies. We mooched from one spot to another colony of verbena with mixed results. Ken, who seems to overnight in the Botanics, possibly in one of the larger trees, has had his fill of RAs and PLs on verbena and buddleia and was struggling to find the will to lift his camera and shoot more of the same. However at least one of the RAs was in splendid nick and none too flighty. What's not to love? The sun was shining, the flowers bright and blooming, and there is always that perfect shot, just around the corner. Besides it felt like Autumn was in the air, like this might be the last chance saloon, the last of the Summer wine.

This one landed on my shorts.

We had a look down by the pond for the kingfisher.
We could hear the peep peep peep but it wasn't for posing for a photo.

Heron in a tree.

So that could be it for butterflies this year. Hopefully a few outliers and one or 2 breaking cover during the months of hibernation (technically not hibernation but a kind of stasis through the dark cold months by the handful of species that overwinter as adults, hiding out in caves and sheds.) It'll just be bird and landscape photos and maybe more running less walking. Until next Spring. It has been a good Summer for the butterflies. Off the back on an excellent year in 2018 when a longish dry season benefited most of the Scottish butterflies. This year I added 3 new first-ever sightings, and still have a few to chase down. And am still learning how to improve the photos. Best go and batten down the hatches as Winter approaches. Sad face emoji!