October 2017
East Lothian Council Countryside Ranger Service
Be a wise whale-watcher Pages 8-9 Out & about
Brown butterf lies
Heading South
Enjoying the Countryside James Wyllie, Chairman East Lothian Access Forum Enjoying the Countryside
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Unnoticed East Lothian wildlife
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Ormiston to Pencaitland walk
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Some brown butterf lies
6-7
Be a wise whale-watcher
8-9
House Martins head south
10-11
Heavens Above! Cassiopeia
12-13
Volunteering
14-15
Top tree
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Welcome to the 34th Edition of ‘Mud In Your Eye’ We’d love to hear from you! Email: ranger@eastlothian.gov.uk or follow us... @ELCrangers
East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service
Cover photograph Bottlenose Dolphin ©Lorne Gill/SNH.
Access to the countryside is something that we take for granted, that we can go to the beach, canoe in the river, walk in the hills or just enjoy a short stroll along local paths near our home with the family or the dog. Short circular walks near to our homes are most popular. We need to extend these walking boundaries by creating suitable links to join many of these local walks together. We need access for the fit, the elderly, baby buggies or wheelchairs and the paths in East Lothian will provide for each of these needs on different routes and to differing degrees. We need provision for cyclists to be able to pedal quickly on good tracks and slower over rough and muddy paths. There is a great demand for horse riding throughout our County and they are equally welcome on our comprehensive network of suitable pathways and beaches. It is easy to see how fast cycles, elderly walkers, young children, horses and wheelchairs do not all fit comfortably into every type of pathway. Because of this we can see the need for us all to use our rights of access with responsibility and show consideration to each other, and develop the understanding that the countryside is also the farmer, forester or game keeper’s workshop. The East Lothian Access Forum is an independent advisory body with an equal representation of access taker and land manager organisations. The Forum’s role includes promoting responsible access and access management in East Lothian to encourage a greater awareness of the wonderful and attractive landscape we live in and to lead a healthier life style with greater emphasis on regular exercise, whether it is travel to work, school or for leisure. To this end we are in the process of creating an electronic booklet of walks in East Lothian and these can be found at www.pathwardens.wordpress.com/paths/pathdescriptions/ Already 18 walk leaflets are available to download.
Enjoy your walks and take with you wonderful memories but leave behind you only footprints.
Published by East Lothian Council’s Countryside Ranger Service
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Notes from the (left) field... A column to celebrate the quirky gems of East Lothian wildlife that often go unnoticed…
The ruby-tailed wasp.
© A Marland.
It is mid-August, and on the sun-baked walls of a coffee shop courtyard, a small and stunning animal busied away around gaps in the fractured mortar. With striking colouration, the ruby-tailed wasp looks like it has spent some welladvised time in the proximity of a child with access to a sparkling array of metallic paints.
This technicoloured delight has however got a kleptoparasitic dark side, laying its eggs, cuckoo like, in the nests of other wasps and bees, in this instance perhaps a species (Chrysis ignita) that favoured the solitary mason bee that had made a home for itself in the courtyard. Unlike some familiar antagonists that make up a minority of the 9000 species of wasp in the UK, this is one to cherish the sight of when enjoying coffee and cake on sunny Sunday mornings, and indeed is a great excuse to go out for more. Dave Wild, Countryside Ranger
Red mason bee, predated by ruby-tailed wasp.
Ormiston to Pencaitland Start: Finish: Distance: Time: Terrain:
Ormiston, Main Street. Pencaitland 3½ km / 2 miles 1½ hours Tracks and rough paths.
Description: Mainly on well surfaced, gently sloping paths with one short, steep section. Can get muddy in places following heavy rain. Directions: Head east on Ormiston Main Street until you almost reach the corner, turn right down Cross Loan and then left when you reach Hillview Road. Continue until you cross the railway walk and follow the path which runs between fields. At the end of the fields there is a wood, follow the sign taking you right past a pond on the left. Cross the River Tyne by the Kingfisher Bridge, up a steep slope then turn left. Follow the signs along this path till you reach the information board at the junction with the A6093. At this point take the pavement left across Sinclair Bridge. Cross the road at the crossing and follow the signs along the path beside the Tyne until you reach a crossroads in the path.
View through Winton woods.
Taking the path left takes you onto the return route to Ormiston via New Winton, right takes you onto the return route via Fountainhall and straight on leads to Easter Pencaitland bus terminus or Nisbet. Points of interest: 1. Ormiston – The first planned village in Scotland. Historic village with the mercat cross and famous yew tree. 2. Winton House – The original house was built here in 1150 and is now a private residence. Now mainly used for business events and private parties, it is occasionally open to the public. K = Kingfisher Bridge S = Sinclair Bridge
© A Marland.
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Some brown butterf lies Following the feature in the last issue, it’s time now to look at some other butterflies you may have seen this summer. Whilst not the most colourful, each is special in its own way. For most females tend to be a little bigger than males.
Speckled wood. Recent colonist No1 to East Lothian, and now found across the county. Males have it appears either 4 spots on the hind wing or 3, depending
upon how they express their courtship behaviour. As the name suggests, prefers woodland rides.
Wall. Recent colonist No 2, the orange and patterned wings make this more of an orange-brown butterfly.
Who next? Bets are on for the next species to turn up here and one with short odds is another brownish coloured type – look out for the gatekeeper. Other butterflies (and day-flying moths) can confuse...many of the skipper species look brown, and females of the ‘blue’ family (hope you are keeping up!) can often be brown-coloured, despite their name. I feel a further feature, next edition...
Speckled wood.
Ringlet. The adults live for only a couple of weeks and are seen from mid-July. Can look all dark in flight, but at rest the eyes on the underwing, from which they get their name, can be seen. A butterfly of damp grasslands.
Ringlet.
Meadow brown. Usually our most common butterfly, found across all manner of grasslands from mid to late summer.
Meadow brown.
The Wall Butterfly.
Small heath. Its small size, and orange hued forewings will help you ID this one. Prefers light soils and finer grasslands. Brilliant at hiding, it lands, tilts its body towards the sun and thereby creates no shadow. Prefers habitats near to the coast usually.
The grayling loves basking in the sun. Males have a dark band across the forewing which helps separate them from females. Grasslands.
The grayling. Small Heath.
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Be a wise whale-watcher October usually produces a peak in the sightings of whales and dolphins (jointly called cetaceans) off East Lothian’s coast. Perhaps this is because these mammals are following food that is particularly plentiful in and around the Forth at this time. Or perhaps it is evidence of wider, migratory movements. Either way now is as good a time as any to see them.
It’s a whale – but what kind? Try www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk
During the summer months too, dolphins have been recorded frequently, in and around the North Berwick area, along with the smaller common porpoise. Add in the populations of grey and common seals that we have and you can start to appreciate how many marine mammals are making use of the water off our coastline. In summer, especially, more of us like to make use of the coast too, for recreation and wildlife observation, either independently or by joining an organised tour. However, across Scotland, a
Craft going too close to the animals can cause stress, or even direct injury as well as putting operators at risk themselves. Do you know the appropriate ways to watch cetaceans? A national code – Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code – sets out clear and simple guidance for people to follow. So, if you have your own vessel, perhaps check these and ensure you are operating correctly. If you are on a guided trip, check to see whether the craft you are in has WiSe (Water Safe) accreditation. This ensures the operator has passed criteria to safeguard the
animals you are hoping to see. Last, it is difficult telling these creatures apart if you do see one. The best advice, is start with the most common species and then if not those, look carefully for any distinctive flashes of colour on the dorsal (top) fin, or along the flanks of the animal, And if it is absolutely huge, well, you’ve got a whale on your hands! These are links to 2 useful ID guides; www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk www.whalespotting.co.uk
©Laurie Campbell/SNH.
number of incidences have been reported to police of people and boats disturbing these graceful mammals.
Bottlenose Dolphin.
©Lorne Gill/SNH.
It’s a Minke Whale!
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House Martins head for the Beautiful South
House Martins head for the Beautiful South (continued)
Every spring we are visited by swallows, sand martins, swifts and house martins. The first two love the countryside, whereas swifts and house martins prefer the bright lights.
Swallows nesting in a bus shelter
Waxwings, exotic autumn visitors. (Abbie Marland)
(Stuart Macpherson)
A bird in the hand ... A young swallow lending a hand with bird monitoring. (Duncan Priddle)
Swallows traditionally nest in barns, occasionally in garages and rarely in bus shelters. Clever people even cut a letterbox-sized whole in the garage door to allow swallows to fly in and out. Sand martins are more rustic in their house-choice and will excavate a wee burrow in a river bank or sand bank. This takes quite a lot of effort so the same bird will return the next year to use the same nest burrow. 10
There is a nice wee colony on the Tyne, not far from Haddington, and it always makes me smile to watch the sand martins fly in and out of their self-build homes. Their urban cousins are the swifts and house martins. House martins would have been ‘cliff’ martins once upon a time, but the eaves of houses are almost perfect for them, so they have adapted to living with us.
Swifts are a bit like bats, and typically nest behind gutters or roof tiles, if there is space. All these birds are charming but their future is uncertain, as traditional buildings are modernised and birds become homeless. There are ways of looking after these birds, to provide nest space after renovation. Making life easier for us should not mean making life more difficult for these iconic birds. Now it is autumn and the chicks have fledged. Instead of fattening up to survive
the winter these birds fly to central and southern Africa in search of heat and insects. I believe the Congo is beautiful at this time of year. House martins are a wee bit elusive, and we do not know exactly where they go in winter. Current research with electronic transmitters may help unlock the mystery. Just as some birds leave us for a time, others come to visit. As you catch your final view of swifts, swallows and martins for the year, keep your eyes open for your first sighting of waxwings. 11
In autumn the constellation of Cassiopeia lies directly overhead in the late night sky. It forms a W-shape and is supposed to represent Cassiopeia, the queen of Ethiopia sitting on her throne (no, me neither!). To the west of Cassiopeia is Cepheus, her husband the king, and directly south is Andromeda, their daughter. The constellation Perseus forms a t-shape to the east of Cassiopeia and Pegasus is closely linked with Andromeda in the south, recognised by the four stars forming a large square.
Heavens Above!
All these closely linked constellations form part of an Ancient Greek myth. Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than the sea nymphs. This enraged their father, the sea-god Poseidon, who sent a huge sea monster to ravage the coastal towns and villages.
The only way to stop it was to sacrifice Andromeda to the monster, so she was chained to a rock by the sea to await her doom. As luck would have it, Perseus was passing by on the winged horse Pegasus. He killed the monster, using the head of Medusa to turn it stone, and rescued Andromeda. In November watch out for the Leonid meteor shower, which peaks late on the
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17th /early on the 18th. The meteors are debris from the tail of the comet TempleTuttle which orbits the sun every 33.3 years leaving a stream of tiny particles in its wake; when the earth passes through this ‘cloud’ the particles burn up in the atmosphere. The meteors appear to originate from the constellation Leo, hence the name, but may appear anywhere in the night sky. 13
Conservation volunteers Our volunteer contingent continues to grow from strength to strength. This year sees the volunteers seeking to become a charitable body, as part of a move towards greater independence and a mechanism for capturing grant awards. Volunteers come from all walks of life and volunteer for many reasons – to learn about the countryside, to meet like-minded people and to get some fresh-air exercise. If you would like to join our merry band, or just to find out more please contact me at dpriddle@eastlothian.gov.uk or telephone 01620 827459.
volunteer diary dates Where
Day
Date
Time
Who to contact
Aberlady
Wed
4th Oct
09:30-15.00
jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk
Yellowcraig
Thurs
5th Oct
09.30-15.00
dwild@eastlothian.gov.uk
Aberlady
Sun
15th Oct
09:30-15.00
jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk
Path wardens team task
Thurs
19th Oct
09.30-14.30
dpriddle@eastlothian.gov.uk
Dunbar area
Wed
25th Oct
10.00-13.00
dcv@eastlothian.gov.uk
North Berwick
Tues
31st Oct
10.00-12.30
sranscombe@eastlothian.gov.uk
Levenhall
Tues
31st Oct
10.00-13.00
naitken1@eastlothian.gov.uk
Aberlady
Wed
1st Nov
09:30-15.00
jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk
Yellowcraig
Thurs
2nd Nov
09.30-15.00
dwild@eastlothian.gov.uk
Aberlady
Sun
12th Nov
09:30-15.00
jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk
Path wardens
Thurs
16th Nov
09.30-14.30
dpriddle@eastlothian.gov.uk
North Berwick
Tues
28th Nov
10.00-12.30
sranscombe@eastlothian.gov.uk
Levenhall
Tues
28th Nov
10.00-13.00
naitken1@eastlothian.gov.uk
Dunbar area
Wed
29th Nov
10.00-13.00
dcv@eastlothian.gov.uk
Aberlady
Wed
6th Dec
09.30-1500
jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk
Yellowcraig
Thurs
7th Dec
09.30-15.00
dwild@eastlothian.gov.uk
Aberlady
Sun
17th Dec
09.30-1500
jharrison@eastlothian.gov.uk
Duncan Priddle, Countryside Officer
Removing seed heads from the invasive Pirri Pirri bur plant at Barns Ness.
Volunteers looking for Moonwort at Yellowcraig.
Volunteers repairing the wall at Yellowcraig
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Top Tree No12
Pedunculate Oak Hopetoun Monument (aka Byer’s Hill).
Pedunculate or English Oak Quercus robur
It may not be the biggest of oaks, but its wonderfully twisted form and heavily burred trunk, give this tree real character. You will find it roughly ½ way up the path to the Hopeton Monument. As you climb up, and switchback left at a steep corner, just ahead of you on the left, is where the tree is situated. The form of the tree probably reflects that it is situated on thin soil and would have been in an exposed location in its youth, swaying back and forth. Consequently, the trunk is as you see – no good for planks but great for wildlife.
There are not too many pedunculated oaks in East Lothian, (this sub-species being more common further South) instead the most common oak is the sessile oak. To tell one from the other look at the leaves – the sessile oak leaf has an obvious stalk, whereas the pedunculated oak leaves do not. But be quick now, they’ll be losing their leaves soon! Do you want to nominate your own top tree? Suggestions to dpriddle@eastlothian.gov.uk