Field trips July 2010

[fredg]

Today DaveP and I revisited Site 1 to see if the Gymnadenia conopsea the Fragrant Orchid, which were notable by their total absence on the last visit, were coming into flower.
The Dactylorhiza fuchsii were still in full bloom with many just making their late appearance.
Listera ovata although  not obvious at a distance were there in their thousands.
A new find on this site was Ophrys apifera, the plants were small so this suggests it's just beginning to colonise this area.
We were also looking to see if there was a representative of the natural hybrid between Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Gymnadenia conopsea, if you think you see one in the photos please shout out.

[fredg]

contd

[fredg]

contd
The last one is for Anthony.
Isn't she a little young for this?

[Peter Maguire]

I'm posting a few pictures from a trip I took last weekend to the Durham Wildlife Trust reserve in the quarry in Co Durham. Although this was my third visit this year, this was the visit to see the orchids for which the quarry is renowned, Epipactis atrorubens. I think I arrived at the best time for these orchids, and here are just a few of the many photos taken.
The final picture shows Epipactics atrorubens with a fragrant orchid and a Dactylorhiza - more of these to follow.

[Peter Maguire]

The Epipactis were the easy ones to identify - I've spent a lot of the past week reviewing the other photos to see what I had. I was a bit late for Dactyloriza as they were just going over after the recent hot spell, but the first two are, I'm fairly confident, Dactylorhiza fuchsii.
There were also Pyramidal orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis around in the quarry floor. The inflorescences were not always the classic conical shape and there was some variation in the depth of the pink in the flowers, but the lateral ridges at the base of the labellum were always evident. Again, most of the plants were past their best, probably due to the recent weather.

[Maggi Young]

The different Anacamptis pyramidalis are lovely but those Epipactis atrorubens are the bees knees! Just great!

[Peter Maguire]

Now it starts to get tricky. I always assumed that fragrant orchids were Gymnadenia conopsea, but what were formerly know as varieties have now been divided into three species (based on DNA studies, so they must be ), Gg, conopsea, denisflora and borealis. The first two photos I am happy to call Gymnadenia conopsea, but the third picture........ The flowers look like classic Gymnadenia densiflora at the base of the inflorescence, but more like the G. conopsea at the top of the flower spike, but it has a very dense inflorescence, so I'm tentatively labelling it G. densiflora.
The final picture shows something odd. The lateral lobes of the labellum suggest Anacamptis pyramidalis, as do the lateral sepals, which are held out stiffly horizontal, however there are no lateral ridges at the base of the labellum, and the inflorescence is not as compact as Anacamptis pyramidalis generally is. I'm tentatively assumimg that this is the bi-generic hybrid between Gymnadenia conopsea and Anacamptis pyramidalis, so it should therefore be labelled x Gymnanacamptis anacamptis!

[Graham Catlow]

The different Anacamptis pyramidalis are lovely but those Epipactis atrorubens are the bees knees! Just great!

Peter, a very nice set of photos and I have to agree with Maggi the Epipacts atrorubens are wonderful. I have a liking for dark purple/black flowers and leaves, so they would fit in well in my garden.

Graham

[Paddy Tobin]

Fred & Peter,

You are so very fortunate to be able to visit these sites and see such wonderful photographs. Many thanks for posting.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

contd
The last one is for Anthony.
Isn't she a little young for this?

Many female butterflies and moths mate immediately. Male Heliconius spp. will even mate with a female before her wings are expanded or even while she is still in the chrysalis!

BTW, while I remember. The week before last, after breakfast on the Monday, as I was sitting looking across the playing field of Harrogate ladies College, which is only a five minute walk from the centre of Harrogate, a red kite fly across! I was amazed, to say the least

[daveyp1970]

Peter them there  Epipactics atrorubens are incredible.

[Peter Maguire]

BTW, while I remember. The week before last, after breakfast on the Monday, as I was sitting looking across the playing field of Harrogate ladies College, which is only a five minute walk from the centre of Harrogate, a red kite fly across! I was amazed, to say the least!8)

Anthony,
They have reintroduced Red Kite to the area south of Harrogate. I saw three from the car as I drove around Harrogate to the south when I travelled to the Summer Show North a few weeks ago. I was quite pleased pleased with myself until John Richards told me he'd seen ten there the day before! 

[Tony Willis]

A couple of pictures of what I think is Epipactis dunensis at Ainsdale yesterday.

[Anthony Darby]

Anthony,
They have reintroduced Red Kite to the area south of Harrogate. I saw three from the car as I drove around Harrogate to the south when I travelled to the Summer Show North a few weeks ago. I was quite pleased pleased with myself until John Richards told me he'd seen ten there the day before! 

Quite so Peter. I get excited when I see a Kite in Dunblane, knowing full well if I went to Argaty, four miles away, I would see 30 or more!

[daveyp1970]

here are some photo's of Epipactis helleborine,there is a lovely alba form and a nice pink form as well also some shots of the rubbish with the plants because of fly tipping.