Autumn 2010
North of the Border - In search of Swallowtails Matt Berry With an interest in both photography and wildlife and being keen BC members, we arranged a photographic tour of the Broads in search of the majestic Swallowtail. Saturday June 5th dawned bright and sunny and our party of thirteen met at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve car park. We’d attracted members from Suffolk, Norfolk and Sussex branches and from Norfolk Wildlife Trust, as well as a few ‘non-aligned’ individuals from across the UK. The tour was promoted by advertising in Ephotozine, Flickr and UK Butterflies websites. At 9.30 am we set off over the level crossing towards the reserve. Those that know Strumpshaw will recall the small circular flower garden just outside the reception/hide. Some of the group had never seen a Swallowtail before, but suddenly there right on cue, a beautiful male Swallowtail dashed in and began ‘nectovering’ on the flowering Dame’s Violet. This highly aromatic plant proved very attractive since other butterflies including two Brimstones, various whites, Comma and Orange-tip, soon joined it. A crowd gathered and with the sun still relatively low in the sky most people managed to get some quite pleasing views and photos. The nearby pond also proved attractive to those in our group who had a penchant for damselflies and dragonflies, and good shots were taken of these insects alighting on the aquatic vegetation. A moth trap running the night before enabled great views of docile Privet and Poplar
Hawkmoths which were subsequently released. In the wildflower meadow we were again fortunate to see two Swallowtails nectaring on thistles and the small track leading in enabled a handful of our party to get quite close. Over the Water-soldier filled ditches, we spotted the day’s first Norfolk Hawker dragonfly, a local speciality like the Swallowtail. The path at the western side of the reserve bordering the Yare, afforded good views of Marsh Harriers quartering over the reed bed and also glimpses of a Cetti’s Warbler along with their loud rattling song. There was also good showing of male and female Banded Demoiselle. These were particularly pleasing with their iridescent blues and greens. Turning the corner onto the northern perimeter path we saw three in-flight Swallowtails chasing each other. Some far off shots were taken. One or two got ’keepers’ but for most, the sightings were enough. Ironically, the ‘Swallowtail boardwalk’, an area specially managed to display the Swallowtail larval food plant, Milk Parsley, was devoid of Swallowtails at any stage in their life cycle. The herbaceous border of Dr Martin George, just over the railway, was full of nectar rich flowers, but alas, no Swallowtails were seen. Returning up Tinker’s Lane towards the car parks in Low Rd, and our picnic, some of us went back to the flower garden at the reserve entrance and were rewarded with more cracking views of female Swallowtails and
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