Orchids and Nature Reserves

On late May Bank Holiday weekend, Bro and I did something we've never purposefully done before. Visited a nature reserve. In fact two nature reserves and in areas we know very well and have walked in many times over the years, but they're really, really tucked away; to the extent you probably wouldn't find them if you didn't know they were there. Which is exactly the way they want it I expect.

I also did something I've never done before which was to look actively for wild orchids. I can't remember ever seeing, or realising I'd seen one, before. I grabbed an information leaflet at the very small visitor centre and we set off, but, as is our wont, we turned the whole afternoon into a walk, trying to make it longer and longer as we were off the the Lakes a few days later.

poor dead mole

Consequently, we saw some beautiful views, vast woodlands we'd never visited and a huge area of wildflower common we'd missed, but we didn’t actually see any living creature or anything resembling a flower. The dog, crashing around in the undergrowth, blew any chance of seeing butterflies, deer or rabbits and the only thing we did see was a dead mole…

Back at the car, I was a little disappointed in my nature spotting abilities, when an older man came over and asked if we'd seen one of the three orchids that were in the reserve just under a bush as you left the car park. He also said he was bursting to show someone the other, rarer orchids he'd found, which was kind of him and I jumped at the chance.

We went through a small nature garden behind the little visitor centre, up to a tiny gate and there, behind a fence, was a small, delicate looking plant he told me was a Lady Orchid and next to it was a Fly Orchid. They were beautiful and so unusual. He suggested we visit another Nature Reserve nearby where there were great drifts of them including the very rare Monkey Orchid. We did go the following day and I must say it was a lovely way to spend two afternoons, seeing well known areas from new angles and spotting beautiful flowers. Even Bro can now identify a Common Spotted.

We just have to keep the dog and his great feet away - he couldn’t care less…

lady orchid - like ladies in bonnets

fly orchid

common spotted orchid

the very rare monkey orchid

twayblade orchid

beautiful pyramid orchid

hybrid lady/monkey orchids