August holiday to Suffolk
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:17 pm
As I don't have a Personal Diary I've decided the best place to stick this is "General"
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 moth trap was largely contingency as I had made some plans
. 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
.
On my trips into Southwold I would purposefully park the car in a sidestreet some way from the sea-front and then carefully avoid taking the most direct route to the beach so I could check out the Buddleias and then nip back later-on under the pretence I'd left something in the car
.
Lots of the best bushes were in very shallow front gardens so it looked a bit dodgy with a bloke standing there pointing his big lens at their front windows. Likewise taking the camera into gents and illuminating it with my flash to get pictures of roosting moths must have raised some eye-brows
... all par for the course of nature photography
.
Southwold is the main attraction on our holidays to Suffolk what with gentile pace and non-tacky feel, great beaches, fantastic beer (Adnams in the Lord Nelson and Solebay Inn), unusual pier attractions and free parking
.
From here there are plenty of other places to explore. This year we paid a visit to Africa Alive a zoo in Kessingland Nr. Lowestoft and it was well worth it.
After a couple of days of lounging on Southwold beach; snapping vanessids on Buddleias I was getting itchy feet so decided it was time to hatch my plan. Surprisingly it was met with a modicum of approval ("OK as long as you're not there all day")
. 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
.
Along the walk were numerous Buddeia bushes which were covered in Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells, and the three Whites. The sun was blazing, Dragonflies buzzed all around and mosquitos took their fill in broad daylight
. 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
.
more to follow
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
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Embarassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
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
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Exclamation :!:](./images/smilies/icon_exclaim.gif)
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
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
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
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
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Surprised :o](./images/smilies/icon_surprised.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)