First Broad Leaved Helleborine of the Year (16th July 2017)

Sunday 16th July 2017 - Hutton Roof 1000hrs to 1400hrs

For the last few days its been Green Woodpecker (yaffle!), Green Woodpecker (yaffle!) and Green Woodpecker (yaffle!), wherever I seem to have gone the "undulating flying" chappie has never been far away giving it all.  I think there must be plenty of young birds about this year (a good year), but no problem because we have loads and loads of ants (yellow ones) ready for you!

Odd calls (very quiet and subdued) of hou-whit, hou-whit will have come from either the Willow Warbler or its cousin the Chiffchaff. 

Lots of Butterflies today with Small Skippers (several), Small Heaths (several), Ringlets (lots and lots) Meadow Browns (several) Speckled Wood (one), Dark Green Fritillary (two), Graylings (lots)  - they (the Graylings) still do it! land and then after a split second fall on their side.  I also had one of the large dragonflies hawking over the bracken, talk about flitty you really had to keep your eyes on him.  I am sure the one in question is called "Gold Ringed Dragonfly". 

Mr. Hare you naughty boy! you have been at it yet again - today he's taken out that beautiful Schmalhausenii 70 and 70a (and left 70a with the lovely cherry red plume dangling to rot away!) and also he has taken out another hybrid 17q. So we will miss out on the propogation yet again!

Sometimes the ground was carpetted with Self Heal, Eyebright, Wild Thyme, Tormentil and lots and lots of Hawkweeds.  You felt guilty having to walk over them, so now and again you tried to "hopscotch".  I did check on some Montanums and also some Pulchrums!

First Helleborine of the Year - They always say small is beautiful (Click over to enlarge)

Besides the "Orchid Fields" this pavement below was also my garden today but I do wonder if with age it is getting a bit more wrinkled as time goes on!

My first Broad Leaved Helleborine of the year was showing today and it was a miniature - "they always say small is beautiful".  It only measured about 6" high. Just for if you notice one of the flowers is actually "upside down" - well don't worry it should straighten up with time. They do start off like this and correct themselves later. The majority of the helleborines here have not even straightened out yet! although a few of them are doing today.

My first helleborine of the year (Click to enlarge)

Shows in close up (Click to enlarge)

Went up today specially to check out Specimen 74 which is a Lemon-Petalled (Lempet) but whats more special is that the epichile and bosses are white.  It always come through the same and the plant is under canopy. The deer had predated everything around it a couple of weeks ago and I am pleased at least for now they have left this special one alone.

Specimen 74 Lempet on 16th July 2017

Could not resist peering down the gryke to check out one of our rare Southern Polypody ferns. It's always a late starter and you can just see the young ferns are starting to unravel and before long they will develop into that beautiful "Deltoid" shape.

Southern Polypody fern (Polypodium cambricum) - Click over to enlarge