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