Our Quest for Swallowtail Butterflies

For years, I dreamt of seeing the rare British Swallowtail butterflies in their natural habitat. As a nature lover and amateur photographer, this adventure became a personal quest.

Their preferred habitat is the fens and broads of Norfolk, conveniently not too far from  our Cambridgeshire home. But if my husband and I were going to see them, we needed to plan a weekend away.

The fens are remnants of drained marshland, now flat, low-lying agricultural land.

The Broads, man-made waterways dating back to the 14th Century, were formed through peat excavation followed by flooding. They are navigable by leisure boats, with speed restrictions in place to prevent bank erosion.

The legally protected Swallowtail relies on this habitat's plants for breeding. One food plant extremely important to them is the milk parsley, upon which females lay their eggs, and the swallowtail caterpillars feed.

No milk parsley - no butterflies.

Norfolk appears to be the only place in the UK where this grows, albeit due to excellent fenland management by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which is why the swallowtails are restricted to this area.

Trip Preparation

To catch a glimpse of the British Swallowtail butterfly, timing, not just location, is everything.

These elusive beauties are typically spotted from late May to mid-July. The only time we could both get away was at the end of May, so we booked accommodation close to Strumpshaw Fen and a stones throw from Hickling Broad, known hotspots for sightings.

My camera bag was packed long before my suitcase, filled with my mirrorless camera, a selection of lenses for both macro and distance shots, and plenty of spare memory cards. I even ordered an extra battery, just to be on the safe side.

If you are interested in photographing butterflies check this page. 

Searching for the Swallowtail Butterfly

I wish I could say we spotted Swallowtails as soon as we arrived at Strumpshaw Fen. But sadly the leaden grey skies decided at that moment to release a torrent of water. We ducked into the visitor centre for shelter and met a volunteer.

“You won’t see them today, they hate the rain and wind.”

Our spirits were dampened, but we hoped the weather would improve, allowing us to catch a glimpse of our quarry.

It didn’t!

You can still photograph wildlife in the rain, just not Swallowtails!

We returned to our room drenched and shivering. Although my camera bag was also soaked, fortunately, the equipment inside was weatherproof.

Day two echoed the first, with similar challenges.

The Swallowtails remained elusive, but I enjoyed photographing the Marsh Harriers, Cuckoos, and Jays who didn't seem to mind the inclement weather. 

Determined not to give up on our dream, we planned to return the following year. It couldn't be a washout two years running, surely?

Our Second Visit

Fast forward to June the following year, and guess where we headed? This time we had a long weekend on the Norfolk Broads and the weather was perfect - hot, sunny and no wind.

As the previous year, we began with a Friday afternoon trip to Strumpshaw. We started by walking the Meadow Trail, kitted out in waterproof boots this time. There, we spotted several green-eyed Norfolk Hawker dragonflies.

There are lots of dragonfly photos on this instructional page. 

However, Britain's largest native butterfly still eluded us.

Upon reaching the main path, we turned left, leaving the Fen hide for another day, meandered down to the River Yare, then headed right towards the Tower Hide.

On route, we spotted a pair of Great Crested Grebe, one with three tiny babies on its back. 

From the hide we saw Marsh Harriers again, along with Reed Bunting, ducks and gulls.

Then my husband pointed out movement at the edge of the water.

Looking closely I saw a deer. Was it a Muntjac? No! When it turned around I realised it was my first Chinese Water Deer, complete with tusks and rounded "teddy bear" ears.

We descended the steps from the hide and the fen trail stretched before us, leading us past the historic Doctor's House. 

And then, there they were, among the garden flowers; our very first ever swallowtail butterflies!

Two of them! 

Gracefully flitting between the flowers, in the dappled sunshine. The sight was breathtaking, a moment of pure enchantment. We had achieved our mission. 

But the experience left us yearning for more, fueling our passion to explore the natural world further.

Visiting Hickling Broad Nature Reserve

We divided our trip between Strumpshaw Fen and Hickling Broad. Just before leaving, we learned our weekend aligned with International Swallowtail Butterfly Day on June 12th (it is always on the 2nd Sunday in June).

To avoid crowds, we visited Hickling a day earlier. Arriving before the visitor centre opened, we found only two other cars, giving us near-solitude on the reserve.

Almost straight away a swallowtail butterfly darted across our path, too quick for a photo but a good omen.

Soon after, we encountered two Woolly Bear caterpillars. These future Garden Tiger Moths, once common, are now rare. Avoid touching them if you see them on your visit, otherwise you will be itching for the rest of the day!

Looking up there was a Marsh Harrier being mobbed by two corvids (probably crows).

At Secker's Hide, we heard a Willow Warbler singing from a treetop and I grabbed a photo before entering.

I discuss different warblers (with photos) on this page about RSPB Fowlmere. 

At the hide, we met a woman who'd spotted swallowtails nearby.

On our way to Cadbury Hide, we found one posing perfectly. Its red-orange spots glowed and the blue patches sparkled in the sun. I managed to get a nice shot with blurred reeds as a backdrop.

We discovered the butterflies liked sunny spots along the edge of the reed bed where they could find flowers with nectar to sup.

Although they normally prefer feeding on yellow flag iris and ragged robin, these were in short supply so they settled for dog rose and bramble instead. 

Hickling Broad boasts charming thatched bird hides, including the Cadbury Hide overlooking the water.

A longer walk around the perimeter of the reserve

We returned to the now-open visitor center at Hickling Broad Nature Reserve to pay and get a map. The ranger highlighted key spots for potential sightings.

We followed his suggestion and took the woodland trail, spotted a Whitethroat, climbed to the View Point overlooking Bygraves Marsh, then walked by the reed beds to Bittern Hide.

No Bitterns, so we turned right to the Observation Hut overlooking the river. Despite the warm weather, we appreciated the glazed windows shielding us from the stiff breeze off the water.

Shortly after, a female Marsh Harrier flew past the hut towards the water. She passed close by, offering my camera a clear view of her cream-coloured head.

We took the boardwalk shortcut across the reed beds to the main path near the next View Point. A narrow bridge spanned the wettest area, barely wide enough to put both feet side by side!

We returned to the car via Secker's and Cadbury hides, stopped for shopping and refreshments, then headed back to the hotel. 

We had one more day in Norfolk to look forward to.

Practical Travel Guide

Keen to go on your own Swallowtail adventure? If you don’t mind other people around, then from our experience, you will have a better chance of seeing Swallowtail butterflies at Hickling Broad.

Aim to visit between May and July, (although sometimes there will be a second brood in August/September) and make sure to pack waterproof footwear, a good camera, and a pair of binoculars. 

We stayed at the Premier Inn in Norwich, and Strumpshaw was only a short car journey away. It was a longer drive to Hickling, but still manageable for a day trip.

Check out my Nature Walk Checklist if you are packing for a trip.

A final day at Strumpshaw Fen

We returned to Strumpshaw Fen on the Sunday as we had missed out Fen Hide on Friday.

As I hoped we had wonderful views of Marsh Harriers from here. One after the other, both a male then a female perched on a dead tree right in front of the hide for us. What a treat! 

We may have seen Bearded Reedlings, but I couldn't confirm, so they didn't make my year list.

However, nature offered a final treat as we left Norfolk.

At the Reception Hide on the way out, we missed a Bittern but spotted an otter swimming by!

Reflections and Takeaways

Although it took two years to finally witness the breathtaking flight of the Swallowtail, the journey was worth every moment.

The natural world holds countless wonders, and my trip to Norfolk has only fueled my passion to seek them out. I hope you’ll be inspired to explore these treasures for yourself.

 

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