Green- wings up, Early Purples down

On Sunday 19th May, a look at Pleasurewood Hills at 4pm revealed just 12 very late flowering Early Purple Orchids (flowering around a month late due to the wintry conditions) and maybe 20 in all with more non- flowering plants seen too. I am concerned about how dry this bank is getting and especially the incursion of bramble especially along the northern end. However, at another local meadow, (managed by the local wildlife trust) the difference was striking with a well managed site, I counted a personal record 43 Green- winged Orchids also coming into flower with one pale one seen (almost as pale as the Mediterranean sub- species) and one very deep purple one, too. Typically very stunted looking plants but when they are flowering they are absolute crackers well worth seeing!