PBFs. Between a hit and a miss

pearl-bordered fritillary

18-05-22

Covid in 2020 interrupted the annual pilgrimage to Pitlochry and Linn of Tummel where I found these beauties a couple of years in a row. Then last year (blog here) I travelled up just a few days too early (11th May) and doom and gloom - nae butterflies. Well orange tips and speckleds, but no Pearl-bordereds a spectacular medium sized fritillary, quite rare and found in very few places. Every year the emergence is timed to the weather and conditions rather than a specific date but when they started appearing in other parts of the highlands or North East I thought they were bound to be out near Pitlochry. Be cautious*, because a long journey and 20 mile run is a day (and trainfare) wasted if only for orange tips and the scenery. Although it is splendid scenery!

*I write this for a future me looking at past blogs to decide the day of reckoning. Better a little late than too early and disappointment. Previous dates of travel: 26/05/18 excellent, 16/05/19 excellent, 11/05/21 FAIL, 18/05/22 mixed results (too early really.)

Since it has yielded such decent results in the past I stuck to the same formula - even though I was considering another site nearby: Craigower Hill on the other side of Pitlochry which boasts a few other species incl. SPBFs. (Mentioned in the same Michael Easterbrook book as Linn of Tummel.)

There is a 3 mile run over the river and up pleasantly undulating small roads to the Coronation suspension bridge. As always I was full of anticipation and coffeed up. Very excitable!

for sure

not quite full on sunny

from venue one looking West to venue 2

After crossing the small suspension bridge you go back downstream on the other side on dirt trails a few hundred yards until you see a deer gate with a large pylon beyond. The ground beneath the pylon is venue 1. I was pleased to see the bugle (foodplant of PBFs) was out - last year it was only just beginning to appear and this was the first sign I'd messed up and arrived too soon. However there was no sign of orange butterflies.

I waited for the sun to come back out but still no PBFs and very little else. It was maybe just a little cool. I began to feel the fear I had last year when things went from bad to disaster and all 3 venues failed to provide butterflies. Had I done the same this year and arrived ahead of their emergence? The sun was only fleetingly appearing between the clouds and I hoped venue 2 would be better and more properly warmed up. A few hundred yards along the wayleave - the cleared bracken-covered ground underneath the pylons - and initially it was not looking good. 

dor beetle - lots of these about

And then, after maybe an hour of bracken stomping with gathering black clouds of despondency, I let out a whoop of relief when I saw this lonely orange butterfly fly up from the undergrowth. They are notoriously difficult chaps to get close to, so I took plenty record shots before moving in closer. I realised this might be the only one all day. I could tell from the perfect condition of wings and light coloured fringe that it was very recently emerged. They do not last long in this condition which is one of the reasons I try to arrive early rather than later in the month. But it is a difficult game to get just right. It was looking like I was there just a bit early, on a day which wasn't quite as sunny as the previous successful trips. Living and learning!

whew, relief the journey was not wasted!

beautiful underwing

perfect specimen!
(note intact fringe round wing perimeter)

I followed this amazing creature for a bit and then it did the butterfly portal thing and turned a corner into itself, disappearing. I think I saw it again briefly before packing up and moving to venue 3. Spirits were no longer rock bottom but I suspected it might be a less successful trip than I had hoped.

brown silver-line moth

tradition has it I take a selfie at this roadside mirror

Just before the turn off into Allean forest for venue 3, there is the Queen's View cafe. I said to myself if it was sunny I'd do venue 3 first then go back afterwards for lunch to the cafe. If overcast I'd do lunch, then venue 3. It was overcast so I went in for a bowl of soup. Medium+ priced, nice place but as soon as I sat down at the outside tables the sun came blasting out and I wondered how long I'd have to wait for the leak and potato to arrive. About 5 mins, which is prob less than it took to wolf it down and shoogle down the road to the next turn-off up the hill to where I'd seen PBFs visiting dandelions at the fallen trees. The soup (fairly nice) had just about settled by the time I got up the hill but when I arrived at the fallen trees there were only orange tips, speckleds and peacocks. I might have been blessed by an occasional pearler had I stayed for a couple of hours but I very much got the feeling there weren't many out and about.

I decided to cut my losses and return to venue 2 where I knew there was at least one PBF. I did a large search round the area taking maybe 15 to 20 minutes (nothing but the usual suspects) kicking through the bracken to through up any malingerers, then set off back along the road. There is undulating tarmac to the end of Loch Tummel (sans pavement) and then you can get onto a much safer and prettier riverside trail that goes past a large posh house where loads of signs encourage you to stick to a riverside path that I couldn't find, and not go anywhere near the mansion. Which I did but I crouched while running past the back lawn very much with cap in hand and tugging a forelock. Of course I wasn't smirking. 

gvw

ot

view from the Queen's View up Loch Tummel

comma on roadside dandelion

Much better to be off the unpavemented road (dodging tour buses and construction lorries) and onto stuff like this. It is not waymarked and there are several parts where the path splits and you have to choose which way to get lost. It is a bit of a gamble but each year I do it I become more familiar with the best lines, and since you have the road on one side and the river on the other, you can't go hugely wrong. (Worst likely to happen is muddy soaked feet.) When the sun is out it is delightful - with speckleds dancing in kite streamers of 6 or 7 butterflies all chasing each other. Slowly the frustration of missing PBFs was melting away and I began to actually enjoy the day.

speckleds in the woods

When I returned to venue 2 it had warmed up a shade and there were at least 2 PBFs. I was following one when it spooked up a second and I tried to keep and eye on each until they landed. An impossible task. Then they'd both disappear and I'd walk the same area for an hour without a sighting. And then one would land nearby and I'd shoot off fifty rapid fire photos in excitement.

I took a breath to get a reality fix. I knew the train times and the distance to the station (under 4 miles). Train was about 35mins. Could I make it? I was 17 miles into a long day but lifted by the late afternoon success I felt a bit of old-man sprinting might be in order. I had the remains of that station coffee from the other end of the day percolating and sure enough when I got over the coronation bridge and started to leg it down the road I rather enjoyed working up a sweat as the sun beamed down. I had noticed the Scottish Hydro Electric plant with a big arch inscribed C L U N I E was around the 2 mile marker. So when I passed with plenty time to jog 2 miles I knew it was all go. Although the train could easily be late or cancelled. 

pearl-bordered fritillary on bugle
this is exactly what they are supposed to do!

Now this specimen is a speckled yellow moth. I saw loads flying up in front of me all day but they were harder to get photos of than the PBFs. Eventually I saw this one land and nectar at a small white flower and while it was distracted I used all my ninja tactics to slide over and take these photos. It was almost more of a triumph than the PBF pics. They are super shy. And also very pretty. Hardly ever see them except in this neck of the woods where they are common but elusive. 

a nostalgic peacock

I love this old campaigner! ^ A peacock from the land that time forgot. Totally frayed and faded but still flying around at great speed and looking for action! Below - another old timer with extensive surface damage from a day of chasing photos through the bracken and brambles, jumping streams and climbing fences. Not a bad day out. Not the total success I imagined on the train heading North but not the total failure of last year. Somewhere between the 2. A couple of perfect PBFs is a pretty decent day out for a butterflying fool, but I will try to remember all I have learned from this next year. And apply a little patience! Or maybe try a different venue, who knows. Plenty more adventures coming up really soon, watch this space. 

venue 2 saved the day

20ish miles