Unusual Orchids .
Posted: Wed May 09, 2018 6:40 pm
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.
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.