Searching closer to home today, looking for Frog Orchids at Fairmile Bottom. We had seen a couple there last year so had one area to search but we were fortunate in meeting up with two of the West Sussex countryside rangers who look after the site. An exchange of information and we had another area for Frog Orchids and also some helliborines to investigate.
Fairmile Bottom is a big area and Frog Orchids are not easy to find but with an idea on where to look we ended up finding about a dozen spikes. The lime green colour of the fresh spikes gives them away even when growing in long grass and they are best spotted when viewed at a low angle rather than looking down on them.
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| Frog Orchid - Dactylorhiza viridis |
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| Frog Orchid - Dactylorhiza viridis |
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| Frog Orchid - Dactylorhiza viridis |
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| Frog Orchid - Dactylorhiza viridis |
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| Frog Orchid - Dactylorhiza viridis |
There were a good number of Bee Orchids around the area with some still looking fresh but Fly Orchids have mostly gone over
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| Bee Orchid - Ophrys apifera |
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I got a bit excited when I saw one of the Bee Orchids. It looks as though it should be something unusual but it's just a bee orchid where the lip and nib have not turned under.
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| Bee Orchid - Ophrys apifera |
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