WILDFLOWERS YOU HAVE SEEN WHILE OUT WALKING

@strongylodon You really do need to produce a book about the wild orchids you have found. They are amazing.

 

@On the Levels the levels, there are already books on native Orchids and the ones I have seen this year are only in Dorset.

 

Fen orchid

Marsh helleborine

And lots of marsh orchids and hybrids
pyramidal orchid

And masses of vipers bugloss.
All at Kenfig slacks, on terrific field walk with Hardy Orchid Society (and field warden Chris - a fount of knowledge)

 

@CarolineL Stunning photos. Sounds that you did have a brilliant field walk. Always good to be with an expert.

 

@redstar Fabulous photo. Poppies especially this one are my favourite plants.

 

I would love to go to Kenfig but too far from here. The few local Marsh Helleborines have failed to flower.
I found an all white Pyramidal, not fully out, yesterday and a usual one with a crab spider on it.

 

Black Horehound and White Bryony.

 

Like the spider @strongylodon and the white anacamptis!
When I was volunteering at NBGW we marked the white dactylorhiza in their meadow so we could take seed in the autumn. Someone who couldn't see marker canes with bright red tape round the top cut the whole field (canes and all) before we could collect. Oh dear.

 

I saw a nice clump of wild orchids on the roadside near here recently but I didn't have my camera with me at the time.
I went back 2 days later to take a photo but the council had mown them away.

 

Typical Michael! I have a small woodland opposite me with tarmacked paths on the site of the old ironworks. Dactylorhiza have managed to colonise the edges. But the council, who do little to it, always manage to strim when they are in flower.

 

Not sure how but can you contact the local wildlife trusts and tell them of your observations? They can then get in contact with the relevant councils and ask them to deter from cutting for a few more weeks. Near us the sides are cut near the road but further back they are left and this is where we find the orchids. On the slip roads of motorways it is the same. So councils can do their bit for the habitat of these lovely plants.

 

Hi @On the Levels - council around here listening to people? Probably not!

 

@CarolineL maybe not but when we visited Wales a few years ago to go to the Botanic gardens we were amazed at the wildflowers verges and the roundabouts also full of wildflowers. It was inspirational to see a council allowing wild flowers in these areas. I agree getting people to listen is hard but we saw in that part of Wales they were doing something to help.

 

@CarolineL I agree with @On the Levels that it's worth a go; all local authorities now have a 'biodiversity duty' they should be complying with, however strapped for cash. Here in London the situation has improved considerably over the last few years, with my local council and many others now signed up to No-Mow May, etc. If you check the Council may have its own Biodiversity Officer, if not a local nature trust could probably advise.