Friday 18th May 2018

One week off. I might never go back.

I had been pondering what to do with the day, and when I got up at half five (!), I was still undecided.

Shopping needed doing.

Orchids needed looking for and snapping.

And then it struck me, at Barham there are wooded valleys on three sides, I knew there were orchids on two sides, so why not go to look on the other side? I had been promising myself to do this for many years, and now seemed the chance.

By the time I came to this, it was seven, which would mean going out at the start of rush hour, but what the heck.

I took myself and associated camera gear to the A2 then along and through Barham to the secluded spot. There was no one about.

Perfect.

THere was a footpath in front of me, but my mind was on the Lady orchids that grow on a bank beside the road back to the village. I put on my old, dependable coat, pop the compact in its pocket, and throw a DSLR over my shoulder and stride up the narrow lane, littered with flints and gravel washed down by years of rains.

I find the Lady beside the road, and behind her there was a twin at the back of a small clearing. I snap them both then carry on up the lane to where the first path crosses it, I turn left and walk on, looking from side to side.

The path was through large fir trees, not really suitable for Kentish orchids. I can hear the road nearby, so i take a path back up the down, worn into ruts by countless offroading cyclists, who really should not be riding through here I think, but there were none about.

Overhead, through the tree canopy I can see the overcast skies, but they seem to be lightening, so maybe sunshine later. I reach the road, cross that, and that's where the clear paths ran out. So I followed what looked like a track, through densely packed trees, until I come to a forestry track. I know the car is down to my right, so I think, so my plan is to look for a path back in that direction, now that my walk would be shorter if I could find that way.

I see a path to the right, go down and am confronted with a good path, but no direction posts, so I guess and go left. And I walk on, straight and level, but have to avoid deep pools of mud in places. The path swings to the left, meaning it is going away from the car, but I keep on hoping it would turn right and down, but through the trees I could see the meadow which splits the two parts of the wood. I had come too far.

So I turn round, retrace my steps for twenty minutes, and ten feet from where I turned left, there was a path marker pointing down the hill, straight back to the car!

Oh well.

I scramble down the hill, and after 5 minutes it flattens out and the gateway appears, on the other side is the car.

Phew.

I walk past the car and up the bridleway, I may as well climb some more as my legs were nicely warmed I up I rationed with myself. Hoping that the Lesser Butterflies would be out.

After I got my breath back, I look and find two of the three spikes had yet to open, but the third was partially open, with the delicate flowers like flying angels. It filled my heart with joy. The windy conditional made macro work tricky, but I rattled off 50 shots anyway.

The sun was now out, and with Park Gate a ten minute drive away, I made for there.

I park in the lay by and make for the slopes of the down nearest the gate, where last weekend the most advanced spikes where, and indeed many were half out or more. I take shots, lots of shots.

As I walk to the second paddock, there are more and more spikes showing, or beginning to open. It will be a bumper year for them I think.

Through the second paddock and into the third for a look for the Musk, more Fly and the Greater Butterfly. I'm sure if I had looked hard enough, I would have found a tiny Musk spike or two, but they would be visible in a couple of weeks, and there is plenty of time.

I find lots of Fly, now going over, but some worth snapping. At the back of the paddock, the Greater Butterfly were close, but none actually with a flower open. So, with lunchtime approaching, I walk back to the car, when in an area of short grass, I spot a Fly spike that looked anything other than a Fly. There was no long stalk of the spike, and the flowers seemed disfigured and oddly coloured, this had the hallmarks of being a hybrid, which it it was, would be big news.

I take shots from all angles, using a small an aperture as possible to get as much detail as I could.

I felt certain of what I had seen, so I rushed back to the car to drive quickly home, so I can review the shots.

I write to the county recorders and a couple of good orchid blokes I know, and whilst waiting for replies I have lunch, then go to Tesco.

When I get back, people did not see what I saw, which I was a little disappointed with, but I guess it happens. In the end I can content myself with knowing that I saw something unusual and did something about it, knowing that it was unusual and how to deal with that.

I sit in the garden and read WSC, which is a pretty good way to spend the afternoon.

Jools comes home, we have coffee and an ice cream: praline magnum, an ice cream of champions.

The day is fading, there is the garden to water, cats to feed and then dinner to cook. We feast on chicken rolls with sweet chilli sauce dripping out of them. Perfect.

F|inally, we watch Monty, but with us both being pooped, I just about stay awake through it, but Jools sleeps through over half.

We go to bed with the birds still singing outside, and half light coming round the side of the curtains.