best laid plans

 

22-03-23

Sometimes things don't go according to plan. This trip was that. It wasn't terrible, but I was dogged the whole day by feelings of imminent failure and things not panning out. Maybe my hopes were too high, prompted by an excellent forecast of sunshine and high temps, and fuelled with strong coffee. The sun shone right enough; but there was a cold breeze, nearly gale force at times and that pretty much cleared everywhere of butterflies. I realised this was likely and chose an inland, sheltered route due to the wind.

view out the bus window, 

heading to Haddinton

My free bus pass prompted a look at the timetables for buses to Haddington. This was possibly the best thing about today. My route of choice was the section of the River Tyne from Haddington to East Linton and just beyond. I hoped to repeat an excellent trip last year. Click here to see blog. On that occasion I got the train to Longniddry, ran up the cyclepath to Haddington - did the river section - then returned to Drem cross-country having run 22 miles and photographed heaps of great wildlife including chiffchaffs, wrens, buzzards, goosanders, yellowhammers and 3 species of butterfly. 

Not being as fit this year, a bus would deliver me to Haddington and I'd noted the timetable for collection from East Linton. I managed 11 miles but the species count and photos were considerably more limited than last year. Note: last year was on the 19th March. This year a bumper crop of shit weather has blown in for most of March and things are slow getting started. Seems to be similar for down South as well, judging by posts online. So much for global warming.

I enjoyed the bus trip much more than anticipated. It took about an hour but I had taken along my mp3 player and sat on an empty bus, front seat, upper deck, whizzing along the country roads to some excellent tunes, anticipating seeing my first butterflies of the year. Also I had made a stovetop coffee before setting off and it was like rocket-fuel. I don't normally have caffeine drinks so when I do it has a notable effect.

On the outskirts of Haddington I recognised the path I'd be on if I'd run from Longniddry so jumped off the bus and joined the Tyne tributary which runs through housing on the West of Haddinton. The riverside trails meet up with the Tyne then travel East. Although the sun was warm I kept on my jacket, gloves and hat. Usually the butterflies appear around the temperature I take off gloves and hat. It wasn't a good omen.

many of the photos I took this time I also took a year ago

I'm pretty sure this is the same female bullfinch I saw last year in exactly the same place. She had several suitors last time and was looking very pleased. There was at least one male bullfinch around this time. I also took photos from the bridge over the river near the church. It was just after this bridge I saw my first butterfly last trip. No such luck this year and although I kept my eyes peeled for any flashes of red or orange I did not have the same optimism. It was cold and blowy and not sufficiently sheltered.

initially I thought these were whooper swans
then saw they were more goose shaped

The trails outside Haddington were lovely. Yes it was probably too blowy for all but the most hardy of butterflies, but it was decent weather and I was out and getting fresh air. Wasn't that enough? Well, yes. Then I saw a grey squirrel running down the path towards me. I noticed the end of its tail was black - not a squirrel but a stoat, possibly mid-way back from ermine white to russet brown. All this happened in a half second just as I was approaching the bush above. A shame the path hadn't been straighter and given me more warning. The stoat saw me at the same time I saw it, and it ducked into the bush. Dammit! I continued forward and there it was just at the edge of the bush having another look. Dammit again! 2 missed opportunities to get stoat photos - rare as hens teeth.

I retreated from said bush and tried to position myself invisibly 20 yards back down the path to see if mr stoat would reappear. I waited 10 mins while having the first snack bar of the day. I was both delighted to see a stoat and hacked off mightily I'd blown the chance of a photo. Not so much as a whiff of where it went; I checked all around and saw nothing. I tried to be brave and tell myself there was plenty more where that came from. But was fairly gutted.

new signage - I'll read that later

One of the reasons for riverside wanders in March is the flowering willow catkins. They attract bees and butterflies when not much else has so much pollen going free. On the ground the butterbur is beginning to flower as well. (below)

Usually I'd stop to take photos of the large man-made weir about a mile downstream of Haddington. However there was a dogwalker and dog behaving a bit erratically there so I just went past without stopping. A bit further on, going round another corner and a large bird takes off and swishes past my face. My brain shouted OWL (weirdly!) but I played the mind-video back and saw long yellow legs as well as brown buff feathers, while following the rising bird. Sparrowhawk for sure. It promptly disappeared skyward confirming its identity with swooping upward angles through the trees. 

I was about to continue when I realised it was on the ground for a reason and sure enough when I returned a few yards I found a pigeon beheaded and plucked on the riverbank. A pigeon is too heavy for a sparrowhawk to carry off. (They are nearly the same size.)

escalope de pidgy-widgy
(hard to recognise without head)

The sparrowhawk must have been really unhappy to be disturbed, having put the energy into catching, killing and plucking the bird but not getting to start eating it yet. I reckoned it would return shortly and resume where it left off. Now that would make for some great photos - maybe even make up for being outsmarted by a stoat! I hid along the path about 35 yards. Then returned and moved the pigeon carcass to where I'd get better footage and retreated to behind the bush again. 

After about 20 minutes I wondered if the bird was watching me patiently from a high tree nearby. I quietly left and continued my journey downstream, checking all the surrounding trees for large bird shapes. No sign. I dawdled slowly then after a bit returned very quietly. Nothing! I did the same again, wandering away downstream then returning after a while. 

I wondered how long a sparrowhawk would delay return. There can't be much in the apex predator range that would walk off with a freshly prepared pigeon. Foxes and badgers are mostly nocturnal. A buzzard? Passing dog would be the most likely. Not enough to worry the sparrowhawk. I wondered just how long I could hang about before throwing in the towel and stomping off in a less than graceful mood. Turns out about 45 minutes. Outsmarted by a bird with a brain the size of a walnut. 😭

Next up was the first chiffchaff of the year. Their calls are delightful the first few times heard in March and somewhat repetitive for the rest of the season! They can be really tricky to see as they are about as drab as a bird gets. This one was yards away from the same place as last year where I got great photos and video posted on last year's trip. It's astonishing that this could be the very same bird, having been on holiday to the Mediterranean or Western Africa and then found its way back to the same 25 yards where it was a year ago. It sat behind branches which ruined the focus but I could not be arsed chasing it through the brambles for a better shot.

heron

lots of lovely landscapes bereft of wildlife!

Hailes Castle

I think it was about here I found peacock, small tort and red admiral butterflies last year. This time I ran past barely pausing for a look. The willows were waving about like crazy in the wind. My greatest hopes for butterfly action were pinned on 2 areas. A picnic spot a mile upstream from East Linton and a turn in the river with loads of willow a mile beyond. I pushed on feeling hungry.

I had opted not to carry sandwiches knowing I could rely on the coop at East Linton. I had a few sports bars to keep me going but didn't want to eat all of them, and then have lunch on top. I had a mile or 2 until East Linton and the best parts were just coming up. The picnic spot is a fave haunt for the first orange tips. Last year it was 16th April for the first OT, spotted along the Longniddry Haddington cyclepath on another very good day out. In fact I hadn't remembered last year as being anything as spectacular as it was. Looking back to old blogs I had forgotten just how good!

At the picnic spot there was nothing. A bumble bee. I ran on. I saw a pair of bullfinches in the shrubs but they eluded a photo like everything else today. A goldcrest flew along a tunnel of bushes then disappeared into the trees. No photos. No surprises. In fact I was having such a poor day for photos I wondered if I would actually get a photo of the A1 bridge where it spans the river just upstream of East Linton, or if it would get the better of me too.

A1 bridge caught napping.

Just after the bridge 3 deer sprang up from just where I was walking. I got a photo but it was pretty tame. There was also a buzzard circling overhead. I was photographing it when an older gent out dogwalking was passing and we got chatting about the wildlife. He was keen on birds and told me about dippers, wrens and kingfishers he had come across at various times. It was very pleasant to stop and chat before heading at a run into EL coop for a sandwich and drink.

East Linton

I got my usual prawn mayo sandwich, and fizzy water. However they were out of Portuguese Custard Tarts and I had to settle for an apple danish, a step or 2 down from the giddy heights of custard tart. (It was approaching 3pm so everything good had gone.) I was also really hungry having resisted the sports bars so got a couple of mini pork pies. I have a pork pie about once every 3 years. Then remember what they are like and swear off them for another 3 years. The 2 mini pork pies were less gruesome than usual. Maybe I was just in need of heavy stodge. But they filled a gap and I ran on quickly as it was getting late and things were deteriorating. When I got a mile downstream to a place where I have found loads of butterflies in the past I reckoned there was about a 5% chance of butterflies. Or less. Turns out I was correct in my pessimism.

first day back in shorts

dipper

grey wagtail

the area in question
- all those riverside willows often come up with the goods

But not today. I looked at my watch. It was around 3pm and I decided to give it about 20minutes of kicking through the weeds before heading back to EL for the 3.41 bus back to Edinburgh. I made sure to get there early in case the bus breezed through ahead of schedule, but it was a few minutes late. 

All that fresh air meant I drifted off about Haddington and woke up approaching Abbeyhill, where I jumped off and ran home. I covered about 11 miles; maybe a third of them run with the rest walking or jogging. It was a decent day out but with disappointments. I'll need to go back and do similar on a more butterfly day. Given I travelled free the total expense for the whole day was only £5.00 for sandwich, Highland Spring water, 2 mini pork pies and apple danish. Damn good value! 

Now I've always wondered about how to pronounce Phantassie. In my head it is the second half gets the emphasis; phanTASSie. I mean if it were the same as fantasy you wouldn't go to all the trouble of spelling it like that, would you? Anybody local let me know, thanks. I'm still acclimating to Whiteadder and Athelstainford. (Apparently pronounced "Ail-shin-ford" but there is some debate.)

Preston Mill

11 miles in under 5hrs
I'll be back!