Holiday to Sibton part 1
After meeting up with Wurzel for a trip to Shipton Bellinger where both male and female Brown Hairstreaks were photoed along with an open winged male Brimstone
I was determined to keep the impetus going in my family cottage holiday break to Sibton Suffolk. Last year I took my moth trap so that I could get my lepidopteran 'fix' (for me there's more to holidays than just lying on a beach 
) and this year I did the same making sure all the dodgy wiring was rectified to avoid any repeat of last year's tripping out the cottage's main fuse 
.- The view from our bedroom window
. Last year after eventually finding the 'hidden away' location of Strumpshaw Fen my missus and the kids huffed and puffed at the idea of taking a walk around Swallowtail country 
. With a mixture of huge disappointment and a little nagging guilt for even considering to put them through 'such a torment' on what was after all a family holiday, I had to grudgingly concede to their disapproval 
. This year I wasn't going to miss out.As I expect you all know, it has been a great year for Buddleia butterflies. My own bush has been adorned with Peacocks and Large Whites with Comma; and the odd Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady; Red Admiral, Brimstone and even Large Skipper putting in an appearance. East Anglia was no different except the bush flowers were less spent, and the proportion of Small Tortoiseshell was much higher than in Surrey. Red admirals on the other hand were noticeable by their absence. The Garden at the cottage had its fair share of vanessids and whites
.- Great to see and photo decent numbers of Small Torts
- Lots of Large Whites this year
- Perhaps the most numerous vanessid this year?
- All commas seen were past their best. This one visited the cottage garden every day
.- Large numbers of Silver Y's this year.
- Painted Ladies in tip top condition
... all par for the course of nature photography .- Marbled Green (I think ... may be Marbled Beauty?)
.- Southwolds famous beach huts
- Southwolds lighthouse now with constant illumination
- The Fossa looks like a cross between a cat and an overgrown stoat and hunts Lemurs in its native Madagascar
- Some people's worst nightmare ... my missus squirmed when she saw these
. Fat chance 
. First there was a long morning session at Southwold's Maize Maze, followed by packed lunch and it wasn't until 14:00 before I was able to bundle the family off to the beach and head off for Norfolk.It seems there are no quick roads heading North/South in East Anglia. As it was cereal harvest time there were plenty of tractors pulling corn carts to slow the traffic further. It took me close on 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to Strumpshaw Fen. However immediately on arrival I met a couple of walkers with cameras and bins. They told me they had seen 3 Swallowtails out on the fens and a Clouded Yellow in the Dr's Garden
. Without further ado I set off for what turned out to be a long walk.The Dr's garden revealed nothing but a few Small Whites in the vegetable plot. However nearby is a stile to cross over a railway line and this leads into the fen. A perimeter walkway takes you all the way around an RSPB nature reserve. In addition close by to where I had entered, was a short board-walk disappearing into neck-high reeds and it was in there with the help of a knowledgeable local that I saw my first ever Swallowtail ... not an imago mind, but nevertheless a great find
.- Swallowtail larvae
. Everyone I met along the way said they'd seen a Swallowtail on a Buddleia ... but which Buddleia ? A tiring sweaty mile and a half later and I got my answer. As I fumbled for my camera and pulled the trigger the butterfly made a dash for it. However brief a sighting it was still a first ... a lifer .
I got a tip-off from Milerd for Brown Hairstreak that diverted me from going to Denbies to Bookham Commons instead. No Brostreaks seen but nevertheless an interesting morning's butterflying