Lizard Orchids in Kent

Another orchid foray into deep,deep,deepest Kent, all the way to Sandwich Bay. Lizard Orchids were the target and we were visiting the colony at Royal St. Georges golf course. Orchid hunting is either - turn up, see orchids - often in huge numbers, or of course, the reverse. A single small orchid and very hard to find. Today's excursion very much fell into the first category.

We left early morning and, for once, had an uneventful journey, only the closure of the toll bridge in Sandwich causing a minor diversion. We decided to head for the beach via the private toll road and approach the golf course from the sea and as we turned down King's Avenue Martin said " I think I've seen one". Sure enough in the gardens and hedgerows were Lizard Orchids, tall flowering spikes that the residents had mown around. This was definitely going to be a doddle. We turned down the opportunity to photograph the first specimens and continued with our plan to park on the beach road. As we parked up and left the car we could see Lizard Orchids just about everywhere, hundreds of them in the dunes gently swaying in the breeze.

Recorded for posterity, the two spikes that greeted us as we parked up.

No difficulty in finding them

Lizard Orchid, Himantoglossum hircinum

Lots of little lizards.

Lizard Orchid, Himantoglossum hircinum

Lizard Orchid, Himantoglossum hircinum

Plenty yet to bloom.

Lizard Orchid, Himantoglossum hircinum

Lizard Orchid, Himantoglossum hircinum

In the dunes were plenty of purple lollipops of the Pyramidal Orchid.

Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis

Pyramidal Orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis

Plenty of really bright Viper's Bugloss, Echium vulgare  in flower and the bumblebees were happy.

Sea Holly, Eryngium maritimum, sadly no flowers yet.

Next site was a revisit to Park Gate Down, only because there had been a report that Musk Orchids were in bloom in the third field. We had a bit of a shock as we entered the reserve, a sea of Chalk Fragrant Orchids clothed the slopes of all three fields. Not only the fragrants, huge numbers of Common Spotted Orchids were all in flower. I recorded a few and then went off in search of anything unusual and I managed to find an almost white CSO and the white form of CFO Var. albiflora. 

Chalk Fragrant Orchid

Chalk Fragrant Orchid

Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea

Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea

Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea

Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea Var. albiflora

An almost white specimen of the Common Spotted Orchid, Dactyorhiza fuchsii

In the third field we found Greater Butterfly Orchids which I recorded. 

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera chlorantha

The search for Musk Orchids had proved fruitless so I sat down and had my lunch pondering what to do next. There were lots of small dried up Common Twayblades and these were distracting - just similar enough to the Musk to cause you study more closely.

I was just about to give up when I spotted a tiny little pale yellow spike nestling in the grass. As this area was a tad vulnerable I did a careful search to ensure that we would not damage anything before photographing the diminutive and delicate subject. In the end we found three, two normal size and one that really amounted to a half.

Musk Orchid, Herminium monorchis

Musk Orchid, Herminium monorchis

Well we were certainly having a good day. Then Martin suggested we revisit the Late Spider Orchid site. We had visited nearly a month earlier and all the specimens were in tight bud. I have a criterion that to tick an orchid then at least one flower must be open and visible. After that visit I went off to the Pyrenees but Martin had returned and recorded the orchids. I had given up seeing one this year but magically several were still in bloom and one or two looking fresh.

Late Spider Orchid, Ophrys fuciflora

Late Spider Orchid, Ophrys fuciflora

Late Spider Orchid, Ophrys fuciflora

So the end of a great day where we saw at least 10 species of orchid and amazingly the Lizards were the first I have seen in the UK. I have a suspicion that our orchid hunting will start to get a little more difficult from here on in - but I have to admit it has been great fun so far.

Military Orchids

Another perambulation in the English countryside, this time a trip into Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. I have seen Military Orchids abroad but not at home. So, having returned home from the Pyrenees, and having completed a fair amount of the outstanding chores I was allowed out. 

We made an early morning start for Holmfield Wood, a nature reserve just outside Marlow. Our best efforts to avoid the traffic failed and we endured what seemed to be an inordinately long journey. As with all orchid hunts we were acting on partial information, mostly from the internet and of course never quite complete. After a minor error we were in the correct location and with the help of another orchid hunter were amongst some fine specimens of Orchis militaris. Most of them were just past their best, showing some damage and browning of the blooms. However, one or two specimens were well worth a photograph or two.

Military Orchid

Military Orchid

Military Orchid

Military Orchid

Military Orchid

Fly Orchids were present but I was pleased to find a single specimen of the Bee Orchid in flower, there is something about an Ophrys that says "Photograph me" and I duly obliged.

Bee Orchid

Bee Orchid

Also there was a small group of pale Common Spotted Orchids that also begged to be recorded, judging by the flattened grass in front of them I wasn't alone in recording them.

Common Spotted Orchid

Plenty of Common Twayblades about.

Next visit was to Warburg Nature Reserve, Martin had some information that there was a Lesser Butterfly Orchid in bloom and as it is on our target list we just had to pay a call. The information board at the unattended visitor centre also gave locations for both Lesser and Greater but we could not find them. Despite searching widely, all we could find were sundry Common Spotted Orchids and a lone White Helleborine. I hasten to add that we didn't look for Bird's Nest Orchids, which, I was informed later, are quite numerous.

Then a change of county, disappointed, we headed off for Hartslock Nature reserve which is adjacent to Goring on Thames in Berkshire, just a tad further along the river from Goring railway bridge where we had a memorable encounter with an emerging Common Clubtail dragonfly. Luckily we met another orchideer who was returning to the railway station where we had parked and he gave us information on the location of some fresher specimens. I recorded the fading Lady x Monkey hybrids that the site is famous for and went in search of Monkey Orchids.  When I photographed them I had the distinct impression that they were pure Monkeys. However, processing the photographs at home nagging doubts set in that these just might have a touch of Lady in them. Such is the world of orchids, nothing is ever straightforward and you can never be quite sure of the parentage of some specimens.

Lady x Monkey hybrid

Lady x Monkey hybrid

Lady x Monkey hybrid

Monkey Orchid??

Monkey Orchid??

Monkey Orchid??

Monkey Orchid??