Orchids and Birds

Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th August 2014
Autumn Lady's Tresses, Breakheart Hill
Friday I went in search of Orchids at Swift's Hill, near Slad, in particular Autumn Lady's Tresses and am grateful to the gentlemen there who pointed some out to me and also told me they were far more numerous at Breakheart Hill near Dursley. I went on to Breakheart Hill were, as the chap said, they were plentiful, and bigger (they're still a small plant) than the specimens at Swift's Hill. I also noted at least eight Chalkhill Blues here too, also a Redstart.
Swift's Hill, looking towards Stroud
Autumn Lady's Tresses, Breakheart Hill - not so spiralled flower spike as most specimens
Chalkhill Blue, Breakheart Hill
View from Breakheart Hill
On Saturday a morning out with Mark produced a nice selection of birds at Walmore Common included five Whinchats, a Wheatear and c20 Yellow Wagtails, also a  Migrant Hawker dragonfly. We then went on to Crabtree Hill where the best birds were a Spotted Flycatcher, two Redstarts, two Stonechats and four Whitethroats.
Four of the five Whinchats
Walmore Common
I went out in search of orchids again on Sunday, this time to Edge Common (aka Rudge Hill - but I prefer to call it Edge Common) looking for Helleborines and hoping to find some still in flower. Of the many Broad-leaved Helleborines I found just a single flower still just about photographable, although a few Green-flowered Helleborines were less aged - I must go earlier next year!
Broad-leaved Helleborine, Edge Common
Green-flowered Helleborine, Edge Common
Green-flowered Helleborine

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