19th July
The plan was to cycle to Postman's Walk, Aberlady, check out the holly blues; then head inland past Haddington, check out the broad-bodied chasers; then via Gifford to Saltoun Big Wood for more dragonflies. A big day out but the forecast was promising. I started out just after 9.30 so it would have been 10.45 by the time I cycled the 16 miles to Postman's Walk. The skies were clearing a bit but it was not quite sunny enough to bring the Holly Blues out in force.
I was a bit disheartened to walk from the East to the West (pushing the bike) of the field perimeter without sighting an HB. First brood HBs were most busy at the corner and up the East perimeter wall. Second brood ones tend to occupy the ivy near the high trees along the narrow walk on the North of the field. I abandoned the bike around the corner and walked along and back various bits squinting into bramble flowers for anything silvery blue/white. I came across an aging male who was sitting in the ivy there and even did me a solid by opening his wings and posing. Okay that is a decent start and nice to see they were here and flying. I had already heard on the grapevine they (2nd brooders) were out and about.
wonky aerial
this is where they should be
Feeling I had a long day ahead I didn't want to waste too much time waiting for butterflies that aren't as rare as they used to be. I pushed my bike back towards Aberlady and along the way I noticed a much fresher specimen fly up from the ivy. I thought this most likely a female as the males had been out a week and were showing signs of wear and tear. But it wasn't quite sunny enough to get her to open her wings. I waited. And waited. She changed places a couple of times but I couldn't see for sure if she had the black bands on her forewing uppers that would confirm her to be female. I waited. The sun would get stronger moving between clouds but then fade again. I grew restless. I hung about 15 minutes before breaking and getting a long stalk of grass. I waved it near her - she took off - and I took some photos hoping they would show her wings in flight. She settled close by, wings closed again. That's it, I have things to do and places to be. Time to go!
showing a glimpse of black band on upper wing?
This hugely cropped image of Ms Blue in flight suggests yes, she was a female.
It was turning into a warm day and although I had taken lots of water, sandwiches and snack bars I went back into Aberlady to get some cold drinks. I was also tempted by a cool sandwich in their fridge which I ate directly outside the shop thinking I'd keep my homemade piece for later on. Doesn't hurt to have too many supplies. It was likely to be a big mileage day on the bike which burns through calories.
The next cycle section was up that long hill which passes the Hopetoun Monument then descends into Haddington. I have been cycling a fair bit recently and so it wasn't quite as bad as the anticipation of it. Through Haddington then out the other side and up the hill to the woods where I saw the Broad Bodied Chasers before. It was 11th June when I was there before and wasn't surprised when there was no sign of them there still. I had had a tip off about the nearest pond and made my way there. I'd tried to find it in June but been discouraged by rain and worsening weather. And chest high undergrowth.
four banded longhorn beetle
This time I persisted and found it. I am not going to post details of where, as any amount of traffic would fast become bad news, but it is not hard to find. Smaller than the ponds at Saltoun it has a wee path all the way round and you can keep an eye on the bigger dragonflies as they travel round it, seeing where they land, if they land. There were all the usual suspects: common hawkers, common darters, four-spotters, and plenty of damsels, emerald and blue. PLUS two male broad-bodied chasers. At the log pile in June I had only been able to photograph the females. The males start life a similar colour - but mature into a pruinose blue: a light blue powder-like coating. I had seen them at the log pile but they whizzed past too quick for a photo. I was delighted to find them here and spent some time stalking them. Unlike the hawkers they would settle from time to time on reeds and sticks. More like four-spotters than hawkers which seem to fly continually without taking a break. I could tell I was only just in time as they looked towards the end of their life cycle.
common hawker
four-spotted chaser
female hawker egg-laying
first male BBC had wing damage
common hawker
emerald damselfly
small skipper - everywhere this year
common darters in cop
four-spotted chaser
male common darter
2nd BBC in better nick
I was able to see where it was regularly landing and slowly - very slowly - approached the area. The long zoom on my camera did the rest. They are quite flighty but I was allowed to get about 2 metres from this one without it flying off. I took a million photos, moving as much as I could to get different backgrounds and angles but was limited by gorse bushes on one side and muddy shallow water on the other. I was glad to have finally got the other half of the picture to go with the previous blog featuring the females back in June. I was speaking to Alan B recently, a local authority on dragonflies and although this is the first year they have been noticed in East Lothian (at very limited spots) they may well have been her last year and just flown under the radar. I think it was a birder who posted on iRecord or flagged them up on twitter after seeing them in the woods. Great to have them here, they are a cracking new species to have and observe.
I was now well behind schedule. The distractions of the dragonflies and ease of use of that pond (much easier to walk around and follow individuals than my favourite pond at Saltoun) had meant I was now far too late and tired to consider the Big Wood as third venue. However I had said I might see Fiona there (another insect enthusiast) so felt I should at least cycle past the end of the road and check if her car was parked there and tell her I wouldn't be there, in person. So I went home via Gifford and the Pencaitland cyclepath. (All very scenic by comparison to Tranent etc.) Fiona's car wasn't there but she had been there earlier and had fun at the ponds checking out the dragonflies. I cycled home a bit knackered but delighted to have filled the SD card full of jollies yet again. 50 miles cycled - a thing I would have found to hard do had there not been so many treasures to go out and collect. FAB day out!
nearly exactly 50 miles in nearly exactly 8hrs
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