2014 UK Orchids (2 Viewers)

[Benjamin Ofield]

Well done getting that picture - without binoculars it's very blurry...

Thanks Jeanette not the best pic but definitely worth the visit.

 

[ionh]

From Up North

Visited the Glos Red Helleborine site this evening couldn't wait until tomorrow! Just the one plant in flower but looking stunning through the binoculars. Took a quick pic through the bins.

Great photo - how did you get it? Just holding a"point-and-shoot" to the eyepiece? "Digibinning"?

A week in Orkney has yielded a single small white, and a week in Shetland one group of three lesser twayblade. Not much, but one is a whole lot better than zero (and i found all the plants "cold", just by keeping my eyes peeled). Northern Marsh everywhere that there's a patch of suitable habitat - garden lawns are full of them - though hybridisation with heath spots is rampant.

 

[Benjamin Ofield]

Great photo - how did you get it? Just holding a"point-and-shoot" to the eyepiece? "Digibinning"?

A week in Orkney has yielded a single small white, and a week in Shetland one group of three lesser twayblade. Not much, but one is a whole lot better than zero (and i found all the plants "cold", just by keeping my eyes peeled). Northern Marsh everywhere that there's a patch of suitable habitat - garden lawns are full of them - though hybridisation with heath spots is rampant.

Yes just digibinned, could get a better shot if I took my scope

 

[lizard orchid]

Found this strange looking bee today.

That is a bee orchid flower in the stage of opening up. The lip has not fully expanded/puffed out. I quite often hear people say they have found a wasp orchid mistaking this early stage of bee orchid flower opening up. I remember a woman at a talk say she had wasp orchid when it was this and I tried to tell her but she would not have it.

Brian Laney.

 

[muba]

I am thinking of heading for Roman Steps to look for Lesser Twayblades. Does anyone have directions or a GR for where to start looking? Please PM if you do.

thanks, Steve

 

[rmielcarek]

Pyramids

It's that time of year again, to brave the Bristol traffic and check for emarginata Pyramids.

I also found this odd thing; not sure what is going on but the lip on all the flowers, apart from one, had browned off - just the lip not the sepals. Very odd.

Rich M

 

[rmielcarek]

Lizards

still looking good - this is quite a pale example.

Rich M

 

[Benjamin Ofield]

Another trip to see the Red Helleborine today resulted in finding another plant in flower so that's two, I don't know if any one else has saw the second flower or not? Took my scope this time so I could digiscope them got some half decent pics. Also saw the Musk orchids at Barrow wake.

 

[childhood memories]

Hampshire

Great day around Hampshire today 9 species spotted - including heath spotted - which has alluded me up to now - Noar Hill was a revelation - what a site! You had to really watch where you trod - there were orchids everywhere including plenty of musks.

 

[muba]

This may be a stupid question, but do such prominent bracts on a Common Spotted Orchid feature often? I have looked at other photos and referred to the books, and none show a flower head with the bracts three times longer than the ovaries. It was a tall (80cm) and spindly plant growing on woodland edge.

Steve

 

[regor]

Another trip to see the Red Helleborine today resulted in finding another plant in flower so that's two, I don't know if any one else has saw the second flower or not? Took my scope this time so I could digiscope them got some half decent pics. Also saw the Musk orchids at Barrow wake.

Hi Benjamin
Yes I saw two there on Wednesday evening, one with one flower and the other in bud but just about to bloom - presumably the two you saw. I tried to binoscope them but failed miserably, unlike your super efforts! I also saw the musks at Barrow Wake which were easier to find than I expected.
Roger

 

[Benjamin Ofield]

Hi Benjamin
Yes I saw two there on Wednesday evening, one with one flower and the other in bud but just about to bloom - presumably the two you saw. I tried to binoscope them but failed miserably, unlike your super efforts! I also saw the musks at Barrow Wake which were easier to find than I expected.
Roger

Cheers Roger I was under the impression there was just one this year so was a nice surprise when I saw it! Lots if Musks seen at Barrow wake witch was nice to see.

 

[JeanetteS]

Another trip to see the Red Helleborine today resulted in finding another plant in flower so that's two, I don't know if any one else has saw the second flower or not? Took my scope this time so I could digiscope them got some half decent pics. Also saw the Musk orchids at Barrow wake.

Brilliant news, Ben. Another trip there is in order, I believe

 

[IJS]

Lots of green flowered helleborines spotted today. One of the smaller ones (4") just about to flower. Most others still a long way to go.

Some good looking southern marsh at a different location too.

 

[childhood memories]

nice start to the day - early morning bike ride and discovered a big colony of pyramidal and bee orchids by the main road just by my house - never seen them before here -and saw a kingfisher

 

[RPFH]

Hi,

Has anybody seen any bog orchis yet in the New Forest or am I too early thinking about looking this coming Thursday?

Richard

 

[childhood memories]

Bogs

Hi,

Has anybody seen any bog orchis yet in the New Forest or am I too early thinking about looking this coming Thursday?

Richard

got this yesterday so they are out but the site I went to had been heavily grazed and this was all I could find - it was only about 6cm tall -

 

[rmielcarek]

I was surprised at the slowness of expert answers over the w/e but see you were all off round the broads. I didn't know it was happening otherwise I'd have joined in too!

Ian

Ian

somewhat belatedly just noticed your comment here. The Fen trip was broadcast on the HOS mailing group and was open to HOS members; excellent it was too, so well done to Mike Gasson for getting it organised.

If you're a member of HOS it's well worth joining the mailing group, if only in case there is late notice of something like this; if you're not a member of HOS... well you should be!!

Rich M

 

[CornishExile]

A week in Orkney has yielded a single small white, and a week in Shetland one group of three lesser twayblade. Not much, but one is a whole lot better than zero (and i found all the plants "cold", just by keeping my eyes peeled). Northern Marsh everywhere that there's a patch of suitable habitat - garden lawns are full of them - though hybridisation with heath spots is rampant.

Many thanks for the kind and timely tip-off about the Lesser Twayblades, Ian. We ended up finding six flowering specimens in the area, and undoubtedly overlooked many more. I reckon they're probably widespread in Shetland but dramatically overlooked and under-recorded.

Elsewhere we stumbled across a colony of 26 fabulous Early Marshes, an entirely new colony and a long, long way away from the nearest known ones. A great day with the orchids. (I feel your pain about the Northern Marshes - they and the Heath Spots are promiscuous little hussies).

Some more pics of the past weeks in Shetland here (not sure which CF card my Frogs are on...) http://tinyurl.com/lpnuw4b

ce

 

[IJS]

Ian

somewhat belatedly just noticed your comment here. The Fen trip was broadcast on the HOS mailing group and was open to HOS members; excellent it was too, so well done to Mike Gasson for getting it organised.

If you're a member of HOS it's well worth joining the mailing group, if only in case there is late notice of something like this; if you're not a member of HOS... well you should be!!

Rich M

I vaguely know Mike G as I met him in a fen taking pictures of the then newly id 'pugsley's' southern marsh orchid.

Yes I must do both! Been meaning to join HOS for several years now. I believe Mike does the web site too.

Cheers
Ian