Unusual Orchids .

[Allan.W.]

Not a butterfly post but I thought some may be interested . Last weekend Lynne and I ,took a trip to the excellent Samphire Ho
reserve ,near Dover ,a huge man made reserve ,using spoil from the diggings of the channel tunnel ,this site has improved in leaps and bounds over the years ,and is an excellent Butterfly and plant site , with colonies of Wall Brown, Small Blue , and Adonis Blue ,Dingy Skipper ,Green Hair; to name but a few ,I,ve actually watched Adonis Blues flying along the shingle ,just a few metres from the sea .
It is also known for its Early Spider Orchids ,a species which I,d only originally seen on the chalk downland in the Wye (Kent ) area ,and most of those were generally tiny affairs ,sporting perhaps 2 flowers per plant , and then as the tunnel spoil settled they appeared in huge numbers at Samphire Ho ,with some really huge specimens . One was recently found bearing around twenty flowers on a stem ! the best I managed was about fourteen ,but it is the variation which really catches the eye. I urge anyone visiting the area to give Samphire Ho a go ,you won,t be sorry !
Regards Allan.W.

[David M]

Yes, very interested, Allan and thanks for posting. For now is indeed the season for orchids and I'm sure they bring great delight to most if not all of we butterfly lovers, especially given that they tend to grow in the kind of habitat conducive to our winged friends.

[Allan.W.]

Thanks Dave ,if your.e ever in this neck of the woods ,its certainly worth a look ........its an excellent birding spot as well !
Regards Allan.W.

[essexbuzzard]

Excellent post, Alan! I remember when there were just a few spikes of early spiders at Samphire Hoe, but their numbers have exploded since then. Even though many are eaten by rabbits, more than enough survive to maintain this impressive population.

[Sylvie_h]

Hi Alan,

Excellent. The green specimen is an hypochrome form, a form which is rarely seen.Well done!
Sylvie

[Allan.W.]

Thanks for the comments Essex and Sylvie ,glad you liked them ! And thanks for the ID. Sylvie, must admit I,d not heard of that.
posted a couple of slightly different individuals .
Regards Allan.W.