2011 UK Orchid season updates (1 Viewer)

[Paul Pearson]

Morning all

I am on holiday in Norfolk in the first week of June (3 to 10th) and would like to try and see Fen Orchid if possible. I saw the Kenfig ssp a few years ago.

Can anyone help with a suggested site? Do PM me if you think the info might be sensitive.

Looking at the dates of postings last year I sense I might be a tad early? (edit: but its an early year isnt it?) Also given the difficulty of finding such a comparatively demure orchid, directions are always going to be tricky I know.

Thanks in advance

Paul

 

[leptochila]

Morning all

I am on holiday in Norfolk in the first week of June (3 to 10th) and would like to try and see Fen Orchid if possible. I saw the Kenfig ssp a few years ago.

Can anyone help with a suggested site? Do PM me if you think the info might be sensitive.

Looking at the dates of postings last year I sense I might be a tad early? (edit: but its an early year isnt it?) Also given the difficulty of finding such a comparatively demure orchid, directions are always going to be tricky I know.

Thanks in advance

Paul

I was about to post pretty much exactly the same message...weird!

But yes, if anyone would like to swing some info my way regarding the Norfolk Fen orchids, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike.

 

[lizard orchid]

Will be interested to hear when all of you see Lizard Orchid in flower in various parts of the UK. Will be interested to know how many Lizards flower at the Bristol site. Looks like what with everything being early the Lizard Orchid will be out early too.
Many thanks all.

Brian Laney.

 

[heakl]

Will be interested to hear when all of you see Lizard Orchid in flower in various parts of the UK. Will be interested to know how many Lizards flower at the Bristol site. Looks like what with everything being early the Lizard Orchid will be out early too.
Many thanks all.

Brian Laney.

Hello Brian,
I only know of one Lizard site near Stroud and its only one plant, it flowered last year before being trampled by cattle, this year its just a couple of small leaves and will definitely not flower, I'm on the look out and will keep you posted.

Alan

 

[maybug]

I understang the lizards near Bristol are just coming into flower.
Maybug

 

[childhood memories]

Tried looking for Birds nest orchids near Marlow yesterday with no sucess - don't know if it's me or the orchids! - But did drop in to the Military site - quite a good show plus lots of twyblades, common spotted and fly orchids

 

[leptochila]

Anglesey orchids.

A 14 hour round trip from Aberystwyth to Anglesey for a tour of the unusual collection of orchid flora brought some very pleasing finds. Most notably was the presence of 3 Fly orchids just coming into flower at Cors Bodeilio NNR in the centre of the reserve accompanied by an odd range of other orchid species such as Narrow-leaved Marsh orchid, Heath Fragrant orchid, Heath Spotted orchid, Early Marsh orchid (subsp. incarnata and pulchella), Common Twayblade and Common Spotted orchid.

Cors Goch NNR also held a similar range of species with particularly large robust stands of Narrow-leaved Marsh orchid and Heath Fragrant orchids on the adjacent limestone grassland along with some fine Early Purple orchids (still in full flower!).
The final stop at Fedr Fawr NT reserve on the east coast of the island yielded large numbers of Heath Fragrant orchids (mostly in bud) and Heath Spotted orchids but unfortunately no Lesser Butterflys.

An excellent if very tiring day!

Mike.

 

[maybug]

Tried looking for Birds nest orchids near Marlow yesterday with no sucess - don't know if it's me or the orchids! - But did drop in to the Military site - quite a good show plus lots of twyblades, common spotted and fly orchids

Birds' nest orchids at the Military site were over two weeks ago. Early for that site. At that time there was also one butterfly orchid in the open but a poor show in the woodland. White helleborines were excellent, but it has been a good year for them everywhere, I think.

 

[lizard orchid]

I understang the lizards near Bristol are just coming into flower.
Maybug

Yes, heard and seen a pic on here. That is early.

Brian Laney.

 

[Isurus]

early purples, spotteds and looseflowereds have all been in flower in guernsey for a while now. even so I was a bit surprised to find this in a patch of rough grass in the middle of a stately home car park:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deep-blue/5776368942/in/photostream

 

[eadem]

Musk Orchids out in full flower in West Sussex.

 

[lizard orchid]

Tried looking for Birds nest orchids near Marlow yesterday with no sucess - don't know if it's me or the orchids! - But did drop in to the Military site - quite a good show plus lots of twyblades, common spotted and fly orchids

Sorry to hear you did not get birds nest at this site. The flowering season has thrown me off course this year with many species being early.

Brian Laney, Northamptonshire.

 

[heakl]

dact again

Photos taken in a boggy hollow in the Cotswolds, the plant was in a colony of Common Spotted but was far more robust and has exceptionally long bracts. No other orchids seen in the area, ID if you can please.

Alan

 

[rmielcarek]

Photos taken in a boggy hollow in the Cotswolds, the plant was in a colony of Common Spotted but was far more robust and has exceptionally long bracts. No other orchids seen in the area, ID if you can please.

Alan

I've seen quite a few apparent hybrids that have very long bracts (I can remember one plant where they stuck out sideways so it looked like a hat stand). Lip shape looks a bit off for a Common Spotted as well.

It is not unusual to find apparent hybrids without a second parent appearing to be present. I have a local site which I have been checking regularly for a number of years and only found Southern Marsh and yet this last week 4 plants have appeared that all seem to be hybrids - they are definitely not Southern Marsh.

Rich M

 

[Dog]

Musk Orchids out in full flower in West Sussex.

I haven,t seen Musk Orchid since the 80's when I saw them near Selbourne, I was wondering if anybody has seen them at Chequers in recent years or know about a reserve near Leighton Buzzard which has them on.

Mike.

 

[Xenospiza]

A visit to the two "white Bee Orchid" sites I know in Harlow yielded a single plant that had just started flowering.
For anyone wanting to travel: it is visible through a razor wire-topped fence!

Sadly, numbers of "normal" Bee Orchids on my way to work have dropped precipitously since the council turned Conservative and mowing regimes were changed.

 

[rmielcarek]

Common Spotted variation

Common Spotted appearing in very good numbers locally. I spent some time yesterday at a spot that had about 1000 and the variation is enormous.

I thought heakl would like the first picture of a plant with long bracts, it was really big as well.

There were also a handful of plants that wouldn't look out of place in a colony of Heath Spotted (second and third pics), although I doubt they are that species, just probably an extreme of Common.

The final picture is of a plant that was just plain weird - odd coloured stem. loose inflorescence, heavily reflexed lip.

Rich M

 

[rmielcarek]

Common Spotted part 2

Quite a few of the plants at yesterday's site showed quite heavy pigmentation on the lip, as you can see from these photos.

Rich M

 

[heakl]

Quite a few of the plants at yesterday's site showed quite heavy pigmentation on the lip, as you can see from these photos.

Rich M

Thanks Rich M
Yes, very interesting and informative photos and comments. I'm sure there are many visitors to the forum who will agree.

Alan

 

[ceterach]

New Forest Butterfly

A spectacular display of Lesser Butterfly Orchid at one site in the New Forest this year. Literally thousands of plants scattered amongst Heather and Bracken.

All the best

John