Adam's missing orchids

Subject: Adam's missing orchids Fri May 23, 2008 6:51 pm

This afternoon I went to Walker's Hill, above Alton Barnes, to see the orchids. There are normally many different varieties - some quite rare. The weather was horrible - cloudy and threatening rain. I went to all the usual places, but found just one Common Spotted and one Fragrant Orchid. There's a big colony of Burnt Orchid on the south side of the hill, just below Adam's Grave. Except there aren't any yet this year - not one! Strangely though, I found two miniature Burnt Orchids on the east side as I climbed up. Because Walker's Hill is so cold and windy, many of the the wild flowers that thrive there have miniaturised - presumably so they don't get so damaged in the wind. I've never seen this before in orchids though. Burnt Orchid is normally quite majestic, and between 4" and 6" tall. These were very pretty, but less than 3" high!

I sat on top of Adam's Grave and just as I poured a coffee there was a crack of thunder and it started to monsoon. The rain came down like stair-rods for about 15 minutes. I tried to shelter under a hawthorn but got soaked to the skin - literally! I may has well have jumped in a river, I was so wet. My 'waterproof' walking boots were full of water that had run down my legs...
On the way back down the hill I found some other interesting plants that are uncommon in most places. Broomrape is a strange one - it's parasitic! It has no chlorophyll at all and lives on the roots of other plants. This one had just popped up - it isn't normally bent like this:

Also found Twayblade, sometimes described as a 'green orchid' but really it's a type of helleborine:

There should have been Butterfly Orchids, Bee Orchids and many others. I thought for a while it must be just me, but I met another disappointed orchid-hunter on the road - as wet as I was. He had a GPS programmed with grid references for every orchid colony in Britain and had only found one Common Spotted!
We both put it down to the cold weather - I'll try again next week.

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

How very lovely and rare. The only place I have seen wild orchids was on the clifftops at Lyme Regis. It was the second week in June and they were prolific.

This is a really descriptive post Steve, even without the photos and I really enjoyed reading it - thank you. Sorry to hear you got soaked, no rain up here in north Wiltshire. Hope you have fair weather next time.

It did occur to me after re-reading your post that the air must be very clean up there as orchids only seem to grow in high places (I'm happy to be corrected on that). Would love to see more photos when you get them.

bw

june

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Have you visited Morgan's Hill? Or Oliver's Castle on Roundway Hill? Both had fantastic shows of wild orchids last year. I would post some photos but, like June, I can't master adding pix, sorry!
I met a baby badger on Morgan's Hill (near Furze Knoll) a couple of days ago, but no orchids yet. Lots of Cowslips though. Isn't Mother Nature clever to produce such varied and beautiful creations?!
June, I've heard that the amazing lichens on the Sarsen Stones only flourish around here because the air is so clean. (My son and I have also flourished much better since leaving London air to live and breath Wiltshire air!)

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

In photobucket

You have the options to post photos as below

Email & IM
Direct Link
HTML Code
IMG Code

Use the IMG Code copy and paste it...

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Sorry to sound dim, but what is Photobucket?

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Lichen and air quality....

http://inamidst.com/notes/lichen

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Tony - thanks for v interesting link to lichen info - fascinating! I'll try to get my head around photobucket later. Thanks again.
June - Have you been to Harestone Down yet? Pete directed me there - you'll love it! If you see the Silver Hare I'll be dead jealous!
Happy walking in wonderful Wilts!

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Thanks for the tip about Harestone Down, Rose. I think there is something in Terence Meaden's book about it (I'll check). Seeing a silver hare would make me very happy too.

This is just a quick reply as am at work and feel a bit furtive (even though lunch-break). Yes, wonderful Wiltshire - I plan to move further into it later, but at present have family/work commitments in Swindon. Its a great therapy to wander out there whenever I can though.

bw
june

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Tue May 27, 2008 2:37 pm

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Tue May 27, 2008 2:42 pm

a couple of years ago a local farm hand told me he had seen a silverback hare near there so I went up for a look and very nearly stepped on it at the edge of the circle.
It was Huge! the size of a large dog.
It hurtled off towards EKLB and the only two photos I managed to get show it blurred it was moving so fast!
PeteG

Joined : 19 Jan 2008 Posts : 215

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Cows used not to scare me but....

Apparently some walkers were attacked by cows a few weeks ago (they were walking their dogs - bad move!) and ended up airlifted out with ruptured spleen and fractured skull!

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

June, hopefully I have managed to post a photo for you of the badger I met near Furze Knoll the other day.
It seems a bit gray and shaggy to me. Do baby badgers shed a type of baby-fur and then regrow an adult stripey pelt?
I'm guessing its young because it seemed quite small compared to the road-kill I've seen and also it didn't seem to know it shouldn't have been wandering about at 11am!

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Here are some photos of flowers I took last year on Morgan's Hill and Oliver's Castle.
Can anyone help me to identify them? I think at least one of them is an orchid of some type.

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

Rose, brilliant photographs - glad you were able to post them. They look like orchids to me, though I'm no expert. Love the badger picture too.

Now, one more challenge! The silver hare !!! Then Pete will have to step down as master photographer.

Best wishes

June

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Wed May 28, 2008 10:24 pm

Top pic: Foreground (pink) is Sainfoin - its name from the French 'Holy Hay'. It was grown as animal fodder in medieaval times.
Yellow flower behind is Hawkweed

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Wed May 28, 2008 10:37 pm

They are lovely photos!

The second picture is of the Common Spotted Orchid

And below that, another Sainfoin flower with its top spike missing.

Bottom picture: Fragrant Orchid It's supposed to have a wonderful scent, but only at certain times. I've sniffed lots of them but have never smelled anything at all!

Good Badger pic too.

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Wed May 28, 2008 10:59 pm

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Glad you like the pix!

Thanks to Tonyh for the tip about Photobucket.
I did find it a bit challenging to work it all out, but with a little help from my friends I seem to have managed to post something.
Not quite sure why one is so much smaller than the rest though.

As for knocking Pete's crown off, June - I wouldn't dare even try! He's a lot bigger than me!

I think the Silver Hare could become a new Holy Grail. The challenge has been set!
(Although I was dead chuffed to meet a live badger so will bask in that for now.)

SteveM, Thanks for the names. Its been bugging me for ages!
I can see that the 2 'Sainfoin' photos are of are the same flower now you've pointed out the missing top bit.
I'm pleased that 2 of them turned out to be real orchids.
Can't say I remember the fragrant one having a scent, but then the Nicotinia in my garden don't give off their scent until dusk.

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Thanks Pete.

I'm blushing.

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Wed May 28, 2008 11:30 pm

I found this one at Oliver's Castle,
PeteG

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

All the photographs on this topic are just lovely, I didn't even know that wild orchids grew on the downs until Steve started this post last week. I've never met Pete, Rose but have the greatest respect for his talent as a photographer - especially his night skies (he's probably bigger than me too, so I'm treading carefully here).

Just wanted to say to Steve that I am impressed by your knowledge of wild flowers. I had never heard of sainfain before tonight so I googled it, brought up some lovely sites - English Nature, Cotswold Seeds etc.

A very peaceful subject to contemplate at bedtime after reading up stuff on the Sumerians and ancient pagan mythology earlier today.

Something just came through to my email account from another forum about Pythagoran geometry possibly being used to build Stonehenge ......but now it really time for me to switch off .....the computer, the lights (are listening Pete) and my poor tired brain. Nitey nite!

Joined : 22 May 2008 Posts : 26

Hi Rose, think you're last orchid is the early purple orchid (orchis mascula) according to my book; the sainfoin is apparently 'a relict of former cultivation for fodder' so don't know how long ago it was cultivated up there. Orchids depend on a mycorrhizal fungus, without which they can't survive - no ploughing on the Wiltshire uplands then. Steve's twayblade looks like lesser twayblade, its supposedly common throughout England... never seen it though.

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Nice pictures Rose....

Glad to see you can post Photos now...

Just one more small tip... Once your photo's are 'uped' to photobucket. Re-size them to 640x480. It's simple to do and can be achieved in two ways..

1st - click on Edit on the small bar above the picture and the hit the re size button...

Better...

2nd - left click on the picture and then the re size 640x480.

This gives a picture in between the two sizes you posted. which is better for people on 'dial up'

Like my one....

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:17 pm

About two weeks ago I walked along the bottom of a valley that runs from Calstone to the Cherhill Monument and the orchids were out in force. I saw hundreds of Common Spotted Orchids and dozens of Butterfly Orchids. I didn't have a camera then and I've been too busy to go back until tonight. But...
The cows had eaten virtually all the the Common Spotteds and the Butterflies had all gone over - apart from just six that I found! Oh well...

Here are some of them, anyway.

Common Spotted Orchid:

And the Butterfly Orchid. There are two types - I'm pretty sure this is the Greater one:

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

I must admit to not knowing the Butterfly orchid...

I have looked them up after your post but can't really tell the difference between one or other..

Nice finds though..

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:03 pm

This morning I went back to Walker's Hill (Adam's Grave, near Alton Barnes) which is what originally started this thread. The orchids are late this year, compared to other sites and previous years. But now there orchids everywhere - growing as thickly as dandelions do in other places!

It's really worth a visit. Almost all Common Spotted though, with some Butterfly Orchids. No Bee Orchids yet, and no sign of the big Burnt Orchid colony.

There are quite a few Fragrant Orchids - some clustered in big colonies:

Twayblade is growing in a few open places where I've never seen it before:

And even though there must be hundreds of Fragrant Orchids I still have never had the faintest hint of perfume from one...

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:53 pm

Silbury and Waden hill have bloomed also.

I don't know the names of these or even if the white ones are orchids or not,

It was nice watching rain around the landscape this afternoon.

PeteG

Joined : 18 Jan 2008 Posts : 154

Steve and Pete, what lovely photos! Thank you.

What's the pretty green bug on the Fragrant Orchid Steve? Gorgeous colour!

I had a very quick wander down the path at the bottom of Knapp Hill today and saw a few spotted orchids.

Has anyone been to Morgan's Hill yet? Are the orchids out there yet? flower

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:45 pm

Haven't been up Morgan's Hill yet - I'll try in the week. The green bug was metallic and looked like it was made of titanium! Maybe it's an alien robot bug - something to do with crop circles?

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Nice Pictures...

Good crop of Achillia Millefolium in the Sibury hill picture Pete.. (Yarrow)

Good Herb plant.. Has been known as Solders Woundwort.

Dried Yarrow stems used as Tarot Sticks (I Ching)...

If you mix one cupful of chopped yarrow to a wheelbarrows worth of garden arrisings, It will considerably speed up composting..

Guest

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

There's a new one to me (Bio-Dynamic Agriculture)..

I find myself relating to certain parts of their beliefs and practices and then finding a lot more of it bizarre..

I am impressed with the fact they use herbs but proberly not with the way they use them..

Guest

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

One of the problems I have with the idea that farmers require a date to work to is, that, It just ain't truth...

Reading weather, light, and ground conditions soon becomes second nature to those that work with it..

You can see the changes, feel the changes, smell the changes, hear the changes, touch the changes... You know when it's time. you know when it's the optimum. From that point on. It's window of opportunity...

Your prepared and ready. The ground conditions are right. The weather is with you.. You go...

Waiting for some fool priest to give you the nod is going to get people killed...

Guest

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Guest

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:37 pm

I found two of these in my garden last one.
One ran off before I could grab the camera.
PeteG

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Interestingly..

It's rare to find Hedgehogs together. They are highly territorial and normally fight when they meet..

Unless it was that time of year and 'love' was in the air...

PS... Bet it was the Male that did a runner..

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:51 pm

I've seen them twice in the last month and by the squealing sounds I think they was fighting.
PeteG

Joined : 15 Jan 2008 Posts : 850 Location : Surrey

Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:58 pm

I just went up Morgans Hill today - thick with orchids! They're getting a bit old though, so won't be around for much longer.

Again, they're mostly common spotted, but also found quite a few butterfly and fragrant orchids. Further round to the east, on the track that runs from the Roman Road down into Calstone, there are a lot of pyramidal orchids.

Joined : 07 Jan 2008 Posts : 471 Location : Wiltshire

I know this topic has slipped away along with spring and early summer but I was wondering if anyone knew who made the beautiful stained glass window in the little church at Bishopstone - it is three windows comprising the Wiltshire landscape and includes orchids.

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Subject: Re: Adam's missing orchids Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:44 pm

Silbury in the right panel.
Very interesting June,
thanks
PeteG