Saturday 19th June 2021

When you arrange events, meet-ups, the one thing you can't factorin is the weather. So it was that on Saturday I had two tours planned; the first one was me taking some orchid newbies around Sandwich Bay looking at Lizard orchids and the other delights. That would then be followed by a tour lead by the reserve warden taking a small group to look for the recently discovered colony of Dainty Damselflies.

But the weather was still unsettled after the fog and rain on Friday, and wasn't expected to provide us with any sun through the day.

Which it didn't.

As the second meet began at eeven, it meant a really early start of the orchid walk, doubly so as the impending Open Golf Championship had closed all the footpaths across St George's, so we would have to walk round.

As ever, there was a last minute rush to get breakfast prepared and eaten, then the two coffees and all the other stuff before leaving the house at half seven for the blast up to Sandwich. Not much to report, little traffic out on the road, and most going to Tesco.

Along the road to the estate, too early for the toll to me manned, so I sail through and we arrive at the observatory at ten to eight where there wwere already half my group waiting. We waited until ten past eight, one person failed to come, so we set off onto the main road, then down the track before cutting through the houses of the estate to The Strand.

I'm not saying that in estate I mean a councl one, as I don't think you'll find many Lamborghini sports cars on one of those. One house had a low black and shiny brand new Lambo parked outside. I am now certain that I would not be able to get either in or out of one if ever I come into so much money I would think a million pound car a reasonable purchase.

The first of the mansion with orchids growing in their front lawn was seen, and I had to shoo the group along promising them many more orchids in just a few minutes.

Honest.

And I was true to my word, as along the beach, in the verge and on the dunes there were hundreds of spikes, most partially open, though once again I am sure numbers are down. But I was to find out that numbers are increasing in other parts of the estate.

One of the group finds a near pure-green spike, the only open flower showing a green hood and central lip lobs, but at the top some red showing. Close though, but no ceeeegarrrr.

We walk down the dune. Well, I do. the rest walk in the road looking in the verge and bank inspecting every orchid spike. Which is fine, except you have to avoid the high powered sports cars heading for the golf course, and we are keeping them from the first tee by literal seconds!

On the way I asnower questions or impart important information, like the Lizard Orchid smells of goat's wee. Or the Clove Scented Broomrape smells of cloves. I even invite folks to sniff the spikes.

That difficult sophomore album by Spinal Tap: Smell the Spikes.

We reach the gates of the golf course, and I triumphantly point out the small colony of Bee Orchids.

And that is it, I say. You are free to stay as much as you like, or walk back to the car, I had over an hour before the next walk, so I ambled back looking for the Clove Scented Broomrape (smells of cloves), taking shots. I ambled so much that by the time I got to the road through the estate I had just half an hour to get back to the estate. I had to quick march back, getting back at ten to and seeing two groups forming; one for moths and the other for damselfies.

I was expected and my name ticked off the list, and once we had waited for a couple of no-shows, we walked back through the houses, cutting down a passage way until we came to a pool.

This is where the Dainties were found three years ago.

Short stroy: a group of students were doing a project, and had a number of "hit species" of flowers, plants and insects, and one was the Dainty. When the warden asked abotu this, they explained it was a southern species so might be seen.

He doubted it.

A couple of weeks later, he went back to look at their log sheets and saw a number of Danties marked. He asked to see pctures, which were produced. And they were as described. Then bagan the hunt for the breeding area which brought him to this pool,a nd then the investigations began, with the current and future country recorders coming down to look at the discarded larval skins and so on. And the find was confrmed.

Last year a major study took place, and 150 pairs were observed, and for 2021 a number of walks for those interested were arranged. The first two were sold out in under an hour, so six more were added, and Saturday's were the last two such walks.

The DAnty is one of a number of almost identical damselflies that are small, blue with black markings Various markings and the size makes the ID.

Being cold and damp the damsels were roosting in the long sedges around the pond, which made finding them and photographing them easier than otherwise would be, though there would be few in flight and none "in cop". Maes have a "wine goblet" shaped marking on the segment just below their wings, whilst femails have missile-shepd patterns in all segments.

We saw no females, but dozens of males, I got some shots.

Of course.

But, if I'm honest, as they were all pretty much the same, endlessly repeating the same shots seemed overkill, so I make my excuses and say I am off to see the Marsh Helleborines. He understands and wishes me well.

I bump into one of my group members and his wife; they had failed to find the Marsh Helleborines, despite having cclear directions from me.

So, after a drink I take them back over the meadow and aong to the fenced off dune slacks, where among the Southern Marsh and Ragged Robin I see a few early spikes of the Marsh helleborines. It is early for them, and only a half dozen spikes open, but that's eneough.

We all take shots, then wander further in the fenced area, me checking for any large or over-colourful spikes of the SMOs. We wind just SMOs, but I spot a stay Dainy Damselfly and point it out to my friends, thus having saved them a fiver.

How nice I am.

And that is the end of my six hours on Sandwich Bay Estate. I walk back to the car and drive home to get some late lunch, as the shop on the reserve is still closed.

Back home I had half a pork pie and a salted caramel ice cream and a huge brew. And all was well with the world.

I sat down to watch the Hungray v France game, but received a phone call just as Hungary took the lead from a friend who has a Lizard Orchid pop up in his garden; did I want to come and see?

Well, it has been some time since I last spoke to John, so I drve over to Worth and parked outside his home. The other side of the street is a row of 70s semi-detached houses, not very pretty, but the older houses the other side are set among mature trees and hidden from view. John lives in one of these, with a large semi-wild garden.

And besde his garage in rick loamy soil is a single Lizard Orchid spike, very much at home from its usual sandy soil home.

We have a brew and chat about trips and orchids, until it was time for me to go home, as dinner was calling.

When I got back, Jools went to the take away for a banquet for two. Which is a banquet for two for two days.

When she got back, we eat half leaving the rest for another day.

There was more football, but truth is I was pooped, so went to bed at half time in the Spain v Poland game.