best part of the day: postman delivers

19-04-23

The forecast was pretty decent for the 19th so Mary drove us to Aberlady to go look at Holly Blues along Postman's Walk. I was going to get the train or bus but then Mary had time off and suggested the car needs a run. If we don't take it out every 6 weeks it can die from neglect. Also she had a plan to swim in the sea at Gullane. I took my wetsuit but was considerably more keen about the butterflies than the swimming bit.

I knew from Richard's online post the day before, that the place was busy with holly blues and orange tips, the 2 species I most wanted to photograph. Skies were solid blue when we arrived and the wooded corner of the field was nicely sheltered from the East wind. Even before we got to the best spot on the East side of the field we saw saw one or two HBs jousting at the first garden and settling on the ivy near where we parked. It was all looking very good right from the kick off. In fact it is hard to remember that this butterfly is one of the most tricky to find Scottish species outside of the Lothians. Although they are eventually beginning to be seen in decent numbers (as opposed to a singular fly-by specimens) in other places. (Coldingham Bay near St Abbs for one.)

orange dots - field perimeter walk
blue dots - holly blues

Just behind Mary in this photo is a woman who was out walking her dog. When she passed me, she asked had I seen something of note and I gave her some chat (prob way too much!) about these rare little butterflies and one flew by at just the right moment for her to witness. She replied she had been walked her dog here every day for years and never seen one till that moment. Which gives you an idea of how they can get quite established in a place without making themselves known.

They are far more common down South and are just at the point of pushing North into Scotland, most likely due to climate change and Scotland finally becoming warm enough to allow them to get a foothold. All the same they wait until the sun is shining before showing themselves; the males first then shortly afterwards the females who are easily distinguished by the black patches on their forewings. I was hoping to spot females today but no sign unless those higher up in the trees were. But they kept wings tightly closed.

We had a quick look round the ruins in the woods where speckled woods are often flitting but there was only one on the lesser celandine and so we went back to the warmth of the sunny corner.

As the day got warmer yet, an orange tip (m) appeared and zipped around. They tend to be more focussed on finding a female than settling on flowers when they first appear and so can be pretty tricky to catch stationary. However, every so often this one would stop by a dandelion and if you were quick could catch a pic before he was off again looking for love. He also had the bad habit of chasing a green veined white. Although they look a little like OT females the two are different enough, and the GVW was visibly irritated with his attentions.

Around this point Nick turned up. He used to be the recorder for East Lothian (might well still be, though he has moved down towards the Eildons) and so I have seen his name more than his face. He remembered us and introduced himself - I think last time we met was up the hill in Gullane photographing Holly Blues a few years ago. We were not short of things to chat about and we almost forgot to take photos of all the butterflies flitting around us as we stood chatting about this and that, with sun warming the backs of our necks. Really, a very pleasant way to pass the time!

Mary and Nick

gvw

still hounding the wrong mate

2 HBs

I noticed a chain of several blues flying around near this tree. (Sycamore?) One of them broke off while the other 2 seemed to find a perch in the tree. I did wonder were they females since they did not fly about the lower branches and ivy hunting for mates like the males were doing. Or were they just taking time out? I didn't get any kind of answer. But they were almost impossible to see, if you didn't know where they were. Mary asked me to point them out but she just couldn't see them. And the camera was only just able to focus on them rather than the surroundings.

well camouflaged

speckled wood

I think this was my first Orange Tip female of the year.

I could have happily stayed the whole afternoon wandering in the sun and wind shade of Postman's Walk but Mary had a swim in mind. It nearly felt warm enough but I knew it wouldn't on the coast. We walked back to the car and drove along to Gullane where Mary dropped me off. I had baulked at the swim and said I'd rather hunt around a couple of spots in Gullane for wildlife then join her on the beach or phone and let her know where to pick me up. Cowardly I admit. I wondered if Mary would actually go in the water.

I first of all checked out St Adrian's churchyard which has a couple of large holly trees where H Blues sit, usually frustratingly high up and out of reach of the longest lens. I waited between 5 and 10 minutes. I saw just one which toured the churchyard then returned to the high foliage. Having been spoiled in Aberlady where there were more specimens lower down, this seemed a waste of time so I checked the other spot across the road, then decided I should support Mary down at the beach rather than just pleasing myself! I did check out the old spot near the public toilets where the ivy has been reduced a lot - chopped back to just a thin layer. No HBs there either.

On the way to the beach there were starlings in the car park who eyed me nervously before flying off and an orange tip in the dunes before the beach. The wind was so strong it had its wings closed while it sat there.

Mary had been in while I dawdled and by the time I caught up with her, was out and changing. I missed taking any photos, but she had shot a bit of video showing her dooking under the water which was impressive on such a cold day. She wore a wet suit but it is a legless and sleeveless one - a shorty - so doesn't give that much protection. Maybe I'll go in next time. She highly recommended it. And now there is a shower near the car park - on the end of the new toilet block - it is far easier to get changed and hose sand off feet etc.