Thanks Wurzel, I have got the Collins book, a present from one of my sons last month
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
, that was where I got the ID but wasn't quite 100% sure I was seeing the marking right on the photo.
Monday 28th May - Norfolk part 3, Strumpshaw Fen.
Although seeing a Swallowtail was not the primary reason for going to Norfolk, considering that I was there at the end of May,it would seem remiss of me not to make the attempt
I had seen on the Strumpshaw Fen website that the first one had been reported there on the previous Wednesday and as this reserve was only about 30 minutes drive from where we were staying I though that, given the good weather for the following few days, some more may have emerged.
I checked the weather forecast and as it looked like a change was on the way from Tuesday, decided that Monday would be my best bet.
So it was that around 10.30am on that morning my eldest son and myself pulled into the RSPB car park at Strumpsaw Fen. We went into the visitor centre where we were informed that a Swallowtail had been sighted that morning by the Fen Hide.
Having read previous posts on UKB last year on where the best locations were I decided to walk along the lane past the Doctors garden and check out the bit of wasteland just past there before continuing on the trail around the fen.
Just before we got to the doctors garden there is a bit of an open area on the right hand side amongst the trees and this was where we saw our first Swallowtails, 2 of them very actively flying around each other.
We were soon joined by a few other people and stood watching for a while as they disappeared and returned a few times. Occasionally one would settle very briefly before taking off again and I managed to get a couple of photos, not that good but a first for me
![Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012 001resize.jpg (405.14 KiB) Viewed 23271 times Swallowtail - Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012](./files/thumb_10101_c2cf97991afc5a981e2f03053d42446e)
- Swallowtail - Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012
![Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012 002resize.jpg (432.31 KiB) Viewed 23271 times Swallowtail - Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012](./files/thumb_10101_63efb373ee0320d150ab40813cb02b7b)
- Swallowtail - Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012
After a while we decided to continue on, passing the doctors garden where there was a solitary Peacock on the flowers and check out the wasteland in the corner just past there. We saw 2 Swallowtails here and believe that they were the same 2 from before and that they were flying between the 2 areas.
We then entered the fen and continued round the trail seeing numerous damselflies and some Hairy Dragonflies along with a number of Orange tips and Brimstones.
![Strumpshaw 2012 008resize.jpg (401.37 KiB) Viewed 23271 times Strumpshaw Fen - trail approaching north corner](./files/thumb_10101_b268574f3d04ca4b5ecd17c4fe8275ab)
- Strumpshaw Fen - trail approaching north corner
![Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012 014resize.jpg (395.25 KiB) Viewed 23271 times Strumpshaw Fen - A mating pair of Hairy Dragonfliees](./files/thumb_10101_a289e805df6014c037d90ff030af1e33)
- Strumpshaw Fen - A mating pair of Hairy Dragonfliees
About half way along the trail from the North corner to the river we saw another 2 Swallowtails. These were again very active and during the time we watched them neither of them settled once.
We continued around the trail, seeing loads more Orange Tips, Brimstones, a few Peacocks and a solitary 'tatty' Small Tortoiseshell, eventually completing the full circle and then carried on back around to the area where we had seen the first pair of Swallowtails earlier that morning.
There were quite a few people there by now who told us that the Swallowtails had been seen on and off for a couple of hours including when we saw the other 2 on the fen trail which makes me believe that we had seen 4 different individuals in all.
Also seen on the fen trail was the dragonfly below, I am not sure but think it may be a female Black Tailed Skimmer.
![Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012 035resize.jpg (416.5 KiB) Viewed 23271 times Strunpshaw Fen - Black Tailed Skimmer, I think.](./files/thumb_10101_5f9bdcec2663f7082a4059db313e0d54)
- Strunpshaw Fen - Black Tailed Skimmer, I think.
And for the bird experts, is this a Reed Bunting?
![Strumpshaw Fen 28.05.2012 011resize.jpg (418.98 KiB) Viewed 23271 times Reed Bunting? - Strumpshaw Fen](./files/thumb_10101_feabf45facbadde148643093bad6c254)
- Reed Bunting? - Strumpshaw Fen
Although I only managed the 2 record shots of the Swallowtails, watching them in flight and skimming over the tops of the reeds in the fen was an absolute delight.
We also saw a pair of Marsh Harriers performing over the fen, heard the calls of what I was told were Cetti's Warblers and saw a load of other birds, most of which were new to me.
Oh yes, and a Grass Snake along the trail by the tower hide.
All in all a really good day
Bye for now,
Neil F.