wild goose chase

 

25th Oct.

On the 24th Oct a Holly Blue was spotted in Prestonpans. Local, Peter Fairbrother spotted it and was unsure of the ID. (News of it percolated from Lothian Birdwatch to East Scottish Butterflies, both facebook groups.) Given this is about 6 weeks out of the HB season we didn't know if it was a hoax or just a weird outlier. A tragedy really - a lone (female) specimen and very freshly emerged, wondering maybe why there were no other Holly Blues about locally. Peter had taken photos otherwise we might not have believed it. Next day was the last of the sunshine for the week and perhaps the last chance for a second sighting? Was it worth a 45min cycle? It was a really good specimen... 

(my bike and) Richard at ground zero

Richard and I hadn't arranged to meet there but I turned up 5 minutes after he did so we obvs had the same thing in mind. Brightest and warmest 2 hrs of the day would be 11.30~1.30 which was about the time of the sighting the day previous. Peter F had seen the specimen at the flowering pink bush next to the doocot currently being refurbed. The windsheltered corner of the garden area around Preston Tower, a handsome ruin up a turn off from the main road. Never been there before. It was a pleasant enough place and various people came by to sit on the public benches during our ordeal. I mean visit.

Of course there was no sign of any butterflies when I arrived. We did a wander about partly to keep warm. I can't remember the last time I required gloves and hat to watch butterflies. It was Baltic. Not really cold but I was glad I'd packed a duvet jacket and hat and gloves and put them all on. There was a breeze flapping the tarps and poly sheeting over the doocot. The sun was warm but it was not tropical. The herbaceous borders were thoughtfully planted with suitable foliage to attracts butterflies and indeed while we stood there, there were several fly-bys. My feeling was they would mostly be red admirals, although one was very dark underneath and probably a peacock. This was later confirmed when another flew past and I got a photo of it that showed the eyespots of a peacock. 

Preston Tower and gardens - all very pleasant, to start with!

While we were having a staring competition with the pink flowering shrub, Richard spotted something move out the corner of his eye. A butterfly? No, a mouse or tailfeather. Turned out to be a dunnock which I put some seeds down for and it showed itself. Sadly it turned out to be the only local wildlife sitting for photos this morning.

It was good having Richard for company. I wouldn't have lasted 2 hrs on my own. We chatted about the recent spotting of rarities including a Monarch in Shetland (grown from egg locally and released?); the incredible Banchory Essex Skippers who presumably arrived in cattle feed or in builders supplies as eggs/caterpillars/chrysalises and somehow survived and emerged unfazed by being so far from home. Or the mini invasion of Brimstones. They possibly arrived under their own steam or wing-power, although I didn't see any. And there was a Camberwell Beauty on the Fife Coast. It was quite a good year for blips and oddities. I failed to see any of them. 

I have to say I don't really mind. If you really want to see such exotics they are all available by travelling abroad. As you travel South into England you pretty much double the Scottish species count. And double it again hopping over the channel to France. Down to Spain or over to Turkey and there are more than you can shake a stick at. It makes you realise how Scotland is a cold barren outcrop as far as lepidotera are concerned. Although it also makes you really appreciate the 30-odd species we have. And when that it isn't enough, 2 weeks in Tenerife is a great way to break up the 6 months of cold turkey. In January, fingers crossed, if we are not back in lockdown. 9 species last holiday there. A nice mix of UK-similar species and exotics. In shorts and t-shirt weather. Something to look forward to.

The first red admiral of the day had disappeared into the ivy bush behind Richard's head in this photo above. It was in some gardens we couldn't poke around in. They were totally surrounded with ivy and holly and probably heaving with RAs and HBs earlier in the year. Possibly worth a look back in this area next April and August.

the pink flowering shrub!
I was going to photoshop on dozens of HBs but it would be too depressing.
So you can just imagine it.

one of a handful of fly-bys

the only one that flew close enough to photo-ID - a peacock
last butterfly of the year?

After about 2 hours of cooling down it was becoming very likely that Mrs H Blue would probably not be returning here today. Peter F had come past to see if his famous butterfly had made a return visit. I had quizzed him about the specifics of time and place (the previous night online) so that we wouldn't be stood like tumshies in the wrong place, and so he knew we would be there. We chatted for a bit then he returned to warm indoors! The sun was spending more time behind clouds and Richard and I were losing the will to live. I thought the day could be spent more profitably photoing birds at the Esk estuary or in a couple of parks on the way home. I warmed up on the cycle back into town but still didn't take my duvet jacket off. 

female goldeneye on the Esk

Canada Goose

black headed gulls

This was an unusual duck. It was swimming with the mallards and exactly the same build but not the right colours. Later online, someone on Lothian Birdwatch suggested it would have been the result of a domestic duck and mallard cross. A hybrid. Since most domestic ducks are relatives of mallards. So I'm told. It seemed to be treated exactly like a normal Mallard by its peers.

There was no sign of the red throated diver which has been photographed to within an inch of its life recently, at the mouth of the Esk. I believe it had summer plumage so was even more rare/desirable, but I had seen so many pics of it every day on Lothian Birdwatch I had become indifferent about it. Clearly it felt the same about me! Undaunted I cycled back to Figgate Park and took more gull pics. No otters, no fancy birds. But the sun was still shining.

more gulls, this time Lochend Park

immature bhg

Richard and I had had a disparaging conversation about the limited joys of Lochend Park. And yet it proved to be the venue for the best pics of the day. I was cycling past a sunny spot at the pond edge and so stopped to throw away the last of the bread I was carrying. A heron lolloped over and joined in. I hadn't even seen it standing in the shadows. It looked a bit grumpy but stood about 12 feet away which allowed for some fairly decent close-ups. I cycled home feeling it hadn't been a wasted day after all.