Friday, 8 July 2011

Dark Red Helleborines and Fly Orchids

 

Not a promising start. A quick look around the limestone pavement at Gait Barrows revealed that the mice, voles and rabbits had nibbled off all but one of the flower spikes from the Dark Red Helleborines.  The one that remained was still to open up.

Hmmm…..time for a reccy around the limestone trail.

Dark Red Helleborine

 

Dark Red Helleborine

After 20 minutes a group of seven Helleborines came into view

Dark Red Helleborine

Shame I didn’t have a wide angle, macro lens with me

Fly Orchid

A short trip across the fields to Trowbarrow Quarry. Amongst the Common Twayblades and Spotted Orchids the until now mythical Fly Orchid.

Fly Orchid

Very weird. If it had looked more like a Horsefly I wouldn’t have found it.

Fly Orchid

Definitely an odd looking flower

Fly Orchid

A bit ironic that a Fly Orchid living in a Horsefly infested woodland is actually pollinated by male Digger Wasps.

Definitely worth a return visit early next summer.

 

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