After returning from Japan, I next head out to do the grand tour of the sites on May 20th. All the while through my trip, I had seen posts from friends and contacts of what had been seen as the season progressed, and despite enjoying the holiday of a lifetime, I yearned to be back in Kent among the orchids.
High on Lydden Down the spikes of what just two weeks before had been short stumps, were now half open, and dozens of spikes covered the south facing bank, catching the rays of the sun. I lost count, and am also delighted to find the colony spreading to the other side of the culvert, the first time I had seen them growing there. Another orchid success story!
From there I went to Barham to check on the Early Purple which were still flowering, and on the progress of Lady, Fly and Twayblade.
Lady are now out, but in much lower numbers than in 2015, and the pure white var. alba that so delighted last year, was nowhere to be seen. But then not all spikes grow every year.
Two days later, I meet up with a friend of mine to see something he stumbled over whilst I was in Japan. He had found a rare hybrid, a Man x Monkey orchid, an ochid that took the best of both species in a unique flower.
We met up in Faversham, then drove into the Kent orchid woods, first looking at the massive spikes of the White Helleborines growing in a chalk bank that looks like hundreds of others in the country, but the orchids love it there. They were not quite out, but wouldn't be long.
A short drive away, is a secret meadow, accessed via a style and a long path through the woods, and in the meadow, guarded by cages were a small number of the original Monkeys, which had helped seed PGD. The nearest one to the gate clearly looked different, redder, and lips of a different shape. This was the hybrid, just the third time this has been seen in the UK.
Elsewhere in the meadow, were the few remaining Monkeys, smaller and hard to see in the long grass of the meadow. I snap those too, but they seem sad orchids and maybe the colony won't survive.
From there we go to the Medway Towns to my first visit to Darlands Bank. At the back of a large former council estate, the ground drops away giving fine panoramic views over the towns, but all over the sde of the down are thousands of spikes of Man Orchids. Sadly for me, I have my camera on the wrong setting and so only a handful of shots were usable, but still a fine sight to see.
The next day I am on my own to check on the rest of the sites I had yet to visit, and so after dropping Jools off at work, I am high on the downs overlooking Folkestone, searching for the orchid jewel in Kent's orchid shaped crown. The Late Spider is clearly related to the Bee, but is found in just a few locations, this being the best, but also the most popular. A few sikes are open, but I have to wait for gaps in the clouds to get the shots I wanted, showing the orchids covered in dew too.
Bonsai is my next call. Driving along Stone Street before parking at the end of the long wooded walk down to the reserve. I am here to see one of the finest sites in Kent: the peak of the Lady.
There are spikes of all shapes, sizes, density and spikes, hanging down, or horizantal. I go round, trying to photograph them all, but soon I have found too many and just wander round taking the site in. And wonderful it is too. Mixed in are a few White Helleborines mixed into too. At the far end of the site, there athree almost pure white Lady too, almost but not quite.
By the Whitsun Weekend there is no keeping up with the season. I am back at Denge to see the Lady once more, and to snap the Greater Butterfly which were about to pop the week before. The Greater at Denge are in open ground, and look wonderful in full sunlight, their flowers have a wonderful mix of cream white and green.
Back at PGD, the Fly were now in full flower, as were the Monkey. However, the Monkey were something of a disappointment, not quite as numerous nor vigourous as in previous years. But seeing dozens of them on the down is another glorious highlight of the season.
Finally, at Barham, the Lesser Butterfly were also out. Hidden deep in an ancient wood, there only if you know where to look. Not quite at their peak, but worth photographing, and delightful to see. All around the Early Purple were dying off, and the ground now hidden in shade from the canopy of trees.
Elsewhere at Barham, the carpet of Twayblades are also at their height, mixed in with a smattering of Fly and rosettes of Common Spotted.
At Woolage, the Birds Nest emerged and flowered all within a few days, their spikes increasing over the woodland floor. Some even caught in beams of sunlight.
A week later, and the Common Spotted Orchids are beging to open at PGD. High on the down at the edge of the grass between the down and the woods at the top. As ever there was the search for the pure white variants.
It is now June 5th, and depending on your point of view when the main season ends and the late bgins. But I will end here, with news that on this day, down in Pegwell Bay, the Southern Marsh were opening, and the yellow Man were at ther peak. Now if we could just find some Bee.....
No comments:
Post a Comment