warriston weekender

 

The forecast was fairly poor and the weather no better on the weekend of the 6th and 7th May so we didn't bother travelling far afield. Instead we walked along to stand in the drizzle at our fave cemetery. The rock n roll lifestyle! Also embracing this heady level of excitement were Andrew and Unda another Libra (male), Scorpio (female) team like ourselves, with cameras and a love of the small creatures.

We hadn't arranged to meet but all enjoy the place and the overgrown wild feel of this largely unused cemetery. Utilised more by birds and butterflies than mourners; in fact I can't remember the last time I saw mourners here. They are certainly outnumbered by the dog-walkers, instagrammers and wildlifers. 

Since it was too dark and gloomy for butterflies, Andrew and Unda showed us where the robins had a nest and fledgling youngsters. We did wonder if this was the secret garden robin (Hitler, to his pals) as he had a little tuft out the back of his head and sat watching us closely although not coming to a hand for snacks. He might have been confused by having 4 humans standing nearby watching. The nest bush was over towards the East Gate - too dense to see the actual nest. But one or 2 adults were present and maybe 2 fledglings. They are approx robin shape but with yellow brown feathers and no orange bib as yet. They look sort of grumpy and frog mouthed, quite humorous. 

Hitler!? The proud father?

There was also much drumming from woodpeckers. There has been for quite some time although it has been late this year kicking off. We managed to spot this female up the top of one of the riverside trees but it was not really the weather for distant photos and this was as good as it got which is pretty rubbish. But better than any woodpecker images I have taken recently.

So much for Saturday. Sunday was much better but still an iffy forecast so we returned to Warriston, and funnily enough, so did A&U. Again, not arranged, just a happy coincidence. On the way there we checked out the river for any ducklings and happily got some photos of the mother mallard and her offspring. Less happily she probably started with 10 chicks but seemed to be reduced to just the three left. 😭

just three left

I have been reading Meetings with Moths by Katty Baird, an East Lothian based moth enthusiast. The book tells of trips into wild places, like the Lammermuirs, to set up moth traps and describes the process and fun of doing this. You'll remember I bought a second hand moth trap last year but have only used it once over in the west, the problem being it is quite cumbersome (a battery about the size of a small car battery powers the thing) and I don't have anywhere nearer than Warriston to set it up overnight. This book is defo making me consider where I will take it as soon as the rain stops. It is also well written and has illustrations and photos. You should get a copy. I don't always get every moth and butterfly book that appears, but this one has a delightful cover and lots of good stuff inside and if she can't sell one to everybody who has a passing interest in moths then who the heck is going buy those books? I have also ordered an Atlas of Britain and Ireland's Larger Moths so I can identify all the moths in my trap once it is full steam ahead. I know, you can't wait!

green longhorn moth (nearly literally)

Anyway on pp39 of Meetings, there is a mention of watching Green Longhorn moths in East Lothian. They gather and swarm on oak tree canopies in the May sunlight (not always a paradox). I was reading about this on Saturday night in bed and wondering where I might catch up with these tiny beauties (with ridiculously long antennae) and one of the first things I see on the tops of some bramble leaves in Warriston, less than 12hrs later is this tiny moth. Unfortunately not a swarm, just one or two, but I was stoked to see it and spent a while getting a photo. Not easy as they are so small. The one I saw was on a clump of brambles just South of the tunnel. Unda also photographed one next to the crypts. They might look like small flies if it weren't for those spectacular antennae. Although they have a rather sparkly metallic green sheen of you catch them in sunlight.

Peggy cleaning up the bird food. Bad dog! 😂

Peggy and Dora are 2 of the most regular dogs to be walked in Warriston. Dora is older and more sedate (a black lab mix?) while Peggy is far more lively and will help other dogs chase their balls, and generally enjoys stirring it. I have just realised I don't know their owner's name although she always takes an interest in what we are photographing, and always stops for a chat while Peggy clears the bread off the places we put it. A while back I saw P&D out with a much younger woman and asked if their normal mum was okay. It was a daughter taking the dogs out just to help out, and yes, her/their mum was fine.

this sunny slope of daffodils is one of the best areas for butterflies

speckleds dancing in the sunlight

I'm still not tired of orange tips. They have had a tough season; as they emerged just about the wettest 2 weeks of Springtime possible. They sit tight (wings folded going into a kind of stasis or trance) on food plants or flowers waiting for the sun re-appearing, before opening wings and flying round like crazy, looking for female orange tips. While they are in a coma they can be so out of it, you can very VERY gently coax them onto a stick or finger and then place them on a better position for a photograph. This is cheating of course, and you have to be extra careful not to hurt the butterfly and not touch their wings. They are also remarkably difficult to spot with wings closed as from any distance those underwing markings are excellent camouflage.

front legs on back legs off

this wasn't placed here, but landed here
didn't stay for long but long enough to get a couple of pics

Unda in the undagrowth

We were wandering past the sparrowhawk nest when the female (larger than male) returned with some prey. I thought it was a mouse at first but she seemed to be plucking it or maybe just pulling bits off. Nature can be harsh! The male, who was waiting nearby heard her calls and came over to see what she had, and maybe change shifts on the nest. This is the first photo I have taken (below) of them both in the same frame. 

female and male sparrowhawk

dunnock

first crane fly of the year

I was remembering I was getting into crane flies last year. They have an elegance and design about them that isn't initially apparent. (Maybe never?! 😂) But if you get a decent photo, it often shows sleek lines and a style not available when they are stuck in a spiders web in the shed or trapped in the corner of a window. Not quite as exciting as dragonflies but they've defo got something that lights my candle. More photos coming - which again I know you're thrilled about!

small white

hoverfly

pair of O-tips

Unda, a dog's width away from the male orange tip

We had been following an orange tip female and male for a bit. As the sun went behind clouds they both settled on bluebells and closed wings, a couple of yards from each other.

There was a bloke walking his lurcher. It was obvs bored and curious about what 4 people might be up to in the long grass. It walked deliberately between Unda and the orange tip bluebell. Remarkably the orange tip did not fly off. The dog about-turned and walked back along the same small gap which did not look large enough for a dog to pass through without stirring the butterfly. It stayed where it was! We were all laughing by now and the owner was slightly embarrassed by his doggy's intervention.

The female seemed to go into a deeper trance (the antennae closing more fully.) I wondered if they were aware of each other and felt I could match-make. I very slowly and gently put my hand down beside the female and then slowly coaxed her onto my finger. I then took her over to the male's bluebell and positioned her where he couldn't miss her - right above - when he woke up. 

photo: Mary, as I had my hands full

 cloud cover - wings closed

sunshine - wings open

Well it certainly worked to produce a decent photo: showing the sexual dimorphism of orange tips. ie the different colours of either gender. However earlier photos show the female was already egg-laying and so temporarily unresponsive to the male's advances. Oh well.

OT on garlic mustard; a foodplant  
where they lay their eggs

comma

small white

the mooching crow

Who follows us round the cemetery. Is it the same one every time? Really difficult to say. Might be several. She (it is smaller than some of the other crows) knows if she can make us laugh I will cave in and put some food down. She is not absolutely sure how to make us laugh but stays very straight-faced while doing amusing stuff. Has taken to lying down rather than standing. Maybe has some nesting issues going on currently. She lay down on this high stone (above) just where the four of us were chatting and trying to photograph butterflies. Not sure she was doing it for the food more trying to work out what we were up to, listening in to the conversation and having a nice lie down on a gravestone at the same time. Then chose a stone with 2 beheaded doves on, to lie on. Not sure if this was a subtle message. The silent conversation continues. Occasionally I hold bread in my hand as if she might fly over and take some. So far I just get a look. 

shieldbug

peacock

time to fork off home