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.

marsh fritillary

Another species on my wish list for this spring was marsh fritillary.

Every time I seem to visit this site it clouds over and the insects stop flying. I leave and the sun appears. When I arrived, the sun had disappeared, so I sat and waited. Still no action, so it was time for early lunch, or was it second breakfast?

After an hour the sun appeared and within a minute the first fritillary made a short low flight. after a few minutes something at least 12 were on the wing, some were quite obliging for the camera.


water avens








marsh fritillary

Couldn't find any dingy skippers or singing nightingales, but the fritillaries alone were well worth the effort.

Apparently a unofficial release several years ago, the colony appears to be established. As long as they came from the closest suitable subpopulation, I have no problem with this at all. Local distinctiveness should be followed if possible in all such introductions, I believe.

Green Winged Orchids

Finally managed a trip for the Green-winged Orchids. They are quite an early flowering orchid, and in the past I've been too late. This year they were high on my hit-list.

The field held over a hundred spikes and was truly impressive. They are known for their colour variation and this field full was no exception, varying from a deep purple, to light pink to pure white. They also varied enormously in size.


Unlike some other orchids (such as bee) they stuck out like a sore thumb and were easy to find. The field was out in the middle of nowhere, amongst a sea of rape seed. A tiny island of biodiversity. Wonderous, precious, but sad.