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Orchids in the Midlands (1 Viewer)

lizard orchid

Well-known member
Had a walk round Ufton this evening.

Man Orchid, Greater Butterfly Orchid (at least 3), Common Spotted (loads), Common Twayblade (lots), couldn't see any Bee Orchids though... maybe i didn't look hard enough?
There are a few bee orchids coming up this year at Ufton, one of which is in one of my fenced rabbit proof enclosures there.

Brian Laney.
 

Adey Baker

Member
The Bee Orchids were much more advanced this morning at Huncote Embankment with at least 25 specimens there.

Over at Fosse Meadows, a solitary Common Spotted Orchid down towards the water at the main pool, viewable from the hide, was looking a little lonely.
 

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davidearlgray

davidearlgray
The Bee Orchids were much more advanced this morning at Huncote Embankment with at least 25 specimens there.

Nice one Adey with the Huncote Bee's. I had a good day on friday Orchid hunting in the east of the county and saw Frog Orchid, Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid and small numbers of Bee Orchids.
I will be putting a few photos of the day on my blog in the next day or so.

Cheers,
Dave.

http://davidearlgray.blogspot.com
 

Spencer Brown

New member
I always liked the common spotted but Then again I seem to like lots of Different Flowershttp://www.flower-dictionary.com/index.html. I always seem to have trouble getting a good picture of Orchids when they just start to bloom. I hope that the tulips i planted in my garden will come up. We have been having lots of snow down here. They were actually starting to bloom and then the temperatures dropped below zero.
 

jeff

Well-known member
Well managed to find one of the Bee orchids at Ufton, and it was looking great, the man and butterfly orchids looked to have gone over.

Had a walk round Ryton Woods Meadows and found another couple of Bee Orchids.
 

Kumba

Active member
Warwickshire Orchids

Marsh Helleborine var. ochroleuca from Ladywalk NR Warwickshire
 

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Adey Baker

Member
Amazing how the years roll around so quickly. We're into the Orchid season again!
 

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davidearlgray

davidearlgray
Hi Adey et al, yes it's that time of year again! This year I will checking more sites in VC55 of possibly extinct orchids for the county. These include Musk Orchid, Bird's nest Orchid and Burnt tip Orchid in the east of the county.
I'm also going to concentrate on looking for unusual forms of Bee Orchid, as I find a couple last year!
Cheers,
Dave.
 

Ghostly Vision

Well-known member
News recently reached me of a new Orchid species for Derbyshire that was found last year - Violet helleborine.

I am yet to see the photographs, but the observer is a friend who has seen that species many times in the past.

Dave - he also found Violet hells in your favourite site - across the road from the ones you saw last year, in the same wood as the GBO's. Email me for details.

Cheers

Sean
 

Ghostly Vision

Well-known member
Green-winged (or more accurately Green-veined) orchids are out in very good numbers at Muston Meadow in Leicestershire.

They are in perfect condition at the moment, with some needing a few more days in fact.

They come in all sorts of colour forms, but this year many of them are particularly richly-coloured dark ones. They range, in smaller numbers, right through mid-purple to bright pink, pale pink and we even found two small pure white ones - stunning.

Reckon there are over 5,000 in flower on the site - great to see.

The place is a National Nature Reserve with open access. It is on the border between Lincs, Notts and Leics, not far from the famous Barnstone Hooded merganser.

Some pics from Sunday
 

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ladybee

Well-known member
Hi Everyone,
I am a keen orchid hunter. I have always enjoyed orchids, and wild flowers in general, but have only been able to indulge this interest fairly recently - this will be my third season. Thank you so much for the photos of the green winged orchids at Muston, I hope to go this week now I know they are looking good, it will be my first time to see this lovely little plant. It is good to have the information as it will be quite a long trip for me, and my 'chauffeur' wouldn't have been too pleased if we got there and the orchids were not out.
My favourite orchids so far are the Bee orchids, and I have found quite a lot at a couple of sites. I also like the broad leaved Helleborines and hope to see Marsh Helleborines this year, as well as Fly Orchids.
I look forward to seeing more lovely photos on this site.
Ladybee
 

ladybee

Well-known member
Visited Muston today - the first time I've seen Green Winged/Veined Orchids. I was like a child in a sweet shop, I wanted to study each plant as there were so many colour variations. Only a few flowers starting to go over but looked like quite a lot of plants to still come into flower, so maybe be at their best next week.
 

Ghostly Vision

Well-known member
Hi all

LadtBee - glad you enjoyed Muston. There is less colour variety there than at some sites, and this feature also seems to be weather-dependent somehow.

Natural England wardens were there today and counted 12,000 plants at the site.

This is one of the best years ever there.

Bernwood Meadows in Oxon has a particularly good showing at the moment also, with taller plants and more colour variation.

Regards

Sean

ps have now seen a photo of the first Derbyshire record of Violet helleborine, and can confirm it is indeed that species. They seem to be creeping north - maybe from Beech saplings imported from further south?
 

ladybee

Well-known member
It's a shame I can't get down to Oxon but it is too far. We did wonder how you'd count the number of plants in the main field at Muston as there were so many (averaging squares?), we also noticed that the orchids were spreading into other fields, I found just one plant in the first field we entered. I was so carried away with the orchids that I forgot to look for the Adders Tongue. I'm hoping to go to a Lincs site next week to get another look at these sweet little orchids. Last year I saw my first Helleborine - the Broad Leaved one, which I loved - Macro photography is wonderful, you can see so much detail, and this year hoping to get to see the Marsh as it looks so pretty. Now the Violet has been confirmed in my home patch I will try to see if I can find it.
 

ladybee

Well-known member
I thought the colour range at Muston was amazing so I wish I could get down to Oxon but it is too far. I found really dark ones, various shades of purple, some almost bi-coloured and several pink and white ones. We commented that it would be quite a job to count them all, I assume it is done by averaging squares? I also noticed that they are spreading into other fields, I saw just one in the first field we entered. I am hoping to get to the Lincs site next week for another look at these lovely little orchids, and also see if I can find the Adders Tongue which I forgot to look for at Muston as I was so entranced with the orchids.
 

Ghostly Vision

Well-known member
LadyBee

The Adder's tongues are around the cattle pond on the second enclosure. Once you get your eye in, the colour is easy to spot.

Lots in Calke Park, a little nearer to you.

Violet helleborine is confirmed in your local patch but it depends where in Derbyshire you live - the VH's are in the south of the county

Sean
 

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