SWALLOWTAILS AT LAST!

   Yesterday I decided to have one last try for the year to see a Swallowtail butterfly at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen reserve even though it's getting very late in the season. Swallowtails are the largest butterfly that live in this country and they are only found in certain areas of the Norfolk Broads which is because their caterpillars only feed on one particular type of plant called Milk Parsley which in itself is rare and is only found in the reed beds surrounding some of the rivers and broads.
   The adults are normally on the wing from May to June and sometimes a second brood will emerge later in August. Most of the experts agree that because this spring had been so cold no second brood would emerge this summer as the first brood was a month late making its appearance so I wasn't very hopeful of seeing an adult flying but thought if nothing else that I could get some more photos of the caterpillars which can be seen in a certain area of the reserve. Finding the caterpillars is not difficult once you know where they can be seen as they are quite distinctive and are now fairly large as well compared to 2 weeks ago when I last saw them. Below are pictures of a mature caterpillar which is about 6 cm long and a close up of the head as it eats some of the Milk Parsley.

   Walking alongside the river I would stop and examine every Buddlia bush of which there were several most of which were covered in various butterflies including Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Painted Lady, Brimstone and several different Whites. Whilst looking at one bush I saw an impressive butterfly gliding powerfully through the breeze high up on the bush chasing any other butterfly that came close; it was an adult Swallowtail, my first ever siting in the wild but unmistakable with its spectacular markings. The butterfly rarely settled for very long on a flower and when it did it was always high up on the bush so all of my photos were taken with my 500 mm lens. I couldn't believe that nobody else had spotted it but as I snapped away more and more people came up and asked what I was photographing so pretty soon a crowd of people were round the bush taking pictures and watching this amazing butterfly. Below are pictures of the Swallowtail feeding on a Buddlia flower and one of the butterfly flying above me taken from beneath.