lucky number 7

 

I know, this is getting ridiculous. Another trip to Saltoun. When the options are 6 butterflies at the Botanics, 4 at Warriston and a common darter and some birds, or over 100 butterflies and half that number of dragonflies at Saltoun, there really is no competition. This was the seventh trip in 2 months to Saltoun Big Wood and yet again easily in the top ten days this year. Even though it didn't go according to plan and I'll most likely do at least one more trip before the season is done! 

small tort at woodpile

I had been accepting I'd need to cycle there. When I run (from the nearest bus stop at Pencaitland) with my camera / backpack it leaves me a bit crippled (sciatica back) the next day or 2, even though it doesn't hurt at the time. Cycling is less debilitating. I had pumped my tyres and then the day went a bit overcast. I swithered, watching out the window, and eventually set off sometime after 1pm. There was a headwind during the cycle there making it a fairly grim and slow 85mins. I changed into a dry shirt and padlocked my bike behind the old car park. It was heading towards 3pm by the time I apporached the first pond. I was a bit annoyed I had left it so late as the weather was good from about 1pm and the dragonflies would have been flying. They were my primary target today having seen some hawkers last time but felt I could do better with photos and video.

common darter

I waved to Colin who was standing round the right hand side of the pond. I was fairly sure it was himself but not 100% as his hat was partly covering his face. I was pretty sure I recognised his camera equipment although he didn't have his monopod on this occasion. He waved back but rather than disturb his concentration I decided I go check out the other pond and maybe return to this one shortly.

obsidentify says Epistrophe grossulariae

I was surprised to see absolutely zero dragonflies at the upper pond. It was a little overcast but I thought there should be some out as the first pond was fairly busy. Maybe I should have stayed there? Rather than traipse back I decided to see what was up at the old woodpile nearby. There was maybe a couple of admirals, a white, a very decent comma (photo at top of page) and a small tort. And a common darter. 'Fraid to say I forgot about the odonata and went off to the back trail to see what butterflies were there. 

common darter at woodpile

speckled wood with muted background

Round the corner and up butterfly alley it was quiet to start with: an occasional speckled wood and g-v white. However in no time I came across a red admiral, several red admirals and then the air seemed filled with them as they flew up from sitting on the path and on the bracken. There were dozens! Every few yards there was another or a group of 3 on scabious flowers.

The peacocks had come and gone: I only counted 5 in total. The commas were around the same number. But the admirals were everywhere. My head was a bit boggled by them all and I forgot to make a mental note of just how many there was of everything. I decided to just enjoy the spectacle on the way up to the far end and then pay more attention and estimate numbers on the return trip back down. With lots of admirals taking off and landing in different places there was no way to accurately count each one. Like last trip I approximated groups of five while keeping a second running total of whites going at the same time. (I counted 96 RAs although there could easily have been 30 more than that. And 31 small whites.)

The small whites outnumbered the green-veined about 4 to 1. There were mating pairs of both and more of them up the top end than at the start. Lots of hoverflies and bees as well which I also meant to photograph as I had largely ignored them last visit or 2. 

another Epistrophe grossulariae

I loved this background bracken so much 
I ignored the crumpled wing imperfection of the comma

red admiral on a small tree trunk

same comma with wing damage

painted lady

red admirals

speckled wood

small tort

cracking comma
(they spend far too long nectaring upside down)

great condition green-veined white

admiral

another small tort

there were several painted ladies 
from perfect condition to a bit ragged

favourite painted lady photo this trip

small white

green-veined whites in cop

small white

small whites mating

I followed this fine speckled wood
until it eventually landed

dogwalker also enjoying the surroundings

Volucella pellucens - a favourite hoverfly
(Great pied hoverfly)

Where have they been all Summer? This might be the first Volucella pellucens I've seen this season. I really like them because they are unmistakable and have such a pretty name. And there aren't another 14 confusing species that look very similar. Which is quite rare for hoverflies. Although a good deal of that has been sorted by using the Obsidentify app. which gives a percentage certainty of fly-dentification. So any dodgy ID or misidentified species can be attributed to Obsidentify rather than my own vast ignorance.

I was pleased to spot and photograph this VP, it felt like seeing an old pal across a crowded bar. It didn't hang about for many photos but flew off. I then found another further down the trail. (Photos in a bit.) They are quite large and as they were sitting atop the scabious flowers quite easy to see. When I compared the photos that showed the wings in detail I could see a couple of small notches out the left wing which suggested this was the same individual again and again rather than several of these flies. 

wings unusually spread so wide you can see white markings on inner rears

There was such an abundance of red admirals that I only photographed ones that were particularly impressive, unusual or sitting just so for a photo. I almost stopped bothering with them as there were just so many. It was almost like the great Painted Lady invasion/migration of 2019 when there were so many of them along the East Lothian coastline that Mary and I grew bored of them and stopped taking photos because they were just so commonplace! Compare that to this year when there has been decent numbers without them flooding the market. (I recorded 9 for today.) I checked each one for condition and stuck with the freshest to see if they would pose nicely and make a decent photo.

They are very pretty butterflies and to think we lost interest in them in 2019 is hard to believe! Mary and I recently speculated this is perhaps why the Scottish butterfly scene is so strong. The weather on this Northern European outpost is rarely ideal for them and they occupy only about half the year, leaving us thirsty for more, and desperate for their return in Spring. Each rarity found (and they are almost all rare compared to abundant butterfly safaris in Spain or France,) is a treasure and infrequent joy. In semi-tropical parts of the world where they fly all year round I don't think there is the same enthusiasm for them. I am thinking of Tenerife here. I am yet to discover any Northern Tenerife Butterflies facebook group.

small tort underside

small white - there has been a recent explosion of small whites
having had a similar amount of GVWs earlier this year

peacock underside

only about 5 peacocks today and not many posing well
so I had to take what photos I could get

I was reluctant to photo butterflies on the ground. They frequently land on the path and sit, happy on the warm ground. It is impossible to make a great photo from this situation and I would often encourage a very good looking PL or peacock up off the ground hoping they would land on the nearest flower where I could compose a better photo. You can take a horse to water etc. And often they would just settle back on the trail further up the path.

this red admiral landed on a contrasting young shrub
which made a great backdrop

never going to make a decent photo!

Eristalis nemorum

I was pleased when this RA joined a small tort for a 'twofer'

trying to show the amount of butterflies on the trail - mostly RAs

soundtrack: In Memory of a Dream by Ludovico and Leo Einaudi

Now, I was really happy about the above video clip. I hadn't planned to shoot it but noticed almost immediately when a dogwalker went past, that her presence and her two doggies running alongside, chased quite a few of the many butterflies up into the air. If you watch it on a big screen (rather than a phone) you can see the amount of butterflies quite well, almost looking like Autumnal leaves being blown about in the breeze. In some ways it shows the numbers better than holding a camera and doing a walkthrough type video. 

there was a small tort that looked much darker than the rest
this might have been it, but looks fairly normal

radmiral having a mindful moment
(features in video below)

peacock on the log

caught up with the same Volucella pellucens (f)

400mm

I put the 90mm macro lens on for some macro super-close-ups

too close?
Are the white grains pollen granules?

marmalade hoverfly

Leucozona glaucia (female)

I am a big fan of this hoverfly as well, for many of the same reasons as VP above. They are a distinctive blue/grey shade, and can only be confused with one other type (that has dark legs and (non-yellow) scutellum.
Like several flies, including Volucella pellucens, eyes touching = male, eyes not touching = female.

five video clips: a comma, volucella p, small tort, umbelliflies, radmiral
soundtrack: In Limine (reworked) by Ludovico and Leo Einaudi

The cycle home was epic! I never look forward to it (after a few hours outdoors I'd rather sit down and have a cup of tea) but on the upside the wind was behind me and I could feel the helping hand on my back. My gps watch pings every 5 miles in bike mode (not every mile) and I noticed the first 5 miles (just outside Tranent) pinged at 19.59 which means averaging 15mph. If I could keep that up I'd do the 16mile trip in 64minutes. Trouble was, the big downhills were all in the first ten miles after which I'd hit Musselburgh for the final flat six miles home along busy roads with traffic light delays or the busy prom. I very much appreciated the wind direction which had been a killer on the out, but was really helpful on the back and the main reason I was averaging 15mph.

Ten miles pinged at 37something. 2½mins ahead of schedule but entirely due to the fairly sustained downhill through Tranent and down to Pinkie/Levenhall roundabout at the far end of Musselburgh. Now was going to be the hard bit but I had a couple of minutes in hand from zooming down the hills. I stood on the pedals and considered the route choice: traffic lights on the road vs crowds of people on the prom. I opted for the latter as it didn't seem too busy at the Joppa end, but I had to slow to single figure speeds at the far end where the cafes and food trucks made the place busy although it was a fairly cool evening for being out. I thought I had blown it but picked the speed back up to 16mph+ on the barren section along to the cat-and-dog home and then gasped up the sharp incline back onto the road.

I turned left at the Seafield up onto the cyclepath and hoofed it along (with due care and attention to pedestrians, natch) to escape near Easter Rd and then a last sprint (through the closed road) onto Easter Rd, Iona Street and home. I pushed stop at 64minutes. Hurray! I had heard the 15mile mark ping at 59minutes so knew I was on target. It was a meaningless challenge but the sort of thing that forces an effort beyond what you think possible, and makes a good game to pass what might otherwise feel like a chore.

I think 64 minutes is the fastest I've ever done that route although sadly it is also my personal best time for going in the opposite direction, from home to Saltoun, back when I didn't have a huge amount of camera gear in a large back pack in one pannier and a change of clothes and padlock and chain in the other. A time I will never equal until I get an electric bike. Still, I arrived home in high spirits after another very enjoyable time at Saltoun Big Wood!

2 miles in 2hrs
just before 3pm to just before 5pm - late in the day but really enjoyable