fly cemetery

 

15-05-23

Judging by the photos (we were wearing jackets) today started coolish, with the sun coming out later. Another trip to Warriston cemetery and a good selection of things out and about.

orange tip

male bullfinch

robin

comma butterfly

The gravestones absorb warmth and, when the sun goes behind a cloud, insects find them a good spot to sit and appreciate the warm stone on a coolish day. Hence the fly conference going on here. Not my favourite insects but rarely seen in these small compact gatherings except on foodsources!

We get followed round the place by a couple of crows who know there is bread to be had if it is a slow day and nothing much else to photograph. 

speckled wood

orange tip female

Near the tunnel there is a warm slope of daffodils (now faded) where a number of speckleds and occasional commas will perch and bask in the sunshine. This comma was a lovely specimen but nearly constantly moving about in search of just the right place to land. Flitting from leaf to leaf. It occurred to me that it might enjoy a slightly higher perch with a good view. First of all I scrunched a bit of plant in my left hand, so that it smelled of bracken rather than human. Then I held my hand out so it caught the sunshine. After doing another couple of laps the comma landed on my palm. This does not always happen. In fact it pretty much never happens. And it is worth having an assistant to snap a super quick pic before it has second thoughts and flies off again a moment later! "Did you get that?" I asked Mary. "Yes" says Mary flatly; hurt that I should have questioned her skills. 

photo: Mary!

I kept standing like that and the comma returned and sat on my thumb. Here is a tip: use the left hand so the right hand can operate the camera. The comma sat still this time for long enough to turn on the camera and shoot some photos and video. Commas are quite flighty normally and tricky to get near, so this felt like a special moment. 

I was waiting for the orange tip to land on these blue flowers - forget-me-nots(?) 

Unfortunately this was the closest I got.

speckled, posing for close-up

I have already spoken of longhorn moths, after reading about them in Katty Baird's excellent book Meetings with Moths. I was keeping an eye out for them around the area I saw and photographed one a while ago. I thought it had maybe been a one-off. However when I looked up into the leaves of a large tree nearby there were loads dancing in the sunshine. I should put some video together as they have a distinct and quite comical appearance. The males fly together in some sort of dance off. Because they have ludicrously long antennae and are so light they fly upwards and then float downwards looking a bit like puppets on strings. It makes a very compelling display and I was delighted to see so many. Would I have noticed them if not for Katty's book? Probably not, as they are only one of several flies and flying things above head height and not large enough to provoke interest. Until you realise what you are watching. I found them really charming.

there was also a comma lurking among the same leaves

So I managed to join some clips of these marvelous tiny moths into a couple of minutes of fun. It's only when you see the video that you can appreciate the odd way they fly - somewhere between manic puppets and B-movie vampire bats. Comical and charming.

A while back some students (from Fettes maybe?) put a load of grass seed down along one of the paths in the riverside area. It was certainly appreciated by these stock doves - I've never seen this many in the place before! Usually there are just 3 near the secret garden.

one of the riverside robins

in a charity shop on the way home
jolly, if not absolutely scientifically accurate!

also in same shop window
What exactly is going on here? 😊