return to the rickety fence

 

29-07-22

The annual trip to the rickety fence in Melrose is always tinged with sadness. Scotch Argus are the final butterfly of the year. It definitely flags up the end of the butterfly year, although things will flutter on into early October, weather depending.

I saw a decent weather day lining up with a non-work day. I was thinking about doing some running down Dunbar way and checking out a report of Banded Demoiselles on the Tyne, but then the forecast looked a bit meh. Which would be better for Scotch Argus than blazing sunshine which drives them crazy and they run around like mental before diving into the undergrowth. Bandies look best when the bright sun glints off their metallic blue and green bodies. Rickety fence it is. Cheap day return to Tweedbank.

odd sculpture only ever seen from the station

apple tree crow

contemporary architecture up Dingleton Road.

sun's coming out!

rickety fence - almost entirely rickets

scotch argus

Now it may look from the photos that I just walked into the place and took four decent photos and bob's yer uncle. Not so. Probably 90 minutes of very bad language and walking through wet grass with socks deteriorating and tempers fraying. The bastards do not hold still or sit up high for a photo. They flip flop low over the long grasses then dive into the least accessible spot out of the sunlight. Almost always with a few blades of grass in front of wings, catching the autofocus. They are one of the least cooperative species and worst in decent weather. The weather was warming up atrociously and the arguses (argii) were not being very friendly. There are always exceptions (and there were very many to choose from) and you might spot one that was sitting a bit higher up or with open wings on a dirt path, relatively photogenic. Follow it! Follow it as if your life depended on it. You wander for 5 mins without it landing but then it relents and eventually you get a photo. It is pretty painful. And very easy to get distracted by anything else, a small tortoiseshell, a beaten up fritillary, anything is more fun to photo than the argii. 

small copper - much easier!

small skippers

dgf

And if all else fails just lift them out the undergrowth for a photo. I have to admit to using devious and insanitary methods. I found a particularly lathargic specimen and approached at glacier speed. I had run the 3 miles from the station with a back pack on and the region between back and pack was still humid going on soaking. I wrung my t-shirt out with my left hand then offered this to the SA. Pretty much like an isotonic sports drink. It worked!

scorpion fly (f)

around lunch time Fiona appeared
Last time we also bumped into each other at this same spot!

And then a while later Iain also appeared. He had been listening to me ramble on (can you imagine???!) wondering if he knew those he could hear approaching. He had been chasing other butterflies (possibly white letter hairstreaks) earlier and had little patience or energy left for being run rings around by SAs. The sun was properly out by now and causing havoc. We chatted for a bit then I left to go for a wander round Bowden Loch and Mid Hill. I was hoping to see some dragonflies and maybe a painted lady up the hill - last visit or 2 provided same.

Bowden Loch was pretty but not much there, then I got distracted on the edge of a field by lots of cascading whites visiting the thistles and flowers. As I climbed the hills there were several more small torts on the flowering thistles.

it was so warm the swallows were diving into the water 

There is an unnamed lochan between Mid Hill and Wester Hill. There was more odonata than previous trips - common darters, damselflies and common hawkers. The latter were not for stopping and I failed time and again to get their photos. I squatted down low at the East end of the pond and the hawkers regularly came past on patrol looking for females. One would come past every 3 minutes and in between battles with other hawkers was fairly slow and thoughtful. Yet I just couldn't get a photo. I gave up after 15~20 mins and went round the north side to go up the hill - at which point I saw a hawker settle on the heather. WooHoo! When I got closer I realised it had stopped to eat the emerald damselfly it had snatched out the air. I got about 30 secs to take some shots and shoot video although the busy pattern of heather as back drop makes it tricky to see clearly. My condolences to the damselfly. But thanks!

common hawker and emerald damselfly

northern eggar moth caterpillar

One of the largest caterpillars I have ever seen. And on a prominent rock ring just below the summit. I was tempted to move them - there was 2 - into the heather as they must be very obvious to crows and pretty much set out like a snack. But reckoned they must know what they are doing. Never seen the adults up close though may have seen them flying past at 90mph. Large brown jobs.

rock ring where the caterpillars were

this year

same scene 2020

same scene 2019

emerald damselfly

I wandered over Mid Hill and down the other side then round by the Lochan again and back down the side of Bowden Loch. It was all very pleasant though I was sorry not to see any Painted Ladies or new peacocks. I'd seen both last time but was a bit earlier this year. Nearest I got to excitement was a pair of crane flies in cop. Apparently the females are larger than the males so likely it is the female on top in this photo. 

I had noted the return times of trains and began down the road just before 4pm. The train was at 4.50 which gave me nearly an hour to saunter 3+ miles back to Tweedbank. The road is really steep and inclines you to run. I began to go faster than intended and began to enjoy it. I had put my camera in my back pack and took the left turn that I suspected cuts the corner off the normal route down Dingleton way. I knew there was an earlier train at 4.22 but I was 3 miles away, I couldn't possibly make that, could I? My gps watch let me know I was doing 5.45 minute miles but I knew that I'd run out of hill in a mile and there were 2 left on the flat and likely to go no faster than 7 minute miling. It would be very close. Worse case scenario was arriving to see the train pull out and me in a complete lather. I pushed this out my head and strove on. It was very warm and I was melting by the second mile. I checked my watch in the third mile and couldn't be sure whether I'd make it or not. Finally I crossed the road to the station and saw the train still standing. (3 miles in about 20 mins.) I jumped on the first carriage and sat down, sweating like crazy. The train pulled out after a wait of 30secs. Perfect timing. I had nearly dried out when I got off the train an hour later. FAB day out. 

weather out the train window

10.7 miles