if at first you don't succeed...

 

03-04-23

Another shot at the Haddington to East Linton route. Two days shy of a couple of weeks after the recent attempt, which had proved a bit frustrating and with no butterflies and little else of note other than a glimpse of sparrowhawk and a stoat, I set off again to repeat the riverside trails down the Tyne. This time I had a splendid day out capturing 4 species of butterfly and photographing many other treats.

treecreeper

dunnock

I caught the bus to Haddington again. I was confident the chilly breeze last time had snuffed out the likelyhood of butterflies, and that this time the weather was much better. It is a pleasant enough 10 mile run anyway. Again I got off the bus on the West side of Haddington and ran down Long Cram to join the Tyne.

goosander (f)

goosander (m)

Just beyond the bridge in Haddington was the first place I'd seen a peacock last year. I kept my eyes peeled but there was only a chaffinch on the wall. Loads of birds out and about with many chiffchaffs along the way.

chiffchaff opposite the golf course

stopped at the weir this time

first (and only) spring lamb of the run

I did a fair bit of slow running interspersed with walking. I ran at the boring bits and then when I came to potential wildlife spots I slowed to examine the surroundings for photos. I saw a flash of electric blue and knew a kingfisher had flown past. I made a note of where it flew to - just at the canal like sections of water before Sandy's Mill. I was focussed on the river when I felt a butterfly fly along nearby. I didn't really see it but my butterfly radar was set to maximum, and I had a feeling one went past. I suspect I caught a glimpse of it or just saw the shadow flitting by - it was nothing as solid as seeing the actual comma. But I turned around and went back to where I thought it might have landed. Sure enough a large comma was sat on the lesser celandine. 

I took a couple of photos and it flew off again. I was intrigued by the idea of sensing something nearby rather than just responding to a purely visual flyby.

same chiffchaff at the same spot?
or just coincidence

Just beyond Sandy's Mill the first peacock of the day

first small t-shell of the day

A bit further on and I stopped abruptly when I saw this small tortoiseshell nectaring right in the middle of the path. It could not have been placed more squarely in front of my footfall and I was glad I noticed it before inadvertently spooking it. I had a butterfly wishlist for today and small torts were high on it as I hadn't seen one this year. Reports suggest they are having a harder time lately and numbers are down. It seemed like a decent specimen and I took loads of photos in case it was the sole ST today.

shot of the day?

In a short while I began to come across peacocks at regular intervals. At first I tried to photograph every one. After a while it became apparent there would be loads and not every one was worth the chase. One I flushed up and out of the undergrowth, flew on and landed on these daffodils. I took several shots (trying to keep steady!) as it rotated around the trumpets looking for a way to access the nectar before flying off. I was annoyed I had missed the chance of a good close-up but the peacock never really gave the opportunity.

seig heil!

Although there seemed to be plenty butterflies about there could have been more. I would stop at every large collection of riverside flowers in sunshine and check I hadn't missed anything. At this corner there were loads of hoverflies (drone flies?) in the air over the flowers. If you held out a hand they would take the opportunity to have a breather and land. I stopped doing this when I realised it looked to anyone coming round the corner like I was practicing a Nazi Salute.

I was excited to get to this part of the river. It is a premier stretch for butterflies having a number of flowers and just the right collection of ivy and garlic / few flowered leak to attract them. So I was rather disappointed to find NONE! I walked up and down a couple of times but no dice. I suspect the flowering blackthorn bushes up the back had maybe attracted them away from the river. Or maybe there just wasn't any there for a change. Since I had been coming across loads along the way I managed to stifle my sobs and run on to the next potentially good stretch.

chiffchaff

flowering blackthorn bushes

I saw this angler and watched as he backcast his line over the path. As soon as I saw that I knew there would be a butterfly in harm's way and I'd not be able to stop and examine it due to risk of catching a hook in my earlobe. Sure enough the second small tort of the day sat directly behind the angler. I took a quick record shot and kept moving past. How annoying! If I hadn't already got a quality ST shot I'd have risked the acupuncture.

The count so far was 1 comma, 2 small torts and about 10 peacocks. This was quite a decent stretch of river for butterflies but I was hurried along by 3 or 4 youths about a hundred yards behind. Of course I could have stopped and let them pass but I wanted to stay ahead to find any goodies near the path they might chase off, if they were ahead of me. And they were moving surprisingly briskly for young people. So I kept a slightly better pace, breaking into a run between photos. However a large brightly coloured peacock broke ground in front of me and I had to stop for pics. Was it worth it and did I have time...

Looking back upstream - peacock in flight around centre,
and kids behind approaching! Arghh!

I had taken my own sandwiches this trip. Last time I relied on the East Linton coop which was okay but I was starving hungry when I eventually got there. (I had been trying to out-wait the sparrowhawk and stoat you'll remember). Anyway I was quite a bit quicker to East Linton by about an hour. 2pm-ish? And since it was really heating up I was keen to get to the bit about half a mile downstream from Preston Mill where butterflies gather. However I had been needing to pee for the last mile or 2 and due to those kids, unable to pull over to the nearest bush. I remembered the public loos on the village green (from running Traprain Law Hill race) and diverted left towards them, hoping they were open. (They were.) Which took me past this splendidly decorated Easter Tree. Someone had produced these eggs and hung them like fruit on the tree in their front garden. Top crafting skills!

very well laid eggs!

With the sun blazing down I was having a neb into all the gardens on the off-chance that butterflies might be landing on flowers there. Would you believe my luck (all because I needed a pee) I saw this small white on a dandelion. One of the first to get photo-ed in 2023 Scotland (Jacqui H beat me to it by about a week up near Tentsmuir! - curses!) but nevertheless a cracking early specimen. 1 comma, 1 small white, 2 small torts, 10 peacocks! (I had been hoping for a red admiral to bring it up to 5 species but as Mary is often saying, I was just being greedy.)

first small white of the year

I was very chipper as a result when going into the coop. They still had one remaining Portuguese custard tart which confirmed I was having a lucky day, and I bought a small bottle of water. I didn't make the usual bench stop for lunch but kept walking downstream as I reckoned there would be lots of butterflies at the willows. 

lunch on the move

coop tart
(back out for a pic!)

tractor approaching

custard dipper

I had just crossed the bridge near Preston Mill when lots happened at the same time and I got a bit bewildered. There is a dipper round there and it appeared just as I was about to get the custard tart out. Camera equipment does not mix with sticky tart fingers so this was already problematic. Then the tractor driver waved and I had to return the gesture. It is very good policy to be super friendly to the landowners when you are on their land, I've found. Unexpectedly the tractor driver was a woman. I know it is very old fashioned of me to be surprised by a female tractor driver, and in fact I gave myself a telling off for being part of the patriarchy and all that. Meanwhile I realised the custard tart was in my mouth and I hadn't got a photo of it yet. Having not bitten down, it was still intact and so I popped it back out and got a photo before it went beyond the point of no return. It was delicious!

Missy Ferguson
(yeah I know it's more likely a John Deere, but Jane Deere isn't as good a joke)

geese flying too close to the sun

Eventually after a lot of faffing about I got to the good stretch of riverside where I've had a lot of butterfly encounters in the past. The willow were full of flowering catkins which attract the butterflies and birds. However there was something of a cold breeze. As I wandered I realised this was keeping the butterflies low on the butterbur, which was a shame as it makes better photos to snap them on the pussy-willow. Oh well at least there were plenty butterflies!

peacock

It is almost impossible to know a specific figure of how many butterflies were there. I went along and back the same section several times and was aware I was seeing the same individuals again and again as well as others. My count up till them was one small white, one comma, two small torts and about ten peacocks. Along that stretch were maybe another 8~10 small torts and 10~12 peacocks. And one comma! Those figures are fairly conservative. I'd see trains of several peacocks and small tortoiseshells flying after each other. It was fantastic and felt like the first decent day of butterfly hunting this year. 

small tortoiseshell on butterbur

When I am in the zone photographing butterflies I don't notice much else, however I did see another couple upstream behaving suspiciously like myself. They approached where I was and we had a chat about butterflies and the woodpecker we could hear but not see. Bob and Val I believe. They posted their photos later on East Scottish Butterflies. It's surprising how we both came up with slightly different perspectives. Bob and Val found way more couples. Both small torts and peacocks, pairing up, which I'd missed entirely. But I got a few shots of the solitary comma, hiding from them in the deep vegetation.

Bob and Val

comma

comma

After a few passes I felt I had got enough of the good stuff to call it a day and headed back into East Linton to catch the bus home. I had checked the timetables and knew when a bus was due. It turned up about 10 minutes late which gave me time to photo a couple of peacocks on the way through town and at the bus stop. I was still hoping for a red admiral the whole bus ride home, but I failed to find the 5th species counter. 

grey wagtail

back through East Linton

peacock at the bus stop waving me off

So that all turned out very well. It proved I was in the right place two weeks ago; just the weather was unrewarding. This occasion was warmer and with better results. But the riverside trails still have lots more to offer with orange tips about to appear and more species later in the season. It is a great few miles for scenery, birds and butterflies. I hope to be back soon.

11.7miles, 5hrs28