large skipper

 

28th & 29th May

I nearly called this blog wet, wet, (wet). The forecast for the 28th was poor but the morning was bright and dry. I swithered, and by the time I set off on my bike to Levenhall to search for large skippers it was already well on the way to a dog day afternoon. A cats and dogs day afternoon. A light rain fell as I approached Levenhall 7.5 miles along the coast, just past Musselburgh. I thought I'd continue the cycle to give the chance for the rain to stop and things to improve. They did not. I turned around at 11miles (Port Seaton) and cycled home in heavy rain, drenched to the skin despite waterproof. The only positive was I got a 22mile cycle and my bike washed.

Once bitten, twice ...ahem.

The following day I set off wearing the same cycling tights and gloves having had both through the washing mashing. It was much better weather and I nearly didn't pack the waterproof. Just in case though? I padlocked my bike at Levenhall near the lagoons and shot a few pics of a whitethroat that was singing a jolly, if somewhat repetitive, tune. It flew off and then I saw what I'd come here for, a small triangular dart of orange on top of a stem of grass. Bingo! Large skipper! Well that makes up for the soaking yesterday. 

very new large skipper

This is only the second year of them being in the Musselburgh area (that I know of.) Previously, the closest ones were off the A1 beyond Dunbar, so this makes life easier!

Having had success in the first 5 minutes, 5 yards from where I padlocked my bike to the fence, I thought I'd take a few minutes to look around and see if I could find any common blues, another top shelf butterfly that should be emerging any time now. Ten minutes past. Twenty. Forty. By now I was feeling frustrated although also very lucky I had seen the only large skipper in town, which had clearly gone to ground. To pass the time I took pics of a few other residents. There were lots out sunbathing and I had taken off my jumper it was so warm.

crane fly

soldier beetle - Cantharid rustica I think
I only noticed the love heart between its shoulders later

soldier beetle going on maneouvers

still from video of take-off

gvw

silver Y
too many of these shivering in the shadows

another silver Y moth - Y for yawn?

coming to the end of the orange tip season

ant waving bye to orange tip

It was becoming evident there were very few large skippers about and I decided (since I had 3 photos) to move on and try elsewhere for other stuff. But what? It was a glorious day with only occasional fluffy clouds in a blue sky. I decided to do Coulstoun Pond, South of Haddington in search of broad-bodied chasers. I knew they were out but I'd failed to get a photo of the mature blue males last trip. It's a bit of a cycle but I could continue along the coast then head up the Longniddry cycle path over to Haddington and the 2 miles beyond.

Some things along the way: great to bump into Roly out doing a speed session, beginning to get over his injury woes. We chatted, me cycling, him running. and losely agreed to meet at Holyrood parkrun in a few months, if we can both get fit. I picked up a filled baguette from the excellent Filling Station near Longniddry station. And chatted to another cycling enthusiast. Then up the cyclepath (quite a few muddy puddles still) and through Haddington and up the hills to Coulstoun. When I got there the farmer had sprayed the fields with something organic and the place was stinking of shit. It was so putrid there was no way I could eat anything, which was a shame as I was starving. Also it was clouding over. And the pond was a bit full, making getting round the edge near impossible and dangerously slippy. There were a few broad bodied chasers about but they were mostly hiding in the gorse and grass, not flying. Thousands of damselflies. Everywhere. 

BBC hiding in the nettles

Rhagio?
- looks like a scorpion fly but not

male Broad-bodied chaser with blue pruinescence

While I was pleased to get a shot and video of what I came for, the lack of decent weather meant the photos were a bit drab, as the insects were trying to hide in undergrowth. Normally they'd perch on reeds somewhere prominent. Also there was a lack of sunlight bouncing off their wings.

male broad-bodied warming up his engines before lift off

immature male not yet turned blue

female BBC

rhagio

female BBC on the edge of the crop field next door

oh oh that looks ominous

I'd put on the macro lens to try to get some close-ups of the BBCs but sadly most had vacated the pond area and flown up to the trees nearby. There were still loads of damselflies so I crawled around trying to get close enough to zoom in on them. It was not that pleasant as everywhere was squelching underfoot and soaking. I could feel my knees going into damp mud and hands came up filthy after resting on the ground. It was all getting a bit depressing and soon I packed up and left. I still couldn't face the thought of eating next to the field of shit so I cycled off back up the hill thinking I might stop at a scenic place and have a late lunch. Then it started raining. 

some sort of ichneumon / Netelia

There was a lightening flash near the top of the hill and I wondered if anyone has ever been struck by lightening on a bike? I crouched slightly, as if that would do any good. The boom of thunder was ten seconds later so not very local and there wasn't any further action. The road to avoid Haddington was closed for Scottish Water repairs this week so I had to go through Haddington and take the Pencaitland road which a terrible option. It drags on for several miles and inevitably feels uphill into a headwind no matter which direction you go. It was bad but not awful and I was very glad of the turn off to Tranent just before Pancaitland. Then the rain began in earnest. By Winton it was lashing down and from there it was another hour or more of being waterboarded. I wasn't going to stop for lunch and wondered if I'd lose the baguette to water ingress. By the time I cycled through Musselburgh I was light headed with low blood sugar and swimming through a fever dream of gritty road water.

When I got home I had to buzz Mary to let me in, as my brain batteries had gone dead and I couldn't remember where my keys were. Oh yes that pocket, that rings a bell. Sometimes it is good to put yourself through an ordeal, and the fact that I'd at least come home with the photos felt better than the ordeal the day before. But not so as I'd want to do this every week. A little tired the next day. Not rushing out to get up to the park but might go for a wander if it doesn't rain.

time to turn for home

Oh and by the way - I ate the baguette sitting in my dressing gown before I showered. It was fantastic. I'd ordered Tuna-mayo-sweetcorn with extra salad and beetroot and it arrived home dry. A wholemeal baguette would have been better but it was still at least 4.5 stars out of five. My feet were white and lifeless when I got in the shower but perked up after a good soak. Did NOT enjoy the last 30s of cold blast. Better weather on the way.

45miles over 6.5hrs