Monday 1st May 2017

Bank Holiday Monday.

Weather forecast: cloudy, dull and breezy.

In other words, not promising weather for orchid photography. But that meant we would get other stuff done.

And other stuff meant cooking bacon and watching football and looking at the birds outside as they take the seeds I put out. Soon the house is full of the smell of grilling bacon and brewing coffee. A fine way to start the day. So I retire to the sofa with butties and brew and watch the big games from the weekend.

After the highlight of getting dressed, there is the second half of the blog from the weekend to wright, and edit shots from each of the churches I had visited, so to illustrate the blog. I have the Huey show on the i player, and in that way the morning passes in a fairly productive manner. But then I would rather had been out snapping them orchids.

We gave grilled asparagus for lunch, and then with me getting cabin fever, I go out to look for Man, White Helleborines and Birds-Nest Orchids. It had been raining on and off most of the day, but as I make my way along the A2, as if by magic the clouds begin to clear from the west, and soon sunshine shone down. Although it was windy, so any decent macro work would have been impossible.

At the small triangle of woods, I searched the leaf litter for signs of the pale green spikes forming, but could fine none, so maybe another week or so before the Birds-Nest begin to show.

I do find many White Helleborine spikes, looking very healthy indeed, so I snap a few of those, then wander slowly back to the car, looking for any signs of more emerging spikes.

From there I drive to check on the Man Orchids. The site is by a main road, and parking is unusual, but safe. I hope.

After clambering over the fence, and with the area of blue sky threatening to pass over and become dull again, I scour the bank for spikes and can see none. And then as the sunlight faded, I find one, and then a second. And it is the second that has a single flower open. Might not sound much, but good enough for me, and so I am calling it another species open in East Kent.

Well, one of three targets achieved, I can go home and look at my shots.

We have pizza and beer for dinner; two of the major food groups covered right there. And follow that up with the first fresh strawberries and cream of the new season. Lovely.