Wednesday 14 May 2014

Bedford Purlieus, Barnack Hills and Holes and Castor Hanglands 14.5.14

A beautiful spring day and we (my expert friend Roger) were off to North Hunts for two types of rare Orchid and anything else we could see. The Fly Orchid was a first for me and is now pretty much my favourite Orchid, and very interesting to witness a wasp visiting a flower. They are so small and could be happily growing somewhere unobserved by passers by. The Bird's Nest Orchid was next and is a very hard plant to find, unless you know someone who can show you, they really blend into the background and grow in shady areas of woodland. They lack Chlorophyll hence the weird colour, and get energy from a parasitic relationship with a fungus. We also saw Lily-of-the-Valley and Herb Paris. 

At Barnack the Man Orchids were just beginning to open, and there were some lovely Pasque Flowers about too. Roger was kind enough to lend me his Macro lens for a few shots of the Man Orchids which only increases my desire to get one. 

At Castor Hanglands the expected Marsh Orchids were not showing yet. There were a couple of Common Twayblades, and in the pond my first sighting of Palmate Newts which was great. 





Fly Orchids Ophrys insectifera



Bird's Nest Orchids Neottia nidus-avis


Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia



Man Orchid Orchis anthropophora


Pasque Flower Pulsatilla vulgaris


Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi


 Palmate Newt Lissotriton helveticus

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