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Swallowtail butterfly

BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
in Wildlife gardening
Just seen one in my garden showing a lot of interest in the fennel and dill which are about to flower. Hope it comes back. Its the first time I've seen one in this area of Belgium, near the coast. We used to get them all the time when we were further inland
 One year we found a lot of their caterpillars and took one to keep overwinter, it was fascinating to see it developing. In spring emerged a beautiful adult which we released. 

I have the photos on my PC, i will transfer them and upload them here. 
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Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited July 2018
    How lovely ... they're rare over here, although they do occur near us

    https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/species-explorer/terrestrial-invertebrates/swallowtail-butterfly

    Not often seen tho'

    Last year selfish idiots dug up milk parsley with the eggs on from the Nature Reserve  where they are protected >:)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Here are the photos


  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    Glorious! Never seen one, on the wish list 
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Beautiful
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    They are so beautiful  B)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    First time we saw them they were on my carrots, next time it was fennel and viburnum  which surprised me. Their flight is quite distinctive and size of couse alerts you immediately that its something out if the ordinary. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I remember seeing just a few during a boating holiday on the Broads ... as you say, their flight is quite distinctive  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    We had the caterpillars just one year in my Belgian garden so I grew fennel every year thereafter in the hope they'd come back.  All I saw tho were a couple of isolated butterflies and none in more recent years.   Not seen any here yet but I'm growing dill, just in case.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    They like milk parsley? I wonderful news. I have some and am planting more. I hope I can support them.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Well you could knock me down with a feather, here I am, sitting on the front terrace reading your post on my iPad and there is one on the Verbena Bonariensis right next to me! That’s the favourite plant of the scarce swallowtail too, which is quite common here, so I thought it was that until I leaned closer. Sorry for the blurry photo, it was moving too fast, but is it the same one? Never seen it before.




    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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