6th June - RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk
The day, as every one for the last week, dawned
grey and misty here in Norfolk, the airflow from the east or north ensuring
cool breezes and sea frets aplenty. It didn’t bode well for a shift at RSPB
Strumpshaw Fen providing people with information about swallowtails: it was unlikely
there would be any around. I went anyway relying on the weather forecast to be
right for once: getting warmer during the afternoon thus hopefully encouraging
these gorgeous insects to take flight and seek nectar.
|
Newly Fledged Blue Tit |
But first a slow walk around the reserve to see
what other creatures I could find sheltering from the breeze and the gloom. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen so much life! It seemed every bush, every stand of
nettles, every clump of reeds held a menagerie of small animals. Predator and
prey, mate and rival, some flaunting their presence, others simply wanted to
remain undisturbed and hidden. My camera went into overdrive. There were flies
of all kinds, spiders, damselflies, beetles, wasps, bees and ladybirds. I saw
resting moths, butterflies and a dragonfly, watched sparring buzzards, marsh
harriers displaying, heard a bitten booming and a pair of garden warblers singing
in rivalry. I found lizards seeking warmth, a cuckoo seeking a mate and a few
people seeking that elusive large butterfly. They wouldn’t fly in the cool and
windy weather, but I did find a single egg on a milk parsley plant - proof that
they have been around recently.
|
Bombus pratorum (left) and Bombus pascuorum - I think! |
|
Pregnant Common Lizard |
|
Common Stretch Spider (Tetragnatha extensa) With Prey |
|
Longhorn Moth (Nemophora degeerella) |
|
Cardinal Beetle (Phrochroa serraticornis) |
|
Common Carpet |
|
Scarce Chaser (female) |
|
Unknown Spider sps - I'll find out! |
|
Female Banded Demoiselle |
|
Snout |
|
Swallowtail Egg on Milk Parsley |
Then the sun burst through the cloud.
Transformation. Everything turned technicolour and it felt like June at last. I
timed my arrival back at reception to perfection. No sooner had I set up the
welcome stand than a beautiful insect that is a swallowtail butterfly descended
onto the Dame’s violet flowers, nectar rich, planted especially for these showy
insects to enjoy. What a joy to see these impressive butterflies once again. It
seems there is a reasonable population this year and adding up reports from
various parts of the reserve would indicate a minimum of ten seen today. That
doesn’t sound many, but this is a rare species in the U.K. with its only
stronghold the Norfolk Broads - we are so lucky here. Their flight season is so
short too, so there is always something of a frenzy to see them. Visitor
numbers increased as the afternoon wore on and all were able to see a
swallowtail at very close quarters and went away satisfied. Weather forecasters
I salute you.
|
Yours Truly, Ready to Serve! |
|
The Beautiful Swallowtail |
No comments:
Post a Comment