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2019 UK Orchids (1 Viewer)

I am hoping to have yet another search for the elusive Lesser Twayblade on my way to Anglesey in mid-June. Can anyone give me any directions to a good site in the vicinity of the A5? Confidentiality is assured.

Dave.

Dave

I suspect mid-June may well be too late. The Lessers are already in flower in Cumbria. If you were thinking of the Roman Steps location I have been told it is tedious, ardous and likely to be unproductive. I hope to visit a Berwyn site tomorrow and if sucessful will post photos and send you a GR.
 
Not sure if it is of any help but there is a photo of the hybrid from a guided walk at Chappetts yesterday on the Native Orchids Facebook group.


Rich

Thanks - I think I found 2 today, but not with the hybrid vigour noted by others, but floral and leaf characters were intermediate.

cheers, alan
 
Southern Marsh Orchid, a plant that took 10 months to identify! As I saw it last July, when it was long gone, and impossible for me to confirm, although its size and shape suggested Marsh Orchid.

Happily, 4 or 5 spikes emerging so far this year. This one, on the footpath, others on private land.
 

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Bee Orchids do have a habit of appearing in unexpected places. This is the second local place where I have seen them growing in a grass verge on an industrial estate. This is certainly the most impressive of the two, with perhaps 200+ in or about to flower this year.

We went and had a look today, and yes what a lovely colony many of which were coming into flower. We also noted a single CSO. Isn't it a joy when these unexpected locations produce such treasures? Good also to see that the verge is being "cared for"!

Thanks for posting this Steve.
Martin and Elaine
 

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Dave

I suspect mid-June may well be too late. The Lessers are already in flower in Cumbria. If you were thinking of the Roman Steps location I have been told it is tedious, ardous and likely to be unproductive. I hope to visit a Berwyn site tomorrow and if sucessful will post photos and send you a GR.

We have ventured up into the hills, in windy rainy weather and found some Lesser Twayblades. Unfortunately the ones we saw seem to be 'blind' juvenile plants, only one having a flower spike - and that was nowhere near flowering. It was nearly an hour stumbling around the tussocks and heather before we found the first of them. Note how small they are. Not the best of orchid hunting days.
 

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We went and had a look today, and yes what a lovely colony many of which were coming into flower. We also noted a single CSO. Isn't it a joy when these unexpected locations produce such treasures? Good also to see that the verge is being "cared for"!

Thanks for posting this Steve.
Martin and Elaine

Bee Orchids seem to like the protection of the Law. These are growing opposite the new Police station, while there is another smaller colony in a similar situation outside Berwyn Prison. I suggest orchidophiles do not prowl around that site camera in hand.
 
Following up some supplied information we had a walk through the woods of Wenlock Edge today, and found only one item of interest - a single Bird's Nest Orchid in an old quarry. Clearly pre-discovered as it was well protected by a collection of twigs. Other than that just Common Spotted pushing up and a few weedy Twayblades just about to flower.

You wouldn't believe the level of work that went it to finding that plant. I was on the phone to Sean from his approach in the car to pretty much the moment he stumbled across that single plant!

Back in 2008, when I first found them there, there was one plant but this rose to up to 12 plants (2010 and 2011) but numbers have been slowly declining or at least not showing in such high numbers since then.

Below a pic from the good old days in 2011...

Mike
 

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Following up some supplied information we had a walk through the woods of Wenlock Edge today, and found only one item of interest - a single Bird's Nest Orchid in an old quarry. Clearly pre-discovered as it was well protected by a collection of twigs. Other than that just Common Spotted pushing up and a few weedy Twayblades just about to flower.

I should also say, Steve, that there are a fair number of Greater Butterfly orchids in that bit of woodland but they are scattered.
 
I should also say, Steve, that there are a fair number of Greater Butterfly orchids in that bit of woodland but they are scattered.

Unfortunately we missed them all! We did have a good roam around too. But we did catch some a few days earlier at Coed Cilygroeslwyd, where we had seen BNOs before, but not this year.
 
Sussex Men & Small White info please?

Evening all. Pleased to say the four (two flowering) Man Orchids are out in Sussex, this being the only site within the county.

Also would anyone happen to know whether the ‘known’ site for the Cumbrian Small White Orchids are still about, or have they been lost from this site. Talking of this site, would anyone kindly be able to assist in directions if Orchids are still present. I’m off there this weekend (yes I know it’s probably a tad early) for Coralroot and Lesser Twayblades, and as I live in Sussex it would be great to make the most of it.

Any info very much appreciated.

Al the best, Matt
 
Matt. I can let you have details of the small white site. I see I was there on 3 June 2014 when 4 plants were in full flower. I also have sites for a few other species flowering around that time. Please message me. I don't know if they have come up this year.
 
Alyn Waters and Llay

We returned to the industrial estate at Llay this afternoon to check on how the amazing stand of Bee orchids were doing. The first thing we noticed was, at the first area that we had seen them, the grass had been mown and all the Bee orchids we had seen in the middle of last week were gone. On this site there had been 15 or so; this was very disappointing as they would not have had time to set seed. However, we went on to the area where the main stand were, and thankfully there had been more careful management here, and although the grass had been cut, it had been carefully manicured around the orchids - leaving them standing on mini islands of mown grass.

We also popped over to Alyn Waters (Llay side) to check out what was happening there - not a lot! We saw two Bee orchids - one just in flower and the other ready to flower. There were many small Common Twayblades and a few Common Spotted Orchid rosettes with a couple of plants having their flower spikes just coming up. We did not have time to venture into the wooded area, but hopefully will be able to do so in the next couple of weeks.
 

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Around Cromford (Hopton)

Saturday 1st June.
White Herb Robert,
Herb Robert leaf with varying leaf lobes,
Lily of the valley,
Forester moth,
Early purple Orchid.
 

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Around Cromford (Hopton and the Leys)

Same day. Question is the yellow Hawthorn (there are two) due to the Lead workings and will the Bee Orchid open soon.

Common Twayblade,
Some sort of Cress?,(Hairy Rock Cress maybe?)
Common Spotted Orchid,
One of two extremely yellow Hawthorns,
Bee Orchid maybe Pale form?
 

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Around Cromford (the Leys)

I think this is a Frog Orchid and two colour versions of Mountain Pansy.
Correction Common Twayblade.
 

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Fot those of us less au fait with plants, it would be nice to tell us what these are, with the exception of what I think is Lilly of the Valley, I have no idea what ant of the others are.
 
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