Monday 24 June 2019

Lesser Butterfly Orchid in North Norfolk

After receiving some excellent directions from Murray S for an LBO, perhaps the only one flowering in East Anglia at present. I drove up to North Norfolk on the morning of Saturday 22nd June. The directions were excellent as I soon found the area, but not the plant. I retraced my steps and noticed I had walked straight past it. The exquisitely subtle beauty of the Lesser Butterfly Orchid was caged and the subtle beaty of this magnificent plant was admired. It was one lone individual but it was flowering beautifully and at its very best only the flowers at the very tip were yet to bloom and I spent the next hour photographing from every conceivable view and angle taking care not to stand on any Spotted Orchids, around 15 that were flowering nearby. I was later joined by Chris L and another local. Chris then showed me a plant which was formerly known as Pugsley's Marsh orchid, a variant I had always hoped to see, ID'd by its narrow leaved sepal. Chris then very kindly showed me another spot nearby where 2 further plants variants formerly known as Pugsley's Marsh Orchids were seen. Plus a very pale Pink Spotted orchid. I went to visit relative and returned to the second site, where amazingly a sky- blued abdomen male Keeled Skimmer was flying around, I saw him 3X but he was very elusive and I didn't see him land. Fortunately, I saw a female Keeled Skimmer in flight, she landed and going in very carefully she was very tolerant as I took pictures and left her still perched on a weed stem.

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