Local orchid excitement!

In the last few days there has been much local orchid excitement. Being just a 10 minute drive from home and with hospitable hosts it has been a real pleasure. 

At the same location as the mystery Northern Marsh Orchids last month (which are still present) a small handful of the scarce 'alba' variation of Common Spotted Orchid have popped up amongst many of more standard colouration. It's a plant I have wanted to see for a long time and have lost count of the number of times I have bent down to look at one I thought was a pure alba only to find it had faint markings! Into the bargain, at the same spot was also a Bee Orchid var. flavescens alongside a 'normal' one. 

Fast forward a couple of days and less than 100 yards away from there the rare Bee Orchid var. fulvofuscus with it's chocolate coloured unmarked lip was found so I just had to check that one out too. Again the landowners were most welcoming and with c100 Bee Orchids at the location I also found a Bee Orchid var. chlorantha. Amazing to think that 4 different variations of the species are present in such a small area!

While out and about I also checked Flordon Common with Keven - many Southern Marsh Orchids, including some 'schoenaphila' specimens, a few Common Spotted Orchids and the curious moth Dark-dotted Longhorn, Nematopogon metaxella