Orchids – tonydavisonphotography.com

A Trip for a New Orchid

Nov 012023

On 17th June, I travelled to North Yorkshire in the hope of seeing Small White Orchid, an orchid I had not seen before. I knew I was leaving it a little late, as it only blooms for just two weeks in June. I travelled to Ingleborough National Nature Reserve, in the Yorkshire Dales, which is probably the best place to try and find this species.

Fortunately, a few were still in flower, along with Heath Spotted Orchid, Northern Marsh Orchid, Heath Fragrant Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid and another speciality at this reserve, the Globe Flower.

Local Orchid Hunting

Flowers, Orchids No Responses »

Jun 112023

10th June 2023 – The weather forecast predicted temperatures would reach 30 degrees in the local area, so an early start to look for a few orchids. I soon discovered Common Spotted and Southern Marsh at my local patch. A visit to a nearby Derbyshire Wildlife Trust reserve produced Common Twayblade and Common Spotted, with several superb Four-spotted Chaser dragonflies. Finally, along a roadside in nearby NE Leicestershire, Lizard Orchid and Bee Orchid were doing well. With a little more effort I could have seen Greater Butterfly and Broad-leaved Helleborine rosettes. Not a bad collection within a 10-15 minute drive from home.

Bee Orchid – 10th June 2023 – these flowers seemed to show white sepals.

A Few of Kent’s Rare Orchids

Flowers, Orchids No Responses »

Feb 012023

I had planned a weekend in Kent during the end of May in order to see some of the county’s rare orchids. The trip coincided with the arrival of a rare Eleonora’s Falcon, so I had success on both accounts. Thanks go to John for his hospitality and guidance during the weekend.

Not an orchid, but the rare Clove-scented Broomrape

Further June Highlights

2021, Orchids, Year No Responses »

Jun 272021

On the 6th June some stunning flowers at Staunton Harold – Ragged Robin; Southern Marsh-orchid; Common Spotted Orchid; Bush Vetch, Lesser Stitchwort and Common Vetch. Bird wise in recent days been very quiet. A Red Kite flew over the reservoir on 11th June and there was an obvious westerly movement of Common Swift with 40 in 10 minutes. By the 15th June there were hundreds of Southern Marsh Orchids in flower, a really impressive sight.

Just Flowers

2021, Orchids, Trips, Year No Responses »

May 312021

Spent the last couple of mornings photographing a few of the common flowers around the local meadows and one not so common orchid at a site near to where I live.

I’ve been using my Canon 100-400m lens with my new Canon R5 mirrorless camera. This combination allows me to obtain my photographs without having to get close up to the flowers and causing unnecessary disturbance. This is especially important when photographing orchids, as if one is not careful, they can so easily get trodden on and trampled. Not good..

The “Spinney Orchid”

2020, Orchids, Year No Responses »

Jun 252020

Last year (May 2019) I discovered a tiny flower head of an orchid that had naturally established itself in my front lawn. It didn’t take me long to identify it as a Common Spotted Orchid. By mid June it was in flower.

I put up a small group of sticks and string around the plant to give it at least some protection and too my surprise it flowered successfully and seemed quite at home.

Amazingly, the plant has grown again this year and it is even better, so I’ve been keeping it well watered and even breaking up eggshell and placing it round the base and general area where it is growing. I’m hoping this year I might get some seeds from it and a few more plants may appear next year.

The same plant in its first year June 16th 2019

Orchid Mania

Birds, Flowers, Orchids No Responses »

Jul 082019

During the past few weeks I’ve been photographing a few species of available orchids. The best one being Marsh Helleborine, where I had to travel over to Lincolnshire in order to see it.

The Chalk Fragrant Orchids have been re-identified by local experts as Marsh Fragrant Orchid.

The rest of the orchids I’ve managed to see and photograph within fifteen minutes of home. These were Common Spotted, Marsh Fragrant and Common Twayblade.

A beautiful group of plants, the majority of which are very rare and difficult to see. In some cases almost impossible without some knowledge of location.

I have lived at my property for some 35 years and for the very first time this year, I’ve had a Common Spotted Orchid naturally growing in my front lawn. I real treat and pleasing event. I’m letting it go to seed in the hope that a few more may appear next year. (see the last image)

**Common Spotted Orchid growing in my front lawn**

Magical Orchids

2019, Birds, Flowers, Orchids, Trips, Year No Responses »

Jun 172019

During the past few days I have spent sometime with local Orchids and have seen 1 new species and 1 new variant of Bee Orchid, Wasp Orchid. All with a few miles or so of my house. I even found a Common Spotted Orchid growing in one of the lawns at the front of my house. Totally unexpected but what a great thrill to find this self setter. Goodness knows where it has come from, but they can take up to 4 years to germinate. It seems to me to be a good year for orchids right across the country. It just goes to show that if you leave your lawn and let nature do the work, you can soon end up with a miniature biosphere on your doorstep and a lawn covered in a multitude of insect loving plants.

My Orchid hunting began at my local patch at Staunton Harold, where I found a number of Common Spotted and Southern Marsh Orchid. Some of the Southern Marsh appear to be hybrids, as they have spotted leaves. I also found a number of spikes of Bee Orchid in the wild flower meadows. So it is a particularly good Orchid year here at Staunton Harold.

Over the weekend I went to see a Lizard Orchid that has been discovered growing on a roadside verge in nearby Leicestershire. This was a new orchid species for me and what a stunning plant. In nearby Staffordshire I made a visit to see a Wasp Orchid, a very rare variant of Bee Orchid. Again growing in a public place on the village green. An extremely attractive Orchid that rounded off a superb few days of plant twitching.

**Common Spotted Orchid growing on the lawn in front of my house**

**Common Spotted Orchid – Staunton Harold, Derbyshire**

**Southern Marsh Orchid – Staunton Harold, Derbyshire**

**Bee Orchid – Staunton Harold, Derbyshire**

Burnt Orchid

2017, Flowers, Orchids, Year No Responses »

Jun 062017

The Burnt Orchid (Neotinea ustulata) is a Nationally Scarce species and very rare in Derbyshire. The Flora of Derbyshire states that it is now only found in just 5 1km squares in the White Peak. I was lucky enough to see this plant for the very first time on Saturday 3rd June. A very distinctive and beautiful orchid and there were at least 15-20 spikes in a small area of limestone grassland. Most of the spikes were rather small, so I guess this was due to the very dry spring and a number of the flower spikes were beginning to turn brown at the tips. Unfortunately, as is often the case these days with rare flora, some crazy people seem to want to destroy or dig up orchids, I cannot understand their mentality.

In Search of Early Purple Orchid

2017, Flowers, Orchids, Year No Responses »

May 012017

It has been a long, long time since I have seen Early Purple Orchid in my home county of Derbyshire. The Flora of Derbyshire states that it can be very common in the grassland areas of the White Peak, sometimes turning the dalesides purple in spring. The book also indicates that one of the best places to find it is in Cressbrook Dale, so we set off on our Orchid adventure, heading to Cressbrook, an area of Derbyshire that I have never been to before. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day , with the woodlands covered in Wood Anemone and Bluebells and with Redstart, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, all in song, spring was really upon us.

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