North Berwick to Aberlady

 

25-05-24

A Saturday special! The forecast looked okay but not marvelous (hey ho nothing new). Mary noticed the weather along in East Lothian was better but the wind was East to West so it would make more sense to catch a train to NB and walk back towards Edinburgh. It was a brilliant move and likely much better than the the original plan to do our usual Saughton / WoL route (to see how high the Water of Leith was after the recent deluges. However as a result of the last minute change of plan we were slightly late setting off and caught the 10.40 train rather than the usual 9.40.

It was warm and breezy off the train and jumpers were stowed in bags quickly. There were loads of small birds all over the place, the first being this Meadow Pipit we found as we hit the beach. I think it must have been a juvenile as it seemed very tame and did not fly off as we approached but instead hopped off to consider hiding behind a stone. But then posed for pics when we slowly approached. It wasn't quite as pale on chest and belly as an adult and at first I wasn't sure whether it was a skylark or what.

more usual looking meadow pipit

meadow pipit video
(next to the golf course!)

the first of many stonechats (m)

I was pleased to see this reed bunting nearby. When it flew off it landed on the tree stump below and stayed there as I slowly approached. It made a great podium and I managed to get close enough to get what I felt was the best photo of the day.

reed bunting (m)

there were lots of wall butterflies 
but most were looking a bit washed out by all the rain

pied wagtail

first stem of viper's bugloss seen this year
a favourite with all the exciting lepidoptera of June / July

we saw this skylark enjoying a sand bath

stonechat (f)

stonechats - mum and fledgeling

dad

mum

fledgeling

stonechat
probably not very pleased about us being there

linnet

I expect that above is the male linnet with more red on his front than the female. I only got this rare example of the camera fudging the focus, otherwise I'd not be posting this poor pic. I don't see linnets that often and usually mistake them for something else. Many of the small brown coastal birds look annoyingly similar.

Google lens identifies this as Chrysolina staphylaea
or Knotgrass leaf beetle

Andrena - mining bee

whitethroat

Fidra

small copper

bullfinch (m)

gannet

Nice to see gannets diving offshore for fish

oystercatchers at Archerfields

We were passing a small shrub (knee-high) and Mary remembered we had seen small beetles there before. Sure enough when we checked there were maybe 8 or 10 of the silver-green leaf weevils we saw the other day at Beech Avenue. I thought I should take the chance to change to the macro lens and get some decent close up photos. It was not as easy as I anticipated. The beetles seemed wary and aware of my looming presence and ran off when I got in close. I went round the entire colony chasing each one away without getting much in the way of decent photos. I became more and more frustrated. I took dozens of pics but most were of their hindquarters as they scampered off. Just a couple made the grade. Also it took a while and Mary had wandered off. When I eventually caught up she was busy building a doghouse for me.

storm brewing!

Luckily we were distracted by some stonechats and a deer on the horizon. 

linnet

stonechat (f)

roe deer

reed bunting

chaffinch

tree sparrow

As a break from the norm (of following round the coast through Aberlady reserve) we went onto Gullane Main Street and bought lunch at the coop. Instead of going back to the coast we followed the John Muir Way along the edge of the golf course then went towards Postman's Walk round the back. Is was a good idea on paper but there was a complete dearth of butterflies and birds.

We did enjoy our sandwiches, sitting at the bench opposite Goose on the Green cafe where we saw the first Holly Blue, 4 years ago that was the precursor of the holly blue explosion throughout the Lothians. How much has changed! Unfortunately Gullane council or whoever, have ripped out the California Lilac shrub that they (the HBs) enjoyed at that bench. And the buddleia which attracted lots of butterflies. They have replanted that whole area with non-native shrubs and flowers that look attractive but do not draw the insects the way those 2 previous shrubs did. Which is a bit depressing. 

small white

greenbottle at Gullane

There wasn't an awful lot going on at Postman's. No HBs - not sunny enough. And not much else. A few orange tips. A large wasp hanging by its back toes while it consumed another smaller insect. 

jelly ear (well spotted Mary)

a fly-eat-fly existence

more shiny bottles

hawthorn shieldbug

damselfly

Rico

Rico's owner came out looking for him just after we started taking his photo. He was possibly looking a bit guilty. He had earlier taken indoor a live partridge or pheasant. When that was taken off him and released back into the wild, he went out and returned with the baby chicks of the bird. Cats are bad. I like them, but they have the souls of serial-killers.

This yarnbomb pillarbox top changes every few weeks. I enjoy the crafting skills employed and I also like that it is temporary, and will be replaced in due course. Although the swans are very swan-like, I was most taken by the emperor moth caterpillar. (Below, bright green with black stripes and pink dots.) It is very specifically an emperor moth caterpillar, which is a thing of great beauty. They seem to be produced by members of the Aberlady Craft Group facebook group, which has photos of previous "toppers". Keep up the good work ladies!

Mary wanted to finish the journey by walking to Longniddry. Since the weather had defaulted to the usual low cloud and looked like it was stuck like that, I was done. It was 4.20pm in Aberlady and the bus was due in 15mins. I proposed we catch that as I doubted there was any more joy to be had between Aberlady and Longniddry. Mary complied. The bus ride wasn't all that bad (free for oldies - Mary had to pay!) and dropped us off at Abbeyhill. Lovely day out and well done Mary for choosing this route rather than stay in town. It was a blast.

10miles walked in 5hrs