2010 UK Orchid season updates (2 Viewers)

[Matt Prince]

Whether the site had been sprayed or affected in some way I'm not sure, but standard Bee is the least common var there!

Sounds like an interesting chance to study the cause of the variation - I'm assuming its environmental and not completely understood.. Be interesting to map the orchid variation versus environmental factors such as soil ph - mineral composition etc.

Cool anyway

 

[lizard orchid]

lizard orchid updates

Last Sunday had nearly thirty lizard orchids at the cambs site and 14 plants in perfect condition at the Bristol site I manage. The good news is the planted conifers at the bottom of the bank at the Bristol site have been removed and looked well dead on the brash piles. Also good numbers of pyramidal orchid and common spotted on the bank. Management will continue next Feb on the site.

Brian Laney.

 

[rmielcarek]

Last Sunday had nearly thirty lizard orchids at the cambs site and 14 plants in perfect condition at the Bristol site I manage. The good news is the planted conifers at the bottom of the bank at the Bristol site have been removed and looked well dead on the brash piles. Also good numbers of pyramidal orchid and common spotted on the bank. Management will continue next Feb on the site.

Brian Laney.

Brian,

good news. When I briefly visited the Somerset coastal site a couple of weeks ago I could only find 3(!) so a really poor year for Lizards there.

Did find 5 Bee var belgarum at the site just down the road so they seem to have survived the weed killering of a couple of years ago.

Rich M

 

[SB123]

About a dozen Marsh Fragrant Orchids at Market Weston Fen, Suffolk yesterday, though only just begining to open out.

 

[StevePreddy]

At least 200 Marsh Helleborines at Morgan's Hill near Calne, Wiltshire yesterday in and around the chalkpit

http://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/CMtkPvYdrk6FCu5KO6apUA==/Reserve.aspx

 

[leptochila]

Hey there, new to the site.

Thought it appropriate to post on this thread since I'm a bit of an orchid maniac! Amazed at how much more information is circulating here than on Wild About Britain (where I've been languishing for a couple of years).

Ghostly Vision - are you the same as Ghost Hunter from WAB? I never did got that Narrow-lipped site where the Marlow Ghost orchids flowered

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hey there, new to the site.

Thought it appropriate to post on this thread since I'm a bit of an orchid maniac! Amazed at how much more information is circulating here than on Wild About Britain (where I've been languishing for a couple of years).

Ghostly Vision - are you the same as Ghost Hunter from WAB? I never did got that Narrow-lipped site where the Marlow Ghost orchids flowered

Hi YH

Not been on the WAB site for some time actually, but I think that's me!?

Not been to Marlow yet but am guessing it is not going to be a good year this year. Warburg is probably your best bet.

Cheers

GV

 

[leptochila]

Hi GV,

I thought that would probably be the best bet, although I hear they are very unpredictable (as are most epipactis species I suppose).
Anyway, I realise were entering the 'epipactis season' and I was wondering if anyone had any good sites for Green-flowered helleborine? It's a species I've only managed to track down once on the Cumbrian dunes.

Mike

 

[Dog]

Hi GV,

I thought that would probably be the best bet, although I hear they are very unpredictable (as are most epipactis species I suppose).
Anyway, I realise were entering the 'epipactis season' and I was wondering if anyone had any good sites for Green-flowered helleborine? It's a species I've only managed to track down once on the Cumbrian dunes.

Mike

I've had G F Helleborine near Bix, heading SE towards Henley on the A423 turn right at Bix & follow the minor road past Bix Manor Farm, go past a small road on the left & as you enter the wood after 200 yds park & the Orchids can be found either side of the road.

Mike.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Hi YH/Dog

The Warburg NLH's aren't that unpredictable - you just have to go early, as they often get Muntjacked. They will be out in a week's time.

The phyllanthes site you mention Dog is almost correct, but the road has been re-numbered. It is the north side of the road in Lambridge Wood.

That is an old Ghost site - flowered there for three years, in May and June, so check it out.

The phyllanthes there are pretty small and never open, so aren't very exciting. there is a better site in Lincs - see elsewhere on this thread.

Cheers

Sean

 

[Dog]

Hi YH/Dog

The Warburg NLH's aren't that unpredictable - you just have to go early, as they often get Muntjacked. They will be out in a week's time.

The phyllanthes site you mention Dog is almost correct, but the road has been re-numbered. It is the north side of the road in Lambridge Wood.

That is an old Ghost site - flowered there for three years, in May and June, so check it out.

The phyllanthes there are pretty small and never open, so aren't very exciting. there is a better site in Lincs - see elsewhere on this thread.

Cheers

Sean

I see its the A4130 now, I was using my old OS map from the days when I used to plant twitch on my push bike, I noticed these plants don't grow very big & don't open much.

Mike.

 

[Desertlark]

For those that have expressed an interest in the G-f Helleborines in Lincs, I haven't forgotten about you! Checked on them today and they need just a little more time. There are some tall(ish) robust plants, and although individual plants can and do vary, on some the flowers will open hopefully quite widely.

Grahame

 

[leptochila]

Thankyou very much Dog and Ghostly Vision, that's really very helpful I may do a Narrow-lipped/Green-flowered medley in a weeks time and see what they look like.

The Lincs site sounds very interesting too, I'll have a look for the details further back on this thread.

Going to a small site in Shropshire tomorrow for a fine display of Marsh Helleborines and Marsh Fragrant Orchids - should be good! I'll put some photos on here tomorrow evening


Mike

 

[ladybee]

Went to the seaside yesterday and saw lots of Marsh Helleborines and lots of Pyramidal orchids in various shades (no Bees). But why must people trample all over the plants, it makes me so cross.
Also went to the quarry site but couldn't find any Helleborines, just some big marsh orchids.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi, new here but wondering if anyone can help me.

I'm heading up to cumbria soon to see the Creeping lady's tresses and was wondering when the best time would be to go and see the flowers at their best??

any help would be really appreciated

 

[Birding Bob]

Hi,

Am I correct in thinking that this is a Common Spotted Orchid? I found it whilst out on a walk on the north Norfolk coast.

Thanks,

Rob

P.s. Really sorry about the poor photos

 

[Living Rocks]

Hi, new here but wondering if anyone can help me.

I'm heading up to cumbria soon to see the Creeping lady's tresses and was wondering when the best time would be to go and see the flowers at their best??

any help would be really appreciated

Mid through to the end of July should be good, looking back through my photos I caught them in perfect condition in 2008 on 26th July. Best places to go are probably either Cliburn or Center Parcs, I've tried a couple of other possible locations and ended up in some real bogs without seeing anything!

 

[Dave Allan]

Small Flowered Tongue Orchid

:C

Not sure if Sean has asked this but any of you been to see if the Small flowered tongue orchid came up this year in Cornwall?
Two of my friends tried but failed. One cannot read maps or grid references so landed up in some ploughed fields somewhere, maybe in the next county. The other did better finding the place but the info was out of date and when he rang me I was out plant recording.

Brian Laney.

Hi Brian
No sign of it this year. It is now two years since it was last seen.
We only live 7 miles from the site and we check it thoroughly

Dave

 

[lizard orchid]

:C

Hi Brian
No sign of it this year. It is now two years since it was last seen.
We only live 7 miles from the site and we check it thoroughly

Dave

Thanks Dave for your update. This is sad to hear but hopefully it will show up again when conditions become suitable.

Brian Laney.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Mid through to the end of July should be good, looking back through my photos I caught them in perfect condition in 2008 on 26th July. Best places to go are probably either Cliburn or Center Parcs, I've tried a couple of other possible locations and ended up in some real bogs without seeing anything!

yeah center parcs was where we were heading I'll try and go at around that time then thanks. do you know if you have to actually stay at the village or can anyone walk around the forest at whinfell?