Monday 7th May 2018

Bank Holiday Monday (UK)

Usually Bank Holidays, especially the early spring one, is marked by wind, rain, the four riders of the apocalypse abroad. And so on, so to have the fourth straight day of endless sunshine, and barmy balmy temperatures, this really is a treat. And for the casual orchid hunter, it means pacing oneself and wife to one or two sites per day over the three and a half days off, back home for the warmest part of the day in which photos can be reviewed and so on.

With the cool start to the days, but with the heat quickly rising, it was good to have an early start, so after coffee we get dressed and are heading out of the drive at quarter to eight, out onto the (mostly) open roads.

Our destination was Bonsai Bank; a nature reserve in a wood, and once at the edge of the wood, we would have a leisurely 20 minute amble down the woodland track to the gate of the reserve itself.

There was just the one car parked up beside the road, so we joined it, I got my camera out, and we walked through the gate and down the gently sloping track, leading us through rows of planted fir on one side, and ancient beech on the other. As before, the bluebells had almost all faded, but the low sun did show a hint of blue though the tree trunks.

On either side were strange and wonderful plants, some of which I could hazard a guess at naming. Others, I had no idea.

We passed no others, until we came to the gate to the reserve, where we met a rather flustered butterfly spotter who asked, did we think the Duke of Burgundies would be out. After speaking to my friend Mark yesterday, I knew they were out and about before half seven. So, we said we would show him where the best place to see them was.

We walked quite quickly, stopping only once in a while to look at interesting half-open Lady Orchids, which he quietly accepted.

We came to the home of the Dukes, and saw none. It was nine in the morning, quite warm already, and yet no tiny deep red butterflies. We spit up, searching and searching. And about half an hour later, I finally spotted one; a single male, happy enough to be basking in the still damp grass.

I got the first shots, them Andrew did, and in the next twenty minutes we followed it and another male, snapping them when they landed. At least The Duke likes to bask a lot and being so brightly coloured, were easy to spot. And in time I got the shots I wanted, I mean I think its the fourth year I have snapped the Dukes, and have some good shots, how many more do I need? He said then goes out to snap dozens of apparently identical orchids.

I never said it would make sense.

Jools and I walk to the path at the bottom of the reserve, then along until we came to near the gate in the fence, where we found another couple of Dukes, thus confirming that the area there was another distinct colony from the one we had taken Andrew to see. I snap another few shots before deciding it was enough.

On the way back we pass other photographers, walkers and others; we give them the time of day, and would have doffed caps if I had been wearing one, or known what doffing was.

We go to Barham, so I could check on the progress of the Lesser Butterflies. Jools said I could go alone, so puff my way up the bridleway and into the thick vegetation, searching and searching in the undergrowth for a rosette or two, but of different shape and unspotted to tell it apart from the EPOs and Twayblades. At last i find one, with a slightly twisted spike, but clearly a Butterfly Orchid, and certainly a Lesser as it was here.

I go back down the hill to the car, too warm to check over the other side, so we began to trip home, but, changing plans again to go to check on the Birds Nest Orchids, which is only a five minute drive away.

As it turned out, I found none once we had parked and gone to look, but the White Helleborines were everywhere, hinting at a good show in a few weeks.

No disturbance in the leaf litter showing where an orchid spike might be growing, so we walk back to the car, and me not having taken a shot there.

Once final call was back at Lydden for the Man Orchids; they had not been out on Saturday, but with endless warm, nay, hot days, there was a chance one might be out.

As it happened, one spike had two flowers open, which counts in my book, so snap that and Jools changes the plan, and we go to see Jen.

Jen is painting her dining room, the skylight leak has been fixed and the holes caused by rainwater, filled. So she is painting it to make it purdy, and should be OK in time for Saturday and resumption of the card schools.

And that was it. Back home for lunch of burgers, so filling we needed no dinner. Jools did some gardening, as did I, but she did more.

I watered the seedlings, looked at what we had done, and saw it was good.

And there was no football on, so late int he afternoon we watched another episode of The City and the City, and once dark, we watched the final part, which left me a little meh to be honest. Interesting concept, and the themes on belonging, immigrants and control are very current in Brexit Britain. But I guess that went over the heads of the gammons.