European Swallowtail in South Devon

[lee3764]

Well folks........A huge turn up for the books today!! We saw something we never thought we'd ever find in Britain!! We all visited a site in South Devon to look for a Brown Hairstreak butterfly. After 60 minutes we had no sign at all and it was time to take our sons, Robert & Michael to their chidren's attraction nearby. We were walking out of the last field next to the road where we parked our car and did a final check of the Blackthorn hedge hoping for a hidden Brown Hairstreak and the time was 13:23hrs. Alas..No! I was just turning away from the hedge when Robert, my eldest son aged 10 shouted loudly..."DAD.....LOOK....A SWALLOWTAIL!!!!!" I glanced perhaps 10 yards away over towards him looking towards the ground amongst some dry grass in the corner of the field right next to the road and with disbelief saw a huge Swallowtail butterfly flying & gliding around about 2-3 feet high looking for somewhere to land or perch. Without drawing breath I ran over to where Robert was right in front of this pale creamy yellow Swallowtail and got my camera ready. It briefly landed twice but not long enough to focus & take a photo. It then flew off & over a fence adjoining the corner of the field and out of view in a private garden!! Damn!!.....40 seconds later it reappeared and flew back to where we were still standing and eventually landed down on some fairly short grass. I managed to take 3 photos of which the first one showed the butterfly to be a European Swallowtail 'Papilio Machaeon Gorganus' which proved to be in excellent condition. My wife, Lisa & youngest son Michael aged 8 had come over and witnessed this great suprise too! Before I could take anymore photos the butterfly flew off again & disappeared off in a Northerly direction & was not seen again. We were delighted with our encounter & given that this location is not more than 1/2 a mile from the sea as the crow flies and given the recent excellent migrant activity with Clouded Yellows and other species and the unusual climatic conditions following the passing of the remains of Hurricane Bertha form the Carribean just 48 hours earlier, it is highly probable that it simply flew across the English Channel from France and made landfall in South Devon. A truly memorable day out and another lifetime 1st 'tick' for all of us! Other species also seen are as follows.....20+ Speckled Woods, 25+ Meadow Browns, 12+ Gatekeepers, 1 possible tatty marbled White, 7 Small Coppers, 10+ Common Blues, 1 Clouded Yellow, 12+ Holly Blues (mostly fresh!), 1 Small Skipper, 4 Small Tortoiseshells, 1 possible Silver Washed fritillary, 2 Peacocks, 3 Greev-veined Whites, 12+ Small Whites, 4 Large Whites, 6 Red Admirals several Vapourer moths, 1 possible Jersey Tiger moth (at a distance) & 1 x European Swallowtail 'Papilio Machaeon Gorganus'. Cheers all....Lee, Lisa, Robert & Michael Slaughter. PS: Photo will be posted when I upload it!

[David M]

Superb sighting, Lee. I'll look forward to the images when you've time to upload them!

[Neil Hulme]

Fantastic stuff. Well done Lee, and especially Robert! Primary immigrant gorganus may become a much more regular occurrence over here. However, despite proximity to the coast I wouldn't rule out 'British-born' either. Last summer eggs were laid along the coastal strip of Southern Britain as Swallowtails found the first suitable food-plants upon their arrival here. We are just beginning to see second (British) brood emergences in Sussex, and some of these are within spitting distance of the sea. It will therefore be very difficult to differentiate between those which have popped out of their pupae in either Britain or France - a great problem to have! We will almost certainly see a mix of origins. One thing is for sure ... every one will set your heart racing and make it a day to remember. Happy days!

BWs, Neil

[Penhale Paul]

Fabulous Lee, what a year you're having A Gynandomorph Silver Studded Blue in Cornwall, Valezina form Silver Washed in Cornwall and now a European Swallowtail in Devon great stuff .................... very envious, i want one

Catch up soon

[lee3764]

I have uploaded the European Swallowtail photo for anyone wishing to see it. Found by my 10 year old son, Robert Slaughter. He'll remember that day for the rest of his life!!
Cheers,
Lee and Robert Slaughter (Cornwall)

[David M]

Won't he just, Lee??

Glorious stuff!

[lee3764]

Thanks Neil, David & Paul for your kind comments!
Cheers,
Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[Chris Jackson]

It does look very similarto the Swallowtails down here in Marseilles
A nice find !!
Chris

[Charles Nicol]

It does look very similarto the Swallowtails down here in Marseilles
A nice find !!
Chris

a wonderful find Lee !! well done to the youngster for spotting it

Charles

[lee3764]

Many thanks Charles for your kind comments!!

[essexbuzzard]

Wow Lee,what a find-Robert must be pinching himself! Just shows that you never know what could yet turn up on British soil. When you guys set out that day,bet you didn't think you would see a Swallowtail! What a sighting! Great photo in excellent condition,too.

Shame it wasn't in Cornwall,though...

[lee3764]

Hi Mark,

Yep....He is well pleased with himself & I doubt I would have seen it! The visit was until then a failure in that we didn't see the Brown Hairstreak so we were literally walking back to our car when it was seen flying across the field into the corner where we saw it! Was so pleased to photograph it after it disappeared and then reappeared. Luck was on our side that day for certain!!
Would have been nice to see it in Cornwall but would not change the circumstances that day for anything!
Cheers mate,

Lee Slaughter (Cornwall).

[The Doc]

Well done Lee, and of course Robert. I bet you were relieved when it flew back for pictures to prove to everyone one else that you hadn't been snacking on wild mushrooms Great picture too

I will be heading down to Cornwall on Friday, for a week near Helston. I am hoping to see Clouded Yellow as my final and 51st species for 2014 so if you have any local info I am willing to travel about a bit. A post on here or a private message on here would be much appreciated. Last year at the same time they were streaming in at Kynance Cove and on the bird front I was lucky enough to find a new 1w Citrine Wagtail for Cornwall at Windmill farm NR, so my hopes are high

Well done again

[lee3764]

Well done Lee, and of course Robert. I bet you were relieved when it flew back for pictures to prove to everyone one else that you hadn't been snacking on wild mushrooms Great picture too

I will be heading down to Cornwall on Friday, for a week near Helston. I am hoping to see Clouded Yellow as my final and 51st species for 2014 so if you have any local info I am willing to travel about a bit. A post on here or a private message on here would be much appreciated. Last year at the same time they were streaming in at Kynance Cove and on the bird front I was lucky enough to find a new 1w Citrine Wagtail for Cornwall at Windmill farm NR, so my hopes are high

Well done again

Hi there Doc,

Kynance Cove should usually produce Clouded Yellows in good weather but try the following locality where 16 Clouded Yellows were seen yesterday (26/8/2014) by a friend of mine........Dean Quarries, nr. Trethance, St Keverne, East Lizard Peninsula.

A great way to round off the butterfly season in Cornwall in 2014 with a locality on the Lizard peninsula which could hold lots of migratory butterflies & day-flying moths where they can find nectar on the flowers to be found in these abandoned quarries.
Park at SW800205 limited parking at end of lane at Trethance, S-East of St. Keverne.

Cheers Doc! Hope you are successful!
Lee Slaughter & Robert (aged 10).

[Allan.W.]

Hi Lee,
Well done with the European Swallowtail,a great find! seems you,ve had a good season,what with that and the gynandromorph Silver Stud,what a fantastic insect,I,ve had a pretty good one myself,adding a couple of lifers (Brown hair,and Purple emperor +Small Copper "Radiata"), I met yourself and family last year at Kingsdown Leas.
Regards Allan.W.

[lee3764]

Hi Lee,
Well done with the European Swallowtail,a great find! seems you,ve had a good season,what with that and the gynandromorph Silver Stud,what a fantastic insect,I,ve had a pretty good one myself,adding a couple of lifers (Brown hair,and Purple emperor +Small Copper "Radiata"), I met yourself and family last year at Kingsdown Leas.
Regards Allan.W.

Allen W. !!!! Top man!! We are still eternally grateful to you & your Wife for your massive assistance on 29th September 2013 enabling us to see the Long-Tailed Blue butterfly on British soil at Kingsdown Leas! I am well pleased for you having seen the Purple Emperor & Brown Hairstreak. The Small Copper 'Radiata' is also an excellent find too! Are you going to the AES show tomorrow at Kempton Park? If you are then I will buy you a drink as a thank you.
All the very best,

Lee Slaughter (and Robert, Michael, & Lisa).

[Allan.W.]

Hello again ,Lee,and family
Unfortunately,i won,t be attending the AES meeting,but I expect we,ll bump into each other somewhere down the line! funnily enough,when we visited our Purple Emperor site,(Dene park woods ,Kent) we found a male on the ground (or maybe I should say the dog poo bin) and pointed it out to a chap,and blow me if we didn,t bump into
him again at Steyning (Sussex),at the Brown hair: site. ,a couple of months later! Regards Allan.W.