DEAD TWAYBLADE ORCHID

This was worry as I noticed this Twayblade spike dropping over which did not look right for a breakage. Closer inspection revealed the leaves to have died and the whole plants seems to have perished?!

Worrying.

Not familiar with any diseases that British Orchids may be vulnerable too but I will check it out at some point.

I also do not know how many had perished it is very difficult to go trudging around without ending up treading on an Orchid. Though the majority of an Orchid plant, in the British Isle, is beneath ground treading on one would not kill it but it would also not do it any favours either?! Like all those millions of seeds that would not get dispersed. Still this would only result in one or two plants from each pod if they were lucky.

A PYRAMID AMONG BLADES

I spotted a fourth species of Orchid at this site with these appearing, though late, Pyramidal Orchids among the Common Twayblade Orchids.

A PYRAMID AMONG TWAYS AND SPOTS

A surprise here when I spot a Pyramidal Orchid among the Common Twayblades.

Already seen Common Spotted and one of the Marsh Orchids at this site. Possibly both Marsh Orchids too but not right for Bee Orchids, even if they tried to plant them, lol.

So at least 4 species here which is a surprise as last year kept drawing a blank and thought they had all died out, lol!

Spitting them this year coincided with me sitting two guys from park authority bent over in the meadow looking like they were planting new ones, lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CstLTMGOEk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

DAY OF THE ORCHIDS - THE COMMON TWAYBLADE ORCHID - NEOTTIA OVATA

Well finally!!!

After several years of searching this one down I finally nail it down to a day it is in flower that turns out to be a day of breaking some personal records that still remind me today with very stiff muscles in my legs, lol.

The name Twayblade means two leaves, which are egg shaped and reflected in their species name of ovata which is Latin fir egg. Ovata is referring then to the egg shaped leaves of which there are only two.

Very small green flowers you could easily miss and was right by. Only when you look more closely does that almost unmistakable Orchid look of the flowers stand out.

Hopefully I will get another chance this year to get a bit more on these and never thought to get a video of them on the day, lol dumb-arse.

Oddly I was expecting the two leaves to be flush with the ground due to some pictures I had remembered seeing or very close to it. These leaves were up higher than I actually thought they would be though I do have a theory on it being so much long grass, lol.

I also know for a fact they are spreading to an area where there is NO grass?! In fact I am pretty sure I had already taken photos of younger plants I had wagered were Twayblades and posted them up on here?! These plants were nowhere near these ones, a couple of feet higher elevation, therefore drier, and in a very public accessible area. I have not seen them this year though.

I do really like these Orchids and they are unusual to me in many ways. Inconspicuous until you take a closer look, delicate colours of very slight red edging in jade like flowers and those two leaves. Several years I waited to see these and I am pleased to say they have not disappointed me indeed quite the opposite in fact.

COMMON TWAYBLADE ORCHID - NEOTTIA OVATA

FINALLY?!?!

The Common Twayblade Orchid, Neottia ovata species name means egg and must refer to the egg shaped leaves.

And YES it IS there!! Lol.

Right now rubbish pictures and no flowers but a lot more to come on Orchids and much more to get on these guys too!

Now I know where they are hiding!!

Oh and I DO believe I spotted them before too!

I also had a chat with a guy who was working down there and I think I recognised his mate who refused to come over to me, lol. Once gentlemen called Derek, was a nice chap and I could see he was passionate about them. We talked about the different sites and it was not until he was passing me in their car and waved when I noticed the driver was that rude TWAT from a few weeks before?!?!

LMAO, no wonder he would not come over and I had not even had words with him either, deciding to bite my tongue instead!! I also now know that the TWATS name is Andy, lol.

Derek was cool though and more in a later post.

ORCHID MEADOW SURPRISE CONUNDRUM

This is the fifth.....thinking... and last of the Orchid sites I located in the Lea Valley. There is supposed to be a seventh but I have been all around it and there definitely is nothing there, despite some curious work being performed.

This is the third year I have visited this site and rather surprisingly for the first time in three years I spot a far off large patch of purple?!

Madness!

Anyway it is good to finally see something despite my suspicions but what I had hoped to see here and have not to date is the Common Twayblade Orchid!

Those in the fist picture are Southern Marsh Orchids, Dactylorhiza praetermissa, at a educated guess but as they were over 100 yards from me I had to judge by the shade of purple and their size. At the other site the Early Marsh Orchids are smaller and have more red in the flowers.

I hope to see the Common Twayblade this year but I doubt it and I never venture up here without visiting all the sites, except the Not English Primrose Just Panted So We Can Get 100 Million from Public To Badly Manage the Entire Park, Kill Masses of rare Caterpillars and Put Pressure on the Crested Newt Colonies and Leave Rubbish Lying Around While e Do Something Visual For Our Money and Cut Down Far Too Many Trees Hindering the Birds Nesting While Just Bringing Something To The Parks Orchids Sites To Help Them Like Ash We Will Just Continue To DO Things That Are Highly Visual SO It Looks Like We Know What We Are Doing But Really Just Fecking It Up SITES.

LMAO no I do not go to those now, lol.

This first one is on a 40x ZOOM, yes that IS FORTY TIMES ZOOM, lol.

I use an Olympus Stylus SP-80UZ Camera. As the Nikon I bought turned out to be faulty and refurbished and Nikon seemed to know too, lol.

THE ORCHID CONUNDRUM

OK well I finally get around to typing this one out?!

In my last couple of posts regarding the Common Spotted Orchid (Datylorhiza fuchsii), Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza genus) and Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera), taken on the same day, and wile at the second site with the Common Spotted a man walks towards me before he stops and says ...

'not much about!'

This is the second time this has happened on this particular spot and I remark how we can always identify other enthusiasts despite never having met before.

We stop and chat and he informs me he has enquired about the site with the Lea Valley Park Authority and they said that the sites are slowly dying out. I replied 'well yeah but did they give a reason?' and he says that it is the fungus they need and I reply 'the microrrhiza?!' and he mentions about the ash being used up.

I then say well yes but its not the fungus and how come they are able to chop down dozens of trees when we are not supposed to be chopping any down and yet they are unable to take away tin cans and rubbish while being unable to bring down and dump more ash?! He agrees and then points out what I had previously highlighted in that someone has been down there digging?! He states he does not know why and I say I noticed this and put pictures on here and that I am at a loss to know why too.

I chat about the Bee Orchid site and he is unaware of its existence nor of the two Southern Marsh Orchids yet knows the rough area and visits the Orchid Meadow we are standing on every day.

I then tell him about the magically appearing several hundred Primroses the four different colours and he looks concerned as well as mystified before I say its a big con and he says 'yes your right, I should have realised that MONEY was behind all this!'.

I also say that the Common Spotted Orchids I have...spotted (groan) are not where I usually see flowers and on the opposite side of the meadow. Indeed I have only ever seen ONE single plant on that side but normally a dozen or more on the other. Today it is the complete opposite to what I normally see.

This chap remarks about all the trees they have cut down near the lakes shore and maybe its to let in more light and I say something along the lines of too little too late and he nods.

We end up parting ways before I make my way to the location of the very last site I found two years ago I have yet to see a single Orchid in, despite the saying stating three or four species their and one I have yet to see being the Common Twayblade Orchid.