more hunting in holyrood

 

5th July And another wander round Holyrood. It started as a constitutional with Mary when she said she was planning doing the boundary but at walking pace. (Still unable to run.) Although I deserted her about halfway round. We didn't fall out it; was all good humoured, but we realised there were different agendas going on.

First up this ichneumon. Google lens has a few ideas of what exact species it might be but pretty much none of the pictures or descriptions match exactly. The parasitic wasp took the time to do a bit of probing with its ovipositor (definitely a female btw - those long things coming out the back end are for egglaying not stinging.) A mix of sleek and nasty, given its remit is to ruin someone else's life to raise its young. Nature being immoral again? Discuss.

As we progressed round the boundary wall we saw a comma and then a dunnock. There was quite a bit of nature going on which made me want to go past the area where a WLH was seen last year (first Holyrood record of one) by Richard. Mary wasn't happy about how steep and rutted it was there so moved to the main road. We were both happy to go our own ways from this point and I warned that if there was much there I'd be doing the remainder of the walk solo. Mary is often happier doing stuff solo as she can go at the most apt pace.

And who should I bump into but Richard himself. On the lookout for more White Letter Hairstreak action around the spot we saw them last year. While he hadn't had much luck on this occasion they were seen the day before and a couple of times afterwards on either side of the boundary wall. I was more interested in the commas and admirals that were there although happy to point the camera at a WLH if it deigned to turn up. They are only really notable for their rarity in posing for photos, spending much of their lives up the top of elm trees. The least interesting (in my opinion) of the hairstreaks. Other opinions are available.

this was a particularly fine female comma
although not impressed by a males attention, flying up into a tree

perhaps damage caused to elm leaves by WLH caterpillars?

Richard showed me (on the other side of the boundary wall) where he had seen a common darter and perhaps some fox activity, but there was little of note other than more commas and RAs. It was all fairly pleasant and enjoyable to chat about the niche worlds of butterflies and dragonflies. A light drizzle began to fall and R left to take in his washing before it got soaked.

last stage peacock caterpillar
expect to see a proliferation of the adults around now

nomad wasp

I always enjoy this view out over the Forth

This friendly robin was bouncing about
and taking spiders and bugs off the crumbly boundary wall

I had been heading home but the rain let up and so I decided to add an extra loop of Hunter's Bog and back down the stone trap to see if there was anything worth a look and to increase the number of steps etc.

small tort

I was rewarded with this very swish small tort - and although it was reluctant to sit for photos I managed to sneak up quietly enough to get close. Also in the stone trap (below the Cat Nick) was this slightly aging NBA, perhaps the last one of the year, which sat nicely for the camera.

and on the brightly coloured rosebay willowherb
this small skipper was fresh enough to merit a few pics

quite a few of the burnet moths have suffered in the heavy rains
and look a bit washed out

7 miles in 4 hrs