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Sunday 12 June 2022

Frogs, Flies, Bees and Butterflies

Another early morning outing - acting upon information received as they say. An email from Dawn and Jim alerting me to the presence of yet more Frog Orchid x Common Spotted Orchid hybrids. Dactylorhiza viridis x Dactylorhiza fuchsii is known as Dactylorhiza x mixtumAll very complicated yet the resulting flowers are pleasingly simple - uncomplicated.

Having a precise grid reference helps enormously - using the app on my mobile enabled me get within a couple of metres of the target and then it was down to the Mark 1 eyeball. Once you have seen one then the eye is conditioned to identify a target amidst a sea of other orchids. 

Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum





Dactylorhiza x mixtum





Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum





Dactylorhiza x mixtum





Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum




Dactylorhiza x mixtum



Having recorded at least six specimens I moved on in search of other species, a tad difficult as there were literally thousands of Common Spotted Orchids present. Of course it's about knowing where to look and from the experience of previous years I located around a dozen spikes of Fly Orchid, Ophrys insectifera. Here and there I found even more Frog Orchids, they really do seem to have had a good year and some of the spikes are larger than usual.


Fly Orchid




Fly Orchid





Common Spotted Orchid and Bumblebee




Frog Orchid




Frog Orchid



Next on the agenda was the Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera and I wasn't disappointed, finding half a dozen fresh specimens. Oddly the inverse on the Fly Orchid in that I found them in a new location rather than where they usually are - the unpredictability of nature!


Bee Orchid




Bee Orchid




Bee Orchid


By now the sun was getting some strength and some really fresh Marbled Whites, Melanargia galathea were on the wing. Then a couple of fresh out of the box Dark Green Fritillaries, Speyaria aglaja put in an appearance and one was happy nectaring on a dandelion and so was duly recorded.




Marbled White (m)




Dark Green Fritillary



Thursday 9 June 2022

Lesser Butterfly Orchids

 Having received a precise location for Lesser Butterfly Orchid, Platanthera bifolia and that there were at least twenty fresh stems visible, I decided that an early morning visit to the New Forest had to be made.  So this morning I rose at 0500, made a brew, well you can't go anywhere without a cup of tea inside you, and set off at 0530. It was a glorious morning, bright sunshine and empty roads making for a pleasant and fairly rapid journey to the Forest beyond Lyndhurst.

By 0700 I had parked up and set off on what I intended to be a circumnavigation of a fairly large Inclosure, the problem being there was nowhere to park adjacent to the orchids. Well the upshot was that I had to negotiate some pretty rough boggy ground but I arrived at the said location and true to the word received, there were some nice fresh Lesser Butterfly Orchids to be recorded. 































On the way I had managed to snap a few Heath Spotted Orchids, Dactylorhiza maculata. So, all in all a satisfying result that made a straightforward return journey along the easy rides of the Inclosure all the more pleasant.

Note: In the New Forest enclosures are called Inclosures a name given to an area of land originally 'enclosed' by fences.

Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata




Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata




Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata




Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata




Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata




Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata




Heath Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza maculata


When I arrived back at the car it was exactly three hours since I had set off so I was in need of a drink and some sustenance. I grabbed my sandwiches and headed off to a green patch where I could sit comfortably. Lo and behold, just 50 yards from the car I found a patch of 30 of the orchids that I had just laboured for three hours to record. "Well I'm blowed" I said.









I have a high regard for Foxgloves, Digitalis purpurea -  as they are great garden plants that attract a host of bees. I came across a small clearing in the forest and it was obvious how opportunistic they are. As soon as felled timber allows light in, they germinate immediately and after two years are producing huge spikes until the canopy closes in once again.










Friday 3 June 2022

On the Sussex Downs

 Travel to foreign parts is all very rewarding - loads of exotic orchids and other botany but it is also satisfying to do the local patch. Yes - I know it's repetitive but it is also reassuring to know that small populations of fragile species are continuing to thrive.  So first up was a trip out onto the Downs to see  a stand of Birds-nest Orchids, Neottia nidus avis. 

I have monitored these for a good few years and the most satisfying thing is that when I arrive at the site I can see the dead stalks from the previous year in the gloom of the beech wood. Confirming that probably very few people have been there. Sadly this year I was a bit previous and there were twelve stems just emerging. Needing a specimen to photograph I cast about the woodland and managed to find at least another dozen plants, some in full bloom so I was happy.



Birds-nest Orchids, Neottia nidus-avis




Birds-nest Orchids, Neottia nidus-avis




Birds-nest Orchids, Neottia nidus-avis



Birds-nest Orchids, Neottia nidus-avis


Next outing was a bit of a round trip locally, starting on the coast to see and record a population of Marsh Orchids. Both Early Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza incarnata and Southern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza praetermissa grow here along with Common Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii. Of course knowing how promiscuous orchids can be, there is a healthy population of hybrids which confuses just about everyone. One of the benefits can be "hybrid vigour" resulting in some very large stems indeed.


Southern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza praetermissa



Southern Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza praetermissa



Early Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza incarnata 



Early Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza incarnata 



Common Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii


Second visit was an attempt to count Frog Orchids, Dactylorhiza viridis. The problem was that try as I might  I couldn't find any, then as I stood there pondering, I looked down and there at my feet a single specimen. Duly recorded but I was puzzled that I couldn't get my eye in and find more. I did notice some very pale specimens of Common Spotted Orchids and made a note to myself to make a return visit to find var. albiflora.


 Frog OrchidDactylorhiza viridis 


Third site was a failure in that no orchids were showing, this protected roadside strip usually hosts masses of Pyramidal Orchids, along with the ubiquitous Commons and a sprinkling of Bee Orchids. However, it was pleasing that the contractors haven't driven a mower through it.

Fast forward a few days and I was making a return visit for Frog Orchids and a search for a white CSO. Everything had come on leaps and bounds, I stopped counting Frogs sometime after I reached 35 and there were plenty of white orchids to be inspected. None were completely free of anthocyanin, present as small purple spots on the labellum so could not be counted a var. albiflora



Frog OrchidDactylorhiza viridis 



Frog OrchidDactylorhiza viridis 



Frog OrchidDactylorhiza viridis 




Frog OrchidDactylorhiza viridis 



Common Spotted OrchidDactylorhiza fuchsii



Common Spotted OrchidDactylorhiza fuchsii



Common Spotted OrchidDactylorhiza fuchsii




Common Spotted OrchidDactylorhiza fuchsii




Common Spotted OrchidDactylorhiza fuchsii



Six-spot Burnet Moth,Zygaena filipendulae


Next evening I received an email from Dawn and Jim, they, well Dawn, had found a Frog Orchid x Common Spotted Orchid. Looking at the coordinates on Google earth I had been standing within 5ft of it the day before and had not noticed its presence. So an early morning foray was called for and I set out before 0630 and the coordinates were so good that I had found and recorded it before 0700.



Dactylorhiza viridis x fuchsii



Dactylorhiza viridis x fuchsii






Dactylorhiza viridis x fuchsii


With spare time before breakfast I hopped to another of my favourite Sussex venues. Hopefully to catch up with some Chalk Fragrant Orchids, Gymnadenia conopsea and Bee Orchids, Ophrys apifera. Success on both counts and an added bonus that the first brood Adonis Blues were emerging in good numbers.


Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gynadenia conopsea




Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gynadenia conopsea




Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gynadenia conopsea

Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Gynadenia conopsea




Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera




Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera




Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera




Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera

Copulating pairs of Adonis Blues  were everywhere, some of the females with wings that had yet to be "inflated" were fending off suitors. Others were happily perched creating the second brood which emerges in August.



Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus




Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus



Adonis Blue (f), Polyommatus bellargus



Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus




Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus


On the way down through the dean it was obvious where the cattle had spent most of the night, there was an abundance of fresh cow pats and the butterflies were not being hesitant. If I had had the time I would have staked out a likely pat and settled down until the surface was completely covered in butterflies, such is their desire for whatever the steaming brown object holds.


Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus




Adonis Blue, Polyommatus bellargus

As I made my way to the car I met a couple of walkers, probably doing a section of the South Downs Way. Noticing my camera they enquired as to what I had been photographing. "Orchids" said I, "Orchids?" was the incredulous reply. So I related to them where they might find such wonders but as they say "Some fell on stony ground"