2012 UK Orchid season updates (6 Viewers)

[leptochila]

Well done James, a brilliant post, many thanks.

I rather think there is sufficient interest and its likely to continue into future seasons, I'll be the first one to invite you to start a separate thread.

Alan

Very interesting stuff so I second that request; start up a new thread!

As for the Parkgate Down plant, here are my photos of it from 05 when I also stumbled across it by accident looking for Musks. I've also included a photo of a Bee orchid from Parkgate which I found in 2010 - could be related to the hybrid.

One last one for James - have definite pure LSO ever been recorded at Parkgate? I've never seen one or even heard of one there.

Mike.

 

[Isurus]

While struggling across the country this year with an expensive and increasingly heavy CANON kit - SLR, various lenses, tripod etc.. I have been repeatedly embarrassed by the the stunning performance of my wife's £90 LUMIX 'top pocket' compact which frequently out-competes me, whether snapping orchids or butterflies, but is particularly good in low light and has a brilliant quick focussing 1cm macro capability.

Consequently I have begun to look at bridge cameras and would appreciate any views or personal experience with these before I consign my current kit to my heritage camera collection!

It would seem that the usual suspects produce the best models i.e. CANON, NIKON, LUMIX ???

Amusingly, I'm in a similar boat, a while back I was passing a local site for loose-flowered orchid and decided to stop and see if anything was out. It was and I had only my phone. My samsung phone has taken some better pictures of some orchids than my d300 so far this year. For others it has been near unusable interestingly.

 

[IJS]

It turns out Ian (IJS) was around on the same day but unfortunately I got there too late to cross paths!

Mike.

Ah so I had left before you got there. Pity would have been good to meet up. Maybe next time.

I noticed a range of colours for the dark reds too. I dont recall seeing any green versions though. Will have to check back through my pics to see if there were any. Only spotted one broadleaved on its way up though, you must have keener eyes than me!

 

[leptochila]

Ah so I had left before you got there. Pity would have been good to meet up. Maybe next time.

I noticed a range of colours for the dark reds too. I dont recall seeing any green versions though. Will have to check back through my pics to see if there were any. Only spotted one broadleaved on its way up though, you must have keener eyes than me!

Hi Ian

Yes, my mom decided to drive in her new clio which she hadn't taken on the motorway until saturday so the pace was a little slower than normal, consequently, we were a little later than billed

Indeed, there was actually only one plant I found with greenish sepals and a pinkish lip - quite unusual I thought.

Mike.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

A trip to north Hampshire on Saturday in between the showers, first stop a small very wet fen for Marsh Helleborine. For those that know the site, the small stream running through the middle of the site is deeper than the top of willies! Marsh helles still a bit early, also var ocholeuca just coming into flower. Southern Marsh and possibly pugsley's marsh orchid in flower (although no matter how much I compare my photo’s with the books im not convinced). Next a hill site for Burnt’s, again just coming into flower. Frogs just coming into flower, common spotted, pyramid in flower and fragrant going over. If anyone knows the site and comes across the frog x common spotted hyb. can they please PM me the precise location?

Hi Fearnor

The southern "Pugsley's" are now reassigned to southern marsh orchid ssp schoenophila, as per earlier posts in this thread, so you are right to be cautious. Your plant is a classic example of why they were identified as traunsteinerioides, though. Reminds me somewhat of the inland "Tyne" helleborines that look exactly like Narrow-lipped and were assigned to that taxon until the dna proved otherwise.

Sean

 

[Ghostly Vision]

While struggling across the country this year with an expensive and increasingly heavy CANON kit - SLR, various lenses, tripod etc.. I have been repeatedly embarrassed by the the stunning performance of my wife's £90 LUMIX 'top pocket' compact which frequently out-competes me, whether snapping orchids or butterflies, but is particularly good in low light and has a brilliant quick focussing 1cm macro capability.

Consequently I have begun to look at bridge cameras and would appreciate any views or personal experience with these before I consign my current kit to my heritage camera collection!

It would seem that the usual suspects produce the best models i.e. CANON, NIKON, LUMIX ???

I have seen very good results from the Panasonic Lumix TZ10 & 20, and these have been replaced by the TZ30. There is also an excellent Nikon Coolpix which was launched earlier this year, fantastic camera. Can't keep up with the model numbers, though.

Sean

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Very interesting stuff so I second that request; start up a new thread!


One last one for James - have definite pure LSO ever been recorded at Parkgate? I've never seen one or even heard of one there.

Mike.

Good question, Mike, but one has to assume yes, otherwise in this case the hybrids really could not exist. There are too few LSO's to produce "off site" hybrids, I suspect.

Cheers

Sean

 

[IJS]

Hi Ian

Indeed, there was actually only one plant I found with greenish sepals and a pinkish lip - quite unusual I thought.

Mike.

I do have a picture of a plant similar to yours, not sure if its the same one. It was the first time I have seen these plants so didn't know what the normal range of colouration was. Thanks for pointing it out.

Ian

 

[Bodhyfryd]

I have just been in the same position as you seem to be in. I sold a 7D with all my lenses and bought a Leica V lux 3 (Panasonic FZ150 equivalent). It is true that it does focus down to 1cm, but it does not match the quality and detail that you get with an SLR. It also fails to blur out the background and foreground which is so necessary for a good close up flower portrait. I have since bought a Canon EOS 600D with a Tamron 90mm macro lens, which I keep permanently on the 600D just for flower photography. In my opinion a compact/bridge does not give the results, and you may become very frustrated. I still have the Leica which is perfect for bird photograph and wildlife.

 

[simonm001]

Photography

I have just been in the same position as you seem to be in. I sold a 7D with all my lenses and bought a Leica V lux 3 (Panasonic FZ150 equivalent). It is true that it does focus down to 1cm, but it does not match the quality and detail that you get with an SLR. It also fails to blur out the background and foreground which is so necessary for a good close up flower portrait. I have since bought a Canon EOS 600D with a Tamron 90mm macro lens, which I keep permanently on the 600D just for flower photography. In my opinion a compact/bridge does not give the results, and you may become very frustrated. I still have the Leica which is perfect for bird photograph and wildlife.

All very interesting I must say....
Perhaps its me being a bit old fashioned , but the thread is starting to wander off topic a bit.
Just a suggestion but why not start a new thread off regarding cameras and the like , why not start it off in the photography section ?

SM

 

[simonm001]

North Wilts Sunday 8th

In north Wiltshire the unusual 'chalk-pit-on-top-of-a-hill' Marsh Helleborine colony just starting to flower in some numbers (300+?) yesterday between heavy showers. Tha plants are quite short in stature.
The common Fragrants well past their best now , also found two Frog orchids after much low level searching - always scarce here and quite late flowering due to the elevation.
Common Spotted , Pyramidal. No Bee orchids...my bad bee year continues.
Simon

 

[heakl]

Odd pyramidal, again.

Some of you I'm sure will remember my 2010 photograph of an odd pyramidal at Wye:- Post 146 of the 2010 thread.

A dead ringer of it has now appeared on my patch. There was some debate about the 2010 plant but the consensus then, and I'm sure it was right, is that it's simply an odd pyramidal. Nice to find another one, and close by was an albiflora!

Alan

 

[CornishExile]

Good question, Mike, but one has to assume yes, otherwise in this case the hybrids really could not exist. There are too few LSO's to produce "off site" hybrids, I suspect.

Cheers

Sean

To add my two ha'porth worth... I lived in the Wye - Yockletts - Parkgate corridor for 11 years in 90s and early 2000s; in that time, I found a number of small populations of LSO along the downs, some numbering just a few flowering plants, and others (including one well-known open-secret site) many dozens.

I never saw LSO at Parkgate; but can think of one roadside bank that had LSO and Bee present (not that I ever saw any hybrids there) that was probably less than 3 miles away as the crow flies. I wonder what other small, undiscovered pockets of plants there are in that area of the Kent countryside? A lot of it is a closed book as far as access is concerned.

Jon

 

[leptochila]

Good question, Mike, but one has to assume yes, otherwise in this case the hybrids really could not exist. There are too few LSO's to produce "off site" hybrids, I suspect.

Cheers

Sean

In that case, the original parents must now be deceased...the parkgate plant is an orphan!

I never saw LSO at Parkgate; but can think of one roadside bank that had LSO and Bee present (not that I ever saw any hybrids there) that was probably less than 3 miles away as the crow flies. I wonder what other small, undiscovered pockets of plants there are in that area of the Kent countryside? A lot of it is a closed book as far as access is concerned.

Jon

Thanks for your reply Jon; it's useful to get some local knowledge. Wind-blown seed from that site (or further) could be a distinct possibility then which would eliminate the need for actual LSOs on-site at Parkgate. I suppose the only way to settle it would be to get hold of the records.

Mike.

 

[Kumba]

Marsh Fragrant Orchid

Marsh Fragrant Orchid - Norfolk

 

[rmielcarek]

Dact hybrids

Yesterday I paid a visit to some flooded old lead workings on Mendip that hold a hybrid swarm of Dacts.

I'm always amazed by the plants at this site; not only are they really smart looking but practically every one is different, and there is absolutely no sign of any original parent 'species'.

All the plants have unmarked leaves but the lip markings vary from thick loops (quite rare here), through dashes and dots that stretch almost across the lip, to just a few dots in the centre and some with completely unmarked lips (more than normal of this type this year).

Rich M

 

[leptochila]

Bucks and Oxon Ghost hunting

The temptation to have a rummage around the old ghost sites was too much and me and my mate headed down today.

Both the ghost sites we visited looked fantastic being so moist but of course, this was deceptive based on the very low precipitation of the last two winters.

Marlow - plenty of Yellow Bird's-nest in excellent condition but no Epipactis of any sort which was a surprise. Really wanted some photos of Bucks leptochila (of which there was at least one gone over plant last year) but never mind.

Stokes Row area - quite a few purpurata in bud, some caged. Again, a few Yellow Bird's-nest in good condition.

Decided to nip into a (by 5pm) very wet Warburg to check the condition of the leptochila. Only two good plants in the main area to flower this year, the rest of the cages were either empty or their contents blitzed by slug damage. No purpurata anywhere to be seen. Apparently a bad year...maybe they too have fallen foul of the dry winters like the ghosts?

Mike.

 

[antshrike69]

I paid a visit to the Blakeley Bee Orchids yesterday - they are starting to go over but many were still in flower. The number of spikes is incredible - they must have been even more spectacular a week or so ago.

 

[slatts]

Mapledurwell Fen is like a massive wet sponge, absolutely oozing orchids. Common spot, southern marsh going over a bit but still some nice ones, marsh fragrant coming. Hybrids of all three. lots of marsh helleborines and some nice narrow leaf marsh orchid. Ladle Hill- a superb and growing colony of burnt tip some out some still in bud. I've been looking at these for 10 years now and it's nice to see them thriving on this wind blown spot. Plus a white pyramidal. More bog orchids than I can ever remember at the usual New Forest location, some in bud, some right out and some nice groups. Then my favourite frog orchid spot up near the south downs way close to Amberley. This colony is also very windswept but has a modicum of shelter and has grown to over 30 plants. there were only a dozen 8 years ago when I first went. Some really tall specimens too.

If there are no purpurata at warburg there are a couple of really nice ones at Box Hill which never fail.

 

[leptochila]

Mapledurwell Fen is like a massive wet sponge, absolutely oozing orchids. Common spot, southern marsh going over a bit but still some nice ones, marsh fragrant coming. Hybrids of all three. lots of marsh helleborines and some nice narrow leaf marsh orchid. Ladle Hill- a superb and growing colony of burnt tip some out some still in bud. I've been looking at these for 10 years now and it's nice to see them thriving on this wind blown spot. Plus a white pyramidal. More bog orchids than I can ever remember at the usual New Forest location, some in bud, some right out and some nice groups. Then my favourite frog orchid spot up near the south downs way close to Amberley. This colony is also very windswept but has a modicum of shelter and has grown to over 30 plants. there were only a dozen 8 years ago when I first went. Some really tall specimens too.

If there are no purpurata at warburg there are a couple of really nice ones at Box Hill which never fail.

Love Ladle Hill, great spot. Were there many Frog orchids? There was a good smattering of them last year.

Mike.