Strumpshaw Swallowtails

Before I went to Strumpshaw I called in at a Norfolk location where I have been successful in the past for Turtle Doves. Happily I heard the purring almost straight away coming from down the lane. It was also evident there was a pheasant shoot nearby but I looked up and saw the excellent Turtle Dove flew up to a higher branch in the canopy of the tree. I looked straight up at it and wandered back along the lane where I got a fine view of this rusty backed beauty. Delightful to see as always. Bouyed with this, I drove onto Strumpshaw and I managed to park up the road and was delighted to see the garden was still as it always was and a crowd was at the top because there were 2 fine pristine Swallowtails in active feeding flight drinking the nectar from the sweet williams. It was ironic that as soon as Rob Wils left both butterflies became slightly more obliging and I got my best shots at this time. A walk around the reserve revealed just 2 Scarce Chasers, a male and a female. From the Fen hide, a Grey Heron, a Mute Swan lead 2 cygnets swam away. By the woods just before reception, a caged flowering Bee Orchid and a flowering Common Twayblade were both caged. Back at reception, a tatty Swallowtail flew around some fenced flowers for a while. Back at the garden another slightly tatty Swallowtail was feeding at the top.