www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I nipped out earlier to fetch the post from the front gate (30m). Loads of butterflies:

Gate keeper
Meadow brown
Comma
Red admiral
Peacock
Swallowtail
Small white
Green-veined white
Sooty copper
Holly blue
Small tortoiseshell

The swallowtail was a first for this year but we saw the caterpillar a few weeks ago. Here is one of the images:

Send a few of those Swallowtails over the Channel please, David!

David,

I have always been surprised that they don't make it across the channel. They are really strong fliers and with any sort of a southerly wind it should be an easy hop.
Here is another one that doesn't make it across often, either. The sooty copper is more common here that the copper.

David

Continental Swallowtails DO make it over the Channel, David, and early stages have been found many times so they have clearly bred here. They don't seem to sustain their presence here though, like many other butterflies that are relatively common in northern France.

Coppers, on the other hand, tend to be territorial and not inclined to fly great distances. I doubt we'll ever see any of this family making the journey.

David

Thanks for that info. I have only seen the swallowtail on the Broads in the UK. Having been brought up on British butterflies it is interesting to see some different ones.

We are off to eastern France soon for a holiday. It will be interesting to see what there is to see.

Thanks again

David