Orchids

On Tuesday I may have made a fatal mistake. Poor returns on the Sussex Commons, with very few birds found and with a cold easterly wind keeping the butterflies in cover, left us with an afternoon and nowhere to go. Dave suggested having a look for a particular orchid that he wanted to photograph and I was happy to go along with the idea.

I have spent many a session standing by whilst Dave crawled around on his hands and knees gardening and photographing wild flowers, but I have never really understood the fascination with orchids. This would have probably just been another one of those sessions except that we didn't find the the target species.

Nothing brings the "train spotting" genes to the fore like missing a target and Wednesday morning having regrouped and clarified our search data we set off for another go. It wasn't exactly easy to find but after a bit of searching we were successful, the Bee Orchid v flavescens.

Bee Orchid v flavescens  -  Ophrys apifera v flavescens

Bee Orchid v flavescens  -  Ophrys apifera v flavescens

Floret of the Bee Orchid v flavescens  -  Ophrys apifera v flavescens

Also in the same area, the Common Spotted Orchid, more Bee Orchid and also a few Frog Orchids.

Common Spotted Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Common Spotted Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Common Spotted Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Common Spotted Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Bee Orchid  -  Ophrys apifera

Bee Orchid  -  Ophrys apifera

Bee Orchid  -  Ophrys apifera

Frog Orchid  -  Coeloglossum viride

Frog Orchid  -  Coeloglossum viride

Then on to Ferring Rife where Southern Marsh Orchids seem to grow in profusion. I say seem to, as there are references on the web, to some experts believing most of them to be hybrids of the Common Spot and Early Marsh Orchids, both of which are present on the site in smaller numbers.

With my knowledge of Orchids that level of identification is beyond me. It looks like a Southern Marsh Orchid so that is what I will call it.

Southern Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Southern Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza praetermissation

Southern Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Floret of the Southern Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza praetermissa

And the Early Marsh Orchid

Early Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza incarnata

Early Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza incarnata

Early Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza incarnata

Floret of the Early Marsh Orchid  -  Dactylorhiza incarnata

Then I managed to find a picture of a Dark-red Helleborine that we photographed on Gait Barrow a few years ago. It was a bit past its best but I am glad I took the time to record it.

Dark-red Helleborine  -  Epipactis atrorubens

I thought this would be easy. Just take a few pictures of Orchids and identify them from pictures on the web. I can't believe how complex the identification can be. Hybrids, sub-species, variants and colour morphs, all have left me with little confidence in anything I am putting a name to. Two days lost just reading up on Orchids.

It has been suggested that I have picked up a dose of  "Orchidelirium" a highly contagious disease. I really didn't need this. Life is too short.