Orchids Three Ways

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 I have already mentioned that we live close to the Waitby Greenriggs reserve owned by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. The reserve is famous for its orchids and they are just coming into bloom a little behind the usual schedule. I don't pretend to be an orchid expert but the first two I saw yesterday are easy. No prizes for guessing that this one is a fly orchid.



The next one is a little harder to guess from a standing start but it is sufficiently different in shape and colour from other orchids to be recognisable as a butterfly orchid.

And I think I am correct in identifying this next one I saw as a common spotted orchid. One of the problems with orchids is that hybrids are common - and confusing!



Diary.
It was marginal weather wise but I completed my butterfly transect today. Not a lot of sunshine but temps of 18C. A poor crop of butterflies but it was nice to see the common blue out. The sexes look similar under the wings but the males are blue above and the females are drab brownish.


It looks as if the rest of the country is experiencing a heatwave - it certainly hasn't reached as far as us - overcast today. I tried my camera traps in a different place last night and tried our orchard - very little of interest so I won't try them there again.









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