dragonfly delights

 

10-08-24 Perhaps the best day of the summer! 

Iain had been photographing lots of butterflies round crop field edges in the borders. Which inspired me to recall that Luffness Mains Farm plant wildflowers round field edges as an environmental experiment - to keep the pollinating and crop eating insects off the crops and avoid having to use insecticides. Or at least I think that is the reason for 20 yard wide swathes of lacy phacelia and the like round the fields between Drem and Aberlady. I waited for a half decent forecast then caught the train to Drem. 

Exiting the train and walking North-West I wandered down the tarmac trails wondering if I had chosen the wrong day. It was after 11am and there was a smir of light rain in the coolish air. I was wearing my camera carrier: a chest harness that goes under my back pack. When not using the camera I can slot it into the harness and it sits on my chest. I carry the weight of it evenly on my shoulders, not in one hand. Which may have been producing an imbalance that contributed to my ongoing sciatica issue. (Which has been easing off but only in a tiny way since I got the harness. I have also been rolling my calf and right leg with the magic stick -  a simple rolling pin like device which Mary bought many moons ago and I scoffed at. It seems to help considerably. But there is still a fair way to go.) I had hoped I'd be able to click the camera into the harness and run, but that isn't possible - it shoogles too much. And although it could take a fair bit of rough treatment there is no benefit to bashing it relentlessly. I'd either stow it in the back pack (within a padded case) to run, or carry it in my hand. I mainly did the latter although there wasn't that much running today. Just the boring bits where there were no insects.

For a while there was a project to push a walkers trail from Drem to Gullane. Paths went round the field perimeters and you felt, if not welcomed, at least allowed. After the tarmac runs out you wouldn't know there was a through way and have to follow either field perimeters or the tractor trails through the fields of crops. Even though they were plenty wide enough to avoid stepping on crops, I felt much happier to exit that field and turn the corner onto proper trails.

I was just watching a large white float over the crops when I heard a hello from Dan G, here on holiday, running cross country style back to his parents' place the other side of Drem. We chatted about running and about getting old and taking photos versus going to races. I didn't get round to asking him what prompted making a move and living abroad, or telling him how jealous I was of this. This dreadful Summer has made me want to move abroad even more. Although if it heats up much more, then abroad might be jealous of a cool non-flammable Scotland. But there will always be more interesting species and variety of dragonflies and butterflies in Europe. Sad but true.

Dan G

silver Y moth on lacy phacelia

Back onto the wide trails and enjoying the broad borders round the wheat fields filled with blooming wildlflowers particularly lacy phacelia. It is a favourite with butterflies and pollinators like hoverflies and bees. Weatherwise things were improving but I think the sun hadn't come properly out at this point. A Silver Y moth caught my eye on the phacelia and although the shutterspeed was an amazing 1/6400th of a second, there is still a slight movement in the wings! Normally as you approach they disappear way down into the undergrowth but this one was too busy feasting on the pollen.

1/6400th of a second and still movement

lots of large (previously, cabbage) whites about

this might be a Pale Straw Pearl - Udea Lutealis

common pollen beetle maybe Brassicogethes aeneus
an "important pest of rapeseed oil"

Other common names of this charming tiny beetle include rape pollen beetle and rape blossom beetle. I think this is the same species that rode back on the North Berwick train with me. (Blog here. Last 4 pics.) It was on wikipedia that I read "an important pest of rapesees oil" but there was no further explanation. If a perimeter planting of phacelia can keep these pests off the rape crop then surely that is better than a chemical alternative which would kill many inverts unnecessarily. Previously known as Meligethes aeneus. 

small white with pollen beetle passenger

2large2furious

This photo (above) looks a bit weird until you realise it is a large white on the downbeat leaving the plant on which it had been sitting. It was taken at 1/4000th, which accounts for there being no motion blur. Not that much noise either considering the ISO was 3200.

After spending a while walking back and forth at the wildflowers, chasing whites, I continued on. The trail goes through a wood past a large warehouse-looking-barn then along past a man-made reservoir, pumped to the local fields. I stopped beside the large barn. The sun was playing on a corner of brambles and shrubs below the trees. It looked ripe for butterflies, although the thing that caught my attention was a dragonfly. I saw the common darter flitting about the berries and sitting on top of a couple of high perches. There were speckled woods as well and I suspected if I looked and waited, a red admiral or comma was bound to appear. I think a red admiral perhaps did but by that time I was far more absorbed by a dragonfly - an unknown species, slightly larger than the darters.

These purpley brown jobs weren't as big as common hawkers: about halfway between darters and hawkers, but were very striking. Particularly because I could not think what species they were. We have had a number of non-Scottish dragonflies appear in the Lothians in the last few years: Broad-bodied chasers, Black-tailed skimmers, Migrant hawkers, Southern hawkers, and here was a new one to me. They had scattered when I first arrived, but once I stood still trying to photo the wildlife, they flew back into the airspace, jostling for position. They were more sociable than common hawkers who do not tolerate any company. And better still than hawkers they were not shy about landing on the brambles and having their photo taken. I was really excited when I noticed this happen and crept over - maximum ninja stealth employed - to try and get a record shot of this new and fabulous dragonfly.

This one didn't mind me getting right up and putting the camera just inches away from its face. 

From a distance and when flying they had a purple appearance. I couldn't think what species they were and was very excited about getting home and having a look at the potential candidates online and in books. I did caution myself not to get too excitable. Most of the stuff we come across and don't recognise, often starts with the word 'common' and isn't quite the exotic new species we thought. So it was something of a surprise to find I had come in contact with this new species last September, right at the end of the last season. They turned out to be Migrant hawkers and Richard alerted me to their existence where I photographed them, at Aberlady pond (a mile or 2 from here) on September 10th.

            10th September '23       vs       10th August '24            

The reason I didn't recognise them was they start quite brown and change to a darker grey colour while the blue becomes more pronounced. They end up looking like 2/3rds-size common hawkers with the little yellow golf tee shape on their thorax being the identifying mark. It didn't leave me feeling disappointed; I was chuffed to have found a new spot for them. The ones I saw today were browny purple and not at all like Common hawkers. I presume they lived as nymphs in the man-made pond round the corner or maybe in the small stream that runs nearby. There is no water directly beside the large barn.

(I really should post the place I found them on iRecord, only I find that process such an un-user-friendly website to work, whether it is uploading data or trying to see what and where other people have seen stuff. You ask to see all the posts for Migrant Hawkers in East Lothian and it shows you a load of spots on a map where anyone has seen any and every hawker. It usually wastes half an hour of my life minimum to post a record there. So inevitably I don't record stuff.)

(I send my butterfly records for East Lothian direct to the recorder, my pal Nick.) I am not the only person who has noticed iRecord is badly in need of a better interface, several have mentioned it. I suspect it might be easier to interact with, on a mobile phone. Since I spend as little time as possible on mine and do all my reading and writing on a PC, I will never find out if it is a dream by comparison. I bet it recognises your location from your phone as you see stuff, if you record them on the spot. Anyway I wasn't about to ruin the magnificent time I was having by looking up iRecord on my phone. (Also I prob didn't take reading glasses.) Because my attention was now caught by a common darter which was standing on various perches including bramble berries* and begging to have its photo taken.

I was wondering if these were blackberries, raspberries or dewberries. They are all *Rubus according to wikipedia, which covers brambles and those three types of fruit. (Nope, never heard of that.) Much as I love fruit I rarely pick those berries outdoors as I have seen way too many maggots in them and they only get your hands sticky which is not ideal when working a camera. I said to Mary as we ran along the cyclepath yesterday, "Ahh look at that group of cyclists, pulled over there to pick and eat maggots!"

This darter let me get the camera within a finger-length of its face without backing off. It perhaps realised it had the advantage, sitting atop a vicious bramble bush that stopped me getting up close. I shuffled in as much as possible, sacrificing my legs to the teeth of the bush, then leaned over and held the camera at arms length (possibly in one hand only) with the screen flipped open so I could compose the shot. I took loads of pics in case the focus wandered. The best ones showed those fascinating eyes sharply in focus. And a cheeky grin on its chops. As well as those bifurcated claws holding onto the fruit. Possibly the best shots of the day although I was more excited about the as-yet-unidentified Migrant hawker.

There were still a few places I intended to visit so I didn't linger too long but checked out the reservoir pond round the corner. A few darters and damsels and this wall butterfly sunbathing on the tarp skirt that runs round the pond. There was a generator and pipes leading from the pond (to water nearby fileds) but they weren't on.

wall

I emerged out the road from Aberlady to Gullane. Simon had mentioned a specific area within the grounds of Luffness House that sounded worth a visit. Unfortunately there was no sign of the commas and red admirals that he had come across there. Just whites, a peacock and this aging common darter. It was pleasant and potentially good (there was a common hawker patrolling along the trail and back, but it would not stop or come close enough for a photo,) but I didn't hang around for things to improve. Places to go, things to be done!

peacock on the downbeat

I ran up to Luffness quarry but there was not a single photo worth taking. A stiff breeze made the place inhospitable so I ran on to Gullane. I stopped to shift this wonderful fox moth caterpillar off the pavement and into the long grass where it wouldn't be squished by the next bike or pedestrian.

Just before Gullane I was remembering the peacocks and RA up the hill on the buddleia at that wall. If only I could be bothered running over there and up the steep grassy bank. Much to my surprise I found the energy to do just that. However it often follows that when you expect the same treat twice in a row it doesn't come up with the goods. No admirals, only one peacock, but a couple of walls as compensation. They were hunting along the warm stone for females I presume and weren't keen on stopping.

I felt similarly and went to the Gullane coop where I bought a prawn sandwich and a couple of drinks to top up my reservoir in the back pack. I was annoyed not to be able to consume this on the benches opposite Goose on the Green as a quartet of folk about my age or slightly younger were hogging MY seats. I couldn't exactly say budge up I need to be near the buddleia to check for butterflies. I sat behind them in the paved artificial flower area. They are not artificial but have been chosen for their looks not  because they attract pollinators.

lunch - I quite like the way the ampersand is not fully realised in the drink logo
I can't really remember the taste, although I was v thirsty and it met that requirement

To my amusement a small tort landed on the artificial (real) flowers. I hoped the blueness of those flowers would contrast and complement the orange of the butterfly. It sort of did, but also bleached out the blue of the border chevrons. So much that I (in post) tried it in black and white. More accurately grayscale. Simon once posted a butterfly pic in b/w on East Scottish Butterflies and I raised more than an eyebrow. He has not posted any since. So Simon this one is for you...

I'm pretty sure this won't catch on.

the other colourway (coloured) - doesn't work as well as it should though

There was an admiral on the buddleia beside the benches. I had to push in and explain myself to the two couples still dominating the benches. It must have looked like I was taking photos of the backs of their heads. We chatted about butterflies and how it had been a poor year for them (and wasps, and bees and humans.) I couldn't stand the tension of leaning over them to take photos so said my goodbyes and ran along the road to the gatehouse at Archerfields. This was the last venue today. I didn't even bother doing St Adrian's or across the road for Holly Blues as it was too windy and not quite solidly sunny enough. I thought I might see HBs at the snowberries beside the gatehouse but I went there mainly for the buddleias which often draw a good selection of butterflies around now.

Now it's ages since I have taken a selfie in the public toilets. (And no, not because there is a cease and desist order.) However the colour in there was awful so I did this one in a sepia-ish filter as well. Still looks poor though. You can't stand far enough back to get the proper fairground mirror look, with the 90mm on.

There wasn't much on the go when I arrived at the gatehouse. After a bit of a hunt I found a few peacocks and admirals spreadeagled on the vegetation waiting for the sun to come back out. No doubt wondering why they don't migrate to Europe and somewhere warm.

the sun came out and these 2 went into synchro mode

another small tortoiseshell but it stayed high and out of reach

a few speckleds about

marmalade hoverfly
- not sure where it got a rosy red glow from, but I like it!

vey pleased to see a fresh painted lady
(just above dead centre)

I wasn't going to get any decent shots of the painted lady (and other butterflies who all tended to stay high on the buddleia,) with the 90mm. So I swapped it for the 100~400 and voila! The difference was huge and it was brilliant to bring distant butterflies so close. Sometimes in my excitement about the 90mm I forget the miracle of the zoom and how 400mm (800mm equivalent) makes distant birds into a decent photo. I can forget it does the same for butterflies and it was a joy to use today.

The sun stayed out and the skies cleared. I had been about to leave 5 minutes before and suddenly there are 3 or 4 admirals, 4 or 5 peacocks, a few passing whites and the painted lady moving from plume to plume. The sunshine made the backgrounds very cheerful and I could take photos easily without having to stand anywhere near the butterflies. I had a great time taking dozens of photos, pushing the day's photo count to just over 1000. Possibly the first day this Summer to have taken as many.

twofer

there are 2 tiny grey metal looking spots towards the back of the front wings
and I have no idea what they are

I have seen similar on a comma before, so they are a thing, but what sort of a thing, I don't know. They don't occur very often and you need a decent camera to spot them. I was stoked to see a painted lady; they have been in short supply this year, we've maybe only seen 2 or 3 tops. (So I happily overdid the amount of photos and make no apologies!)

threefer

green-veined white

oh, nearly forgot - new shoes!

Hoka Mafate Speed 4 - really great trail shoes so far. I think this was their first time out. I was swithering about their dung-fly colour but the blue in the mesh rescues it. A bit more expensive than Speedgoats, my usual trail shoe. A great balance of cushion and weight with really good grips on the sole. Probably should have worn gaiters to keep intruders (and sticky willies) out but I think I was racing out door to catch the train and didn't have the extra 90seconds to put them on!

While running the mile to Archerfields I noticed a bus passing in the opposite direction (heading back to Edinburgh). It was about 2.30. It followed that there could be another at around 3.30. Initially I thought it might be a chore to have to spend an hour before catching the bus back to Edinburgh. Then the sun came out, the butterflies came out and soon it was 3.15. I best go find the nearest bus stop. I wasn't sure whether there was one just around the corner down the North Berwick road, and it seemed to make sense to run back into Gullane where there'd be several stops. 

On the long road that slowly climbs into Gullane the Edinburgh bus went flying by. I said a load of bad words while thinking there is always the single decker express. Two minutes later it went past and I was still 250 yards from the stop. 200 when it pulled back out from the stop and disappeared. I said a load more bad words and wondered if it made sense to maybe just run the 3 or 4 miles back to Drem and catch the train. I was a bit tired having run something like 8 miles already and just wanted to head home. The day was done and I was looking forward to seeing my photos on the monitor with a cup of tea in hand. 

I had shoes full of grass seeds, grit and all sorts, from a long day of going into the undergrowth so stopped at the finally vacated benches opposite Goose on the flippin Green and took my shoes off one after the other to shake them out and empty my socks of unwanted jaggies. At this point another bus zoomed by. I had assumed there were only two per hour and I'd just witnessed them so this new one was a particularly painful addition to the timetable and I was too far from the bus stop to run catch it, with one shoe off and the heavy lens on the camera.

I just watched it disappear with a heavy heart then put my shoe back on. I wandered over to the other side of the road to check the timetable. The times did not really coincide with the passing buses but the good news was there was one in about 18 minutes. When it didn't show I realised it was probably the third one I missed twenty minutes ahead of schedule, but by then there was only another 10 till the next one which arrived only a handful of minutes late. It is possibly best to just gloss over the whole bus thing. I put it down to the karmic repayments on a day full of such good luck and fortune that there had to be some equivalence in the bad luck department. It didn't take the shine off one of the best days of (a rather below par) Summer. A fantastic day out.

the small tort opposite the cafe repositioned itself
on a more suitable piece of decorative foliage

8.6miles, 4hrs45