Chilling in the meadow! 1 June 2018

My local wildflower meadow is one of my favourite places to go when I need some peace and quiet and my nature 'fix'. It also has the benefit of being botanically very good!

This afternoon I spent a relaxing hour or so there and was pleased to see Suffolk's only Frog Orchids are now up. I counted 12 plants but there are no doubt more. As usual both 'red' and 'green' forms were present. Wandering about, most of the Green-winged Orchids are now well past their best but one was enhanced by a Mother Shipton moth which alighted on it briefly! A blue female Common Blue posed nicely for my camera and then I located a single Common Twayblade which I've never seen at the site before. A Yellowhammer sang and as I was leaving a Grey Partridge flew from the roadside.

Mother Shipton on Green-winged Orchid

Common Blue, female of the blue form

Common Twayblade

Frog Orchids

 Green-winged Orchid, var. alba

A splosh around on Buxton Heath, 31 May 2018

With a little spare time after chores and a visit to see Mum and Dad I ventured out to Buxton Heath for the first time in ages.

I concentrated my efforts in the wet valley finding loads of 'pulchella' Early Marsh Orchids, a confusing array of hybrids (again!), Common Spotted Orchid and eventually a couple of Heath Spotted Orchids. While sploshing about I chanced upon a couple of early emerging Keeled Skimmers, a male Broad-bodied Chaser and several Four-spotted Chasers plus Common Blue butterfly, Latticed Heath moths and a Common Butterwort.

Broad-bodied Chaser

Keeled Skimmer

Heath Spotted Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid or hybrid

'pulchella' Early Marsh Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

Hybrid - probably Early Marsh x Common Spotted

A monster hybrid

Probable Heath Spotted Orchid

Ragged Robin

Common Butterwort

     Latticed Heath

Serapias lingua, 30 May 2018

After the discovery of Serapias lingua, Greater Tongue Orchid in Essex last year we were keen to see them in their prime this year. And boy are they in their prime at the moment! Jus and I counted 36 flowering plants, all of which were in tip top condition. Jus did however manage to lay in a pile of dog shit while at the site! A Holly Blue also showed nicely nearby.

Moving on we had a timely message about 2 Black-winged Stilts which had just been found at Pipp's Ford so we scooted along there to get some distant but very acceptable views with Little Grebe and Stock Dove also there.

With just enough light left we managed to locate a single Birds Nest Orchid following some kindly given directions. Photographing it was a real challenge in the almost dark conditions! A male Sparrowhawk dashed over the field on the walk back and then on the way home a Little Owl showed on a telegraph pole near Stowupland.

Yearlist = 209

Greater Tongue Orchid, Serapias lingua

Holly Blue

      Birds Nest Orchid

Confusing Dacts and Military Manoeuvres, 29 May 2018

A lovely evening out orchiding after work. I visited Theltenham Fen, a site I know well on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. The show of orchids here at the moment is spectacular with the mosy numerous being 'incarnata' Early Marsh Orchids. Amongst them a few Southern Marsh Orchids are to be found, just a single Common Spotted coming out and then hybrids! Oh my word there are a bewildering array. Some who's parentage is reasonably clear but others not so. Southern Marsh x Common Spotted and Early Marsh x Southern Marsh were picked out but who knows what else lurks there. A single specimen of what would once have been called Pugsley's or Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid was also found. A Cuckoo was giving it some at the back of the fen.

'incarnata' Early Marsh Orchids

Southern Marsh Orchids

Hybrid, presumed Common Spotted x Southern or Early Marsh

Hybrid, presumed Southern Marsh x Early Marsh

 Hybrid, presumed Southern Marsh x Common Spotted

The orchid once known as Pugsley's Marsh Orchid

 Common Spotted Orchid

With plenty of evening left I decided on a quick dash down to the Rex Graham Reserve down near Barton Mills. This is the first time I've visited outside of their annual open days but the gate on the smaller of the 2 chalk pits was open so I could easily go in a fill my boots with Military Orchids and a few Common Twayblades to round of a splendid evening.

Military Orchids

 Common Twayblades

My birthday weekend in Derbyshire, 25 - 28 May 2018

A long weekend in the Derbyshire Peak District for my birthday. We'd booked a B&B in Rowsley for 4 days of walking, chilling and of course a bit of birding and botanising!

The Friday was wet so we visited Haddon Hall and by mid-afternoon it had dried u so we went walking. A Dipper by the footbridge in Bakewell was a nice yeartick but a walk on Stanton Moor was in very thick fog so a singing Tree Pipit, loads of Willow Warblers and Stonechat was all I could muster.

On Saturday it had brightened up so we took ourselves up onto Stanage Edge for a long ridge walk up to High Neb and back round. Along and just below the ridge were c5 pairs of Ring Ouzels with some great views of singing birds to be had. 3 Red Grouse were also new birds for the year and I also added Raven, Common Buzzard, Cuckoo, Stonechat and Reed Bunting. One of my main aims for the weekend was to re-aquaint myself with an orchid I'd not seen for about 15 years. Our first attempt that afternoon resulted in failure with just loads of Early Purple Orchids, 2 Wall Browns and 3 Dingy Skippers being seen. I settled on the thought that they must have not emerged yet because the Early Purples were all still in pristine condition. Until I got confirmation they were out earlier in the week! Cue an trip back in the early evening, more gate and barbed wire climbing and within a few minutes I'd found my quarry - Burnt Orchids! On one small area of west-facing hillside I went on to find 12 plants. After having my fill of them we retired to a nearby pub for a celebratory pint and a meal!

Sunday saw us walking Padley Gorge from Grindleford Station where I eventually located Pied Flycatcher after much looking plus Nuthatch, Grey Wagtails and 2 Treecreepers. An afternoon walk along Curbar and Froggatt Edges revealed virtually nothing except lovely views. Another Dipper was on the Derwent at Rowsley on an after dinner stroll.

We did a short walk along the Cromford Canal in the Derwent Valley on Monday morning which resulted in Garden Warbler and Grey Wagtail but little else until a singing Nightingale by the A6175 at Holmewood, in NE Derbyshire on the way home.

Yearlist = 208

Burnt Orchids

    Dingy Skipper