UFO

Unidentified orchids.

I think this is just a common spotted orchid. But if so, why on earth did it appear to be the only one amongst several hundred southern marsh orchids?




common spotted orchid


UFO

Same plant as above. Not sure what on earth this is - very narrow lower lips on the flowers, but not folded over like early marsh. Was close to the common spotted orchid, but does not appear to ba a hybrid of it (no spots on leaves).

southern marsh

Some of the southern marsh orchids at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe











southern marsh orchids

Also a pleasure to see large numbers of common butterflies, moths and dragonflies. Mostly small heath, common blue, azure damselfy, large red damselfly, 4-spot chaser.

A hobby hawked for a few minutes before heading for the saly marsh.


small heath


flag iris


flag iris in the fresh water marsh


4-spotted chaser

early marsh

Flushed with the major success of the greater butterfly, I moved on to Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe NNR to try and find some early marsh orchids amongst the no-doubt numerous southern marsh orchids.

Eventually, I found three patches, but they really were heavily outnumbered by the southern marsh orchids. They appear to be the ssp incarnata.

Also found was a single common spotted orchid (although I feel a little uneasy about this - why only one amongst the masses of southern marsh orchid?), plus a few I really couldn't put a name to.....hybrids maybe.














early marsh orchid ssp incarnata

The fresh water marsh here really is a naturalists paradise, even if a little too busy for misanthropic me (other naturalists excepted of course...well, some of them anyhow)....and don't get me started with the dog walkers and dog poo. EVEN with all that it is still paradise.

Really must stay down here one evening for the natterjack toads. A mission for next year.

greater butterfly

After the failure of a similar mission last year, it was with great pleasure that I found my first greater butterfly orchid today. ....all the sweeter for the waiting. And what a stunning plant.

A different wood this time, and one which I knew had recently been opened up along one sunny bank a few years ago. This must have done the trick.......just what the long dormant greater butterflies had been waiting for.

With a blocked-up nose due to a cold I could not sample the supposed sweet vanilla scent. Apparently, the scent increases at night to attract long-tongued moths such as silver-Y and elephant hawk moths - now that would be wonderful to observe some time.

the yellow pollen-carrying fingers diverge in greater butterfly orchid

greater butterfly orchid

also starred- a few early purple orchid (above) plus several twayblade

plus a young bush cricket - not sure what type

Twayblade

Despite a few hours wandering around Scotton Common, no heath spotted orchids could be found. As compensation, 230+ spikes of common twayblade were closeby.

They appear very variable in size and shape, with some plants also having bizzarely huge leaves.






common twayblade

I assume the columbine plants were wild and not garden escapes, although they do look a bit violet on these photos. I remember them as being more dark blue than shown here. Maybe the FZ7 is playing up.




wild(?) columbine

Burnt Tip

With some research, I managed to track down this absolutely tiny field (less than 2 acres) that holds burnt tip orchid. Although heavily outnumbered by green winged orchids, I quickly found a group. They are very small, less than 10cm, but eye-catching and superbly formed.

These are the 'early form' which flower May-June. The 'late form' flowers July-August and is taller, which makes sense as all surrounding plants are then taller. I would guess none are produced on this site, as the surrounding sword is pretty tall even now.

The green-winged orchids at this meadow site are also very small, with none bigger than 12cm.


Another tiny oasis amongst the monoculture crying out to be expanded. SSSI's now carry with them an obligation for the owner to manage them to a favourable condition. Maybe the next step is for the biodiversity on the site to be secured by expanding each site to a suitable size.










Burnt-tip Orchid

Seem to be getting hooked on this weedin' lark. At the moment it's more fulfilling than the birding........although I really must get out down the local pits for Turtle Dove - I've not heard or seen one yet.