Showing posts with label fragrant orchid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fragrant orchid. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Adventures in Orchidaceae pt 8 .. upon a Chalk Hill ..
 |
| St Hubert's of Idsworth |
The day started with a pilgrimage to, and a guided meditation, within the grounds of the exquisite St Hubert's of Idsworth.
The church is surrounded by a wide belt of wildflower meadow, whose beckoning of flora and butterflies was somewhat distracting - given the main purpose of my visit.
Spiritually refreshed, I headed to Noar Hill in the search for Musk orchid (Herminium monorchis) and Frog orchid (Dactylorhiza viridis), I could not find the latter, but once my eye was in on the musk orchid I was pleasantly surprised by its abundance - finding its short, pale spikes throughout much of the short grassland of the quarried centre of the hill.
Whilst the location of the frog orchids remained elusive I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting cast of orchids I encountered: common spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), although very much over; Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), and chalk fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) again edging heavily toward seed.
This hill always keeps giving when you start looking through the turf. However, today was not the day for wider scrutiny, not the time to get bogged down with the effort to observe and record everything that I could find and name.
My mood of late had been in desperate need of lightening. This combination of pilgrimage, meditation and a new orchid species to observe - was the uplift that I so very much needed and I left the hill in high spirit.
 |
| Musk orchid |
 |
| Common spotted-orchid |
 |
| Pyramidal orchid |
 |
| Chalk fragrant-orchid |
 |
| Musk orchids |
 |
| Noar Hill |
Thursday, 8 June 2017
Orchids - so far this year
 |
Neottia ovata
Kithurst Hill
|
 |
| Orchis mascul Butser Hill |
 |
| Neottia nidus-avis Undisclosed site |
 |
| Dactylorhiza fuchsia Catherington Down |
 |
common-spotted orchid and Zygaena trifolii
Butser Hill
|
 |
Dactylorhiza praetermissa
Undisclosed site
|
 |
Anacamptis pyramidalis
Halnaker Windmill
|
 |
| Gymnadenia conopsea Catherington Down |
 |
| Ophrys apifera Fairmile Bottom |
 |
Ophrys insectifera
Undisclosed site
|
 |
Coeloglossum viride
Undisclosed Site
|
Sunday, 29 May 2016
Chasing butterflies at Martin Down NNR
Returning from Shetland I was keen to get some chalk under my feet again. I headed to Martin Down NNR an extensive chalk downland site in the NW of Hampshire, in the hope of bagging a LIFER or two? I was not to be disappointed.
Despite initial concerns about the wind direction (NE / E) and speed (Bft scale 4), I managed to connect with my target species after searching out of more sheltered areas of grassland, behind scrub blocks or on the SW facing slopes of the ancient earthworks.
Whilst head down looking at invertebrates and plants, I couldn't help but enjoy the soundscape of singing birds incl. at least two purring turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), corn bunting (Emberiza calandra), skylark (Alauda arvensis) and yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella).
Despite initial concerns about the wind direction (NE / E) and speed (Bft scale 4), I managed to connect with my target species after searching out of more sheltered areas of grassland, behind scrub blocks or on the SW facing slopes of the ancient earthworks.
 |
| small blue (Cupido minimus) |
 |
| common blue (Polyommatus Icarus) |
 |
| green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) |
 |
| grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae) |
 |
| dingy skipper (Erynnis tages) |
 |
| Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus) LIFER |
 |
| Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) LIFER |
 |
| common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia) |
 |
| burnt-tip orchid (Neotinea ustulata) LIFER |
 |
| fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) |
Whilst head down looking at invertebrates and plants, I couldn't help but enjoy the soundscape of singing birds incl. at least two purring turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), corn bunting (Emberiza calandra), skylark (Alauda arvensis) and yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)