going forth

 

5th July

I've done this walk/run a few times of late: Longniddry Station to North Berwick. Around 14 miles depending what line I take. Today from the station I ran down to the coast then followed the trails along to Aberlady. At Aberlady I went round to Postman's Walk to see if there were any early second brood Holly Blues. There were not. (They were another fortnight, appearing around the 16th or 17th.)

SOC building, Waterston House
always immaculately maintained

Postman's Walk

I was pleased the farmer had cut the grass at the edge of the field. Allowing easy access next to the hedges, ivy and shrubs on which the HBs sit. There were a few admirals, skippers and meadow browns. At the corner of the field I followed the thin paths down to the coastal road and the bridge to enchantment at Aberlady, which I crossed into the reserve. Loads of small skippers and burnet moths (mostly 5 spot to start with.)

millions of small skippers

5 spot burnet

dark green fritillary

While I was very pleased to catch up with a few more DGFs along the paths, they were definitely past their first flush of brilliant orange and beginning to look a little faded. I also saw several common blues and stonechats - always cheerful companions. Instead of following the paths to the beach I took a more direct line to Gullane Point, skirting the edge of the golf course and climbing up to the concrete blocks that overlook the Bay.

stonechats

common blue

looking back towards Edinburgh beyond Aberlady Bay

the ghostly remains of a speckled wood

Just before Gullane Point I popped out near the beach and saw this roe deer looking directly at me. I slowly raised the camera and took a couple of pics. It continued eating then walked casually back into the sea buckthorn, unperturbed. I ducked round the corner and hoped to sneak up the trail and catch it from the other side. Either it had suddenly remembered it wasn't supposed to interact with humans, or had just found a deeply dense part of the buckthorn patch, but try as I might I could not find it on the other side of the bushes, despite hanging about and climbing up the slope for an overview.

linnets?

apples already

I went past the ice cream van and thanked Hazel for sheltering me from the downpour last time I was past. She asked if I was looking out for the Red Arrows. I hadn't been aware they were coming through. She checked their timetable on her phone: they were flying over Edinburgh to honour a visiting King Charles then flying past Musselburgh at 3.41 and North Berwick at 3.45. Something like that. Very precise times. I'll keep an eye out. I had a couple of hours and wondered if I'd be in North Berwick by then. (No chance! Far too many distractions!)

The mile beyond Gullane Bay has lots of flowering thistles and therefore lots of butterflies nectaring. Plenty of stops to photograph them or just to wade into thistly patches for them to fly off while I bramble my shins.

juv starlings

mrs stonchat and youngster

mr stonechat with what looks like a peacock butterfly caterpillar

female common blue

I have been hunting for female common blues. So I would take a meandering route through the most likely places full of viper's bugloss and thistles, to see if I could chase any out the long grasses. This rather tired specimen was the best I could do. They have successfully avoided all my attempts to photograph them this year. This was about the third I've come across and none have been in decent condition.

So I'd only got to here - a couple of bays beyond Gullane - by 3.40. I climbed the largest rise locally to get the best view of the Red Arrows flying past. I had a sandwich for lunch while scouring the horizon for 9 small red jets. I am a mild fan of planes and military stuff but if they are going to post an exacting schedule and fly past, then I may as well be stood up a hill where I can get a decent view and take a photo. The time came and went. So much for military precision. Maybe they were flying inland and below the horizon? 

Just as I was giving up hope (about 5~10mins late) I heard them before I saw them. Not particularly loud but they made me look out North to the Forth where nine small planes were sneaking past about a half mile out to sea. One group of 5, one group of 4. No smoke trails. They were quite a bit past by the time the camera caught them. I had had my camera on to avoid exactly this, but switched it off after they failed to appear on time, as it looked like I'd missed them. Honestly, they were a long way short of the best thing I photographed today. 

Later that evening I saw a video, posted by Isabel (good job!) taken in the High St of them flying overhead, smoke on and going right down the length of the Royal Mile; and it looked really impressive. This, on the other hand, was something of a damp squib! 

far more impressive aerial combatant - dark green fritillary!

2 six-spot burnet moths in congress

driftwood again

mrs stonechat

Fidra lighthouse with the Isle of May behind

There were one or 2 visiting DGFs at the chinese privet near the propeller monument but I didn't hang around long. I had a notion of when the trains from NB were and began to pick up the pace. Also the beach at Archerfields was fast disappearing under a high tide, making the going tricky over stones rather than sand. I forged ahead taking fewer photos and concentrating on upping the pace to get to the station on time. I know there are often trains every 30mins but it gives a sense of urgency and a reason to run at tempo pace rather than just jog the last few miles. Also there is rarely anything worth stopping to photo from then onwards apart from the scenery. I enjoyed the race against the train timetable.

I was nearly wrongfooted by seeing the Edinburgh bus as I was just a couple of turns from the train station. I had to work out - using a brain addled from running hard on a warm afternoon - if the bus would be a better option than the train.

Pros: bus is right there and if I sprint across the road I can catch it. It would drop me off at the top of Easter Road, closer to home than Waverley. I have a free bus pass.

Cons: train is quicker (as long as I catch it and it isn't cancelled or running late.) I have already bought the train ticket. Train is slightly more comfortable and allows me to review photos with less danger of motion sickness. Train is MUCH quicker. 

The speed was the main dealbreaker. And so I let the bus go. Then, as if to up the ante, the express bus appears. Honestly, I felt I was being toyed with. Also I would have really had to put in a massive sprint to catch the express bus and then everyone aboard would have to wait while I got my bus pass out. Train it was, although I was fully expecting the next train to be cancelled.

lovely to bump into Jake (PRC), wife and grandchild 

returning from a day out

The train was on time and not cancelled. (Phew!) It appeared as Jake and I were exchanging complaints and reviews of what being old was all about - sciatica and running motivation mostly. And how getting old is not 100% fun and easy. I often say when asked about turning 60, that the free bus pass is the ONLY decent thing about it.

However, that would be to ignore days like today. Due to paying off our mortgage this year and the like, I can afford to down tools and lead the life of Larry. This was a Wednesday, when many folk were tied to their desks; I would have been doing a full day's work this time last year. I can now choose my runs to suit the forecast and although I still do the occasional job, have very much scaled down work to the absolute minimum. It gives me (in theory) the time to explore creative endeavours: writing, music, art, photography, as well as getting my running back on track. While I am still fairly active. And that is making life about as good as it gets. I really can't complain!

14miles over 5hrs