Swallowfest at Strumpshaw

Strumpshaw Fen from the tower hide

 Swallowtails, and an appropriate occasion to relaunch the blog after months of shameful neglect! Having missed them last year, it was time to head to the Broads and enjoy the spectacle of these aristocratic insects powering over the reedbeds. Or, as below, bumbling around in the warden's garden, nectaring on sweet william. Perfect viewing conditions - still, sunny and warm - and up to three were busy strafing the flowerbed there. Luck was with us, as none had been seen the day before apparently. At least one of the individuals we saw was slightly tatty so had clearly been on the wing for a while, but the others were pristine and so presumably freshly emerged. Great views, but we were not alone there - click click click of the man with the mega-zoom - and call me old-fashioned, but it was somehow more rewarding to see them out on the fen, charging around over the reeds, rival males spiralling in flouncing disputes and others seeking out nectaring plants - of which not many on view, hence the appeal of the warden's garden..... We probably saw half a dozen or so different individuals during the day. Other butts included peacock, red admiral, small torts, brimstone, comma, green-veined white, speckled wood and common blue, plus some great dragons and damsels: Norfolk hawkers well in evidence, plus common hawker, banded demoiselle, red-eyed damsel (resting on lily pads), banded demoiselle, common blue damsel.... 44 species of birds recorded, with cuckoo and willow warbs in fine voice - there seem to be more of the latter around this year than for a while - but no bittern, not even a boom.

The star of the day - even the red "eye-spots" were playing ball

The heady sound of summer, thanks to a tiny waif