Thought you might like to share our appreciation for this current resident of our garden. It's known as a "Common Swallowtail" and is very rare in the UK. Evidently some East Anglian fens occasionally host a small population.
It's rather demeaning to call this magnificent creature common though, don't you think? I rather think he's one of nature's royalty!
Common Swallowtails are found across most of Europe and normally fly from April to September. Here we are, 28ºC in the shade on October 3rd, and this beauty evidently enjoys the free lunch he gets from the nectar of our Lantana flowers...
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On the evening of September 21st, we played host to some friends for an al fresco dinner. They all tucked into the superb Moussaka which Kyria Levkosia, from Halki, had very kindly made for me to bring home with me. See this post.
Before they came I thought I'd snap the dinner table, laid in readiness for the guests to arrive...
I'm glad to report that everyone present commented that they'd never eaten such a good Moussaka.
Kyria Levkosia's reputation is intact folks.
What an amazing view!! Plus good food and good company. Sounds like a great evening.
ReplyDeleteYea Judy, we do appreciate having that view all year round!!
DeleteA 'common swallowtail' landed on my hand in Kefalonia and now, every time I see one, I hold my hand in the air hoping this will happen again. I saw lots last week in Rhodes and waved my hands in the air frequently without success. So, if you've recently seen a woman of a certain age, waving her hands in the air in the vicinity of butterflies, that was why ..........
ReplyDeleteSue
And there was me thinking it was the drink...
DeleteAnd, as I told you the other evening,John, (was it only Saturday?) Norfolk broads are home to swallowtails as well as your somewhat vague 'East Anglian Fens' .
ReplyDeleteSafely home by the way, and back held up very well on a packed flight with no chance to move an inch!
Vicki
Hey, come on now, they're not "my" East Anglian Fens. You can blame the dodgy info on Wikipedea for that!! Anyway, to us Westerners - Norfolk Broads, East Anglian Fens, what's the difference, it's east of Reading and therefore uncharted territory to us folk with straws in our mouths. To an American, of course, a Norfolk Broad's probably an apt description of you!!
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