The end of the Orchid Season in our area

   Wed.4th August 2010

         Over the past week we've probably found the last two species of orchids that grow in our area. We came across a few late flowering Fragrant Orchids in an old Quarry in Clitheroe and a couple in fresh specimens in fairly marshy ground at Ribblehead in the uppermost reaches of Ribblesdale. The second of the late flowering orchids is the Broad Leaved Helleborine which grows deep in the woodlands in the Ribble Valley, this year I caught them at their best with some large healthy flower spikes amongst them. There is the late flowering Autumn Lady's Tresses that grows in a few locations around Morcambe Bay in the end of August and into September but whether I seek them out I'll decide later.

 Fragrant Orchid.......If in any doubt about identification a good sniff is all it needs, it's the only orchid with this distinctive perfume

 

                      The two fresh Fragrant Orchids up at Ribble Head. After further reading I'm fairly sure that these two  are Marsh Fragrant Orchids because of the wet conditions they were growing in,
infact they were growing amongst Marsh Hellerborines

   Deep in the woods of the Ribble Valley ... Broad Leaved Helleborines

                     The flowers seem to be much redder this year

Scotish Islands (part 2) Outer Hebrides ... Vatersay and Barra

Tues3rd Aug 2010

                         We sailed out of Oban  on Monday 14th June for the 41/2 hours sail (140 miles) to Barra and Vatersay which is connected to Barra with a causeway these two Islands are the most southerly of the Outer Hebrides.

                    Passing some of the Inner Hebrides on route

     We stayed at a Crofters House for 4 nights by the side of a Sea Loch

                                   Exploring the Island of Barra

                    White sandy beaches and turquoise clear water

                        The beach is the Islands Runway

                                          Crofters House

                         Castlebay the main village on Barra

The Island of Vatersay

These are Heath Spotted Orchids the start of our Orchid search through the Islands,a search that would reveal thousands of orchids as we explored  northwards through the Islands

                                            Marsh Orchids

          Heath Spotted Orchids and growing amongst them ....Lousewort

                              Typical Hebredian cloudscape

   

Highlights from the Scotish Islands (part 1) Arran

Tuesday 27th July 2010
           The following photos are just a snippet of the wonderful holiday we had on the Scottish Islands in June and early July on our holiday of discovery either cycling or on foot  finding the beautiful orchids that grow on these beautiful unspoilt islands.This was our first visit to the Isle of Arran.We were impressed with its varied landscape, it is known as Scotland in miniature.

                 Our campsite at Kildonan the most southerly point
                 on Arran with Ailsa Craig Island on the horizon

Probably one of the most tiring walks we've done for several years, this was a section of the coastal path along the southern coast which crossed a rockfall that was several hundred yards long

                               At last we past the rockfall
                           

                           The long slog up Goat Fell

                  The glaciated landscape of the interior

                                The summit 2868 ft.

                 A mutation....a double headed Heath Spotted Orchid

                               Blackwaterfoot Harbour

The promise of a another fine day ....tomorrow we sail to the Outer Hebrides

The Orchid still eludes us

Monday 26th July 2010.

                        Last Frid. 23rd July we sent another day in amongst the splendid scenery around Malham Tarn searching out the Clints and Grikes in the Limestone Pavements for the rare Dark Red Helleborine but the search was in vain..After the long search we returned to the Malham Tarn Estate and after a few enquires  we managed to speak to Martin the Manager of the estate who had a vast knowledge of the flora of the area and was very helpful. We were told that the Dark Red Helleborine hadn't been seen for several years after they removed some old Larch trees from he area, this allowed stronger foliage to grow up and  smothered them but steps are now being taken to reverse the problem.

         Malham Tarn has an extensive area of wetland on its western shores called The Moss this is also worth exploring because of its rare plants ,we found two new plants that we had never seen in the area before.

                                        Malham Tarn

                   The Clints and Grikes above Malham Tarn

         Monk's- Hood growing in the woods surrounding Malham Tarn

The following flowers were found in the wetland  
surrounding Malham Tarn

                                            Marsh Cinquefoil (new)

Common Wintergreen ( becoming rare because of its specialised habitat) (new)

                                           Bog Asphodel

                                  Sundew (carnivorous plant)

                                    Northern Marsh Orchid   ?

                                  Common Valerian