at last, a green hairstreak butterfly

I have been looking for this little green butterfly (the green hairstreak) for the last five years, and at last today in Greenscombe woods, I spotted this one and was able to photograph it. Hooray! And there were a lot of heath fritillaries about

and lots of heath spotted, marsh and lesser butterfly orchids, and a crab spider waiting for an unsuspecting pollinator.

June treats

 a greater butterfly orchid

a tattered heath fritillary

a violet ground beetle

out at last

Although winter and spring have been exceptionally mild and frost-free some plants have been quite slow to appear.  At long last the orchids have returned to Greenscoombe meadows, despite all the damage done to the surface earlier in the year. The top photo is of the lesser butterfly orchid, which is slender and fragrant, and below is a heath spotted orchid and a southern marsh orchid. These two species hybridise very easily and as a result of this the heath spotted orchids in the meadows are very variable in appearance.

heath fritillary

at long last, a photo of a butterfly (a very tattered heath fritillary) on a butterfly orchid, it is a meadow icon. I am not sure why butterfly orchids are so named but I have never seen a butterfly on one before. There are a lot in the meadows this year. The butterflies were very docile after 48 hours of wind and rain which allowed some unusually close close ups. I have always liked the effect created by sunlight shining through the wings.

first of the year

the first early purple orchid of the year in amongst the fading daffodils at the entrance to Duchy College.

things we saw today - orchids

five species of orchid, marsh orchid (above), both types of butterfly orchid (just emerging), heath spotted orchid (below) and early purple orchid.

 

a few things we haven't seen locally 2

and a bee orchid (ophrys apifera)

a few things we haven't seen locally 1

we are back from our holidays in the Charente region of France. As always the French country side was bursting with rare and wonderful sights. This is a lizard orchid, (himantoglossum hircinum), so named because the flowers are said (fancifully some would say) to resemble a small lizard with a long tail (the very long lower spur of their four lobed lower lip) although the close up of the flower does bear a passing resemblance to an escaping skink. And they smell like old goats, which is not dissimilar to Spot himself on a good day.

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and some orchids

marsh orchid (top) just coming into flower, and heath spotted orchid below. Sorry Carletta, we were 10 days too early. I like these photos because they hint at the tangle of life in the meadows.

more orchids

nearby and for the first time on Kit Hill, we found some orchids. They look like southern marsh orchids (having no spots on the leaves and two sepals that look like bird's wings) but these orchids often hybridise with heath spotted and common spotted orchid. However, they were by a marsh!

four orchids and a fun day

the lesser butterfly orchid, iridescent in the morning sun. There were also some greater butterfly orchids in the meadow but they are not yet in flower.

four orchids and a fun day

heath spotted orchid in a field full of yellow rattle. The sky really was an amazing vivid blue (see top left corner). One of four species of orchid we found this morning, of which more later, plus other excitement!

skippers

the large skipper, a primitive moth like butterfly, sitting on some seed pods of yellow rattle. There were marsh and butterfly orchids (use the orchid label to see earlier pictures of these orchids in the blog) in the meadows today although they are coming to the end of their flowering season and were looking a bit tattered. Butterfly orchids have the most delicate, slightly sweet vanilla scent.

heath spotted orchid

we went looking for bird's nest orchids in the beech woods but we could only find heath spotted orchids in the meadows. One day we will find a bird's nest orchid.

early purple orchid

early purple orchid growing in the hedgerow on the way into our village (duckpond to the left at the bottom of the road)

butterfly orchid meadow

this picture shows a group of lesser butterfly orchids. The greater butterfly orchid is found nearer to the edge of the wood.

butterfly orchid

the butterfly orchids have reappeared, lesser at the top, and greater butterfly orchid below. In fact close up the flowers are quite different apart from the pollen masses. And the lesser had a beautiful gentle fragrance today.

marsh orchids

while the boss was getting excited about this southern marsh orchid, IN A FIELD NEAR YOU! The green sepals pointing up are supposed to look like a bird's wings. This is not really in the known range of the marsh orchids so he may be mistaken.

Anyway, come with us, take a walk, let life in.

more orchids

another attractive orchid at Beals Mill. I am not sure what this one is, it looks like an early purple orchid but the horn is very long. It could be a hybrid of some sort. Any ideas?

heath spotted orchid

see this in a field near you! Lots of these lovely orchids, probably crosses between common spotted and heath spotted.