Stanpit Marsh & Hengistbury Head

Waterside Natural History Society visit Stanpit Marsh and Hengistbury Head

Christchurch is fortunate to have two Nature Reserves on its doorstep both of which border onto Christchurch harbour. Stanpit Marsh is on the northern landward side of the harbour whereas Hengistbury Head is on the southern seaward side. The higher land of Hengistbury provides a natural shelter for the harbour and also for Stanpit Marsh. Although they are close together they are separated by the water of the harbour so a fifteen minute car journey is required to move from one to the other.
We started our visit at Stanpit Marsh which is a low lying area of reclaimed mud flats although the sea claims large areas back again at high tide. Unfortunately high tide coincided with our visit so we were not able to access some of the reserve. Nevertheless there were large numbers of migrating birds crowded onto the remaining land and seashore; the sight of which was the main object of our visit.
Stanpit Marsh Reserve has a modern visitor centre and provides a welcome board of information about tide levels and what can be seen that day. On this occasion it also provided information about Godwits which we saw in good numbers during our visit. It informed us that Godwits get their name from old English meaning ‘Good Creature’; a reference to their being good to eat. In the nineteenth century the attitude to wild birds was different to that of today. Charles Dickens mentions in his book ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’ that a ‘Bird Fancier’ has a shop in which wild birds are sold for keeping in cages or as target practice for gun clubs. We think of ourselves as more caring these days but wild birds had a better chance of survival then than they do today.
Besides the Godwits, which were Black Tailed Godwit, there were Redshank, Little Egret and Curlew scouring the grass for food. In the water Wigeon and Teal were increasing in number from their winter migration. Most of the birds we saw were on some form of migration or using the sheltered marshes for a rest and to refuel. Canada Geese and Black Bellied Brent Geese were seen on one of the sandbanks together with Cormorants which flew to higher ground as the water rose above their chest level.
We saw a great number of Lapwing which was an encouraging sign as they face difficult survival conditions from loss of habitat and predators. It would be a pity to lose these birds as they offer a unique sight and sound experience when they fly in flocks over the harbour.
The Black Headed Gulls and Coots are usually overlooked but they fill the landscape with their movement and squabbling. Looking between the movements we saw Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and the occasional Grey Plover. Although we did not see anything unusual it was good to see the vast numbers of birds which were particularly spectacular when disturbed by something such as the Kestrel that occasionally flew over.
After lunch we travelled over to Hengistbury Head. There were few birds to see at this time of year, most of them sensibly kept to the shelter of Stanpit Marsh, but we liked the idea of a brisk walk. We were not the only ones as most of the population of Christchurch seemed to have the same idea and the car park and pathways were crowded with people out for a Sunday walk. On the way back to the car park we passed a family going the other way and a small boy said to his mother “Those people are all wearing blue coats Mummy”. It was only then that we realised we were wearing identical Berghaus coats and I thought perhaps most people are wearing a uniform and don’t realise it.

Fungi Foray

Waterside Natural History Society and a Fungi Foray

In October our normal walk turns into a foray. A foray is the same as a walk except you look at the ground in search of fungi; always hoping that the person in front of you is more of a walker so you don’t get lost. Fungi and foray go together like apples and pears or cake and walk but it probably has more to do with them starting on the same letter. Fungi are very fickle and don’t always appear when and where you want them. The rains we had in early autumn encouraged lots of fungi but the recent dry spell reduced the chances so it was with some trepidation that we embarked on our quest to find and identify the fungi around Dibden Enclosure.
This year we were lucky enough to have with us an expert in the form of Phil Budd which not only makes things easier but has a greater chance of getting the identifications right.
It is usually a help to try and place fungi into groups and the first such group was the Milk Caps or lactaria. We saw the Ugly Milk Cap which has a large slimy dirty olive cap, the Liver Milk Cap which has a liver coloured cap and the Saffron Milk Cap which is mottled orange in colour. The milk which gives the fungi their name can best be seen by drawing a finger nail across the gills beneath the cap. Another group are the boletes which have a spongy mass of pores in place of gills. The Bay bolete with its brown cap and streaky brown stem was found growing on the forest floor.
The group of small fungi growing in massed patches was represented by the Deceiver which is normally red brown or brick in colour but as its name suggests is very variable in form. The Glistening Ink Cap also grows in patches around old tree stumps as does the Sulphur tuft whose name offers a good description.
The Amanita group was represented by theTawny Grisette which gets its name from the grooved cap margins. Also in this group were the Blusher which stains red when cut or bruised and the Fly Agaric. The Fly Agaric is one of the most recognised fungi from its representation in cartoons and gets its name from the ibotenic acid it contains which is a mild insecticide. The False Death Cap, also an Amanita, is distinguished from the true death cap by its paler colour and smell of new potatoes. It is not so deadly poisonous but no one wanted to put this to the test.
The False Chanterelle has decurrent gills running down onto the stem and is separated from the true Chanterelle by having thinner more crowded gills.
The Russula group was represented by the Sickener with a scarlet cap, white gills and stem which if eaten is a stomach irritant and also by the Purple Pine Russule.
Several fungi grow in the form of brackets on the trunks of trees. Some are quite large like the Blushing Bracket and some smaller like the Many Zoned Polypore or Turkey Tail fungus which was once used for jewellery.
Some fungi such as the Green Wood cup are very small but this particular one has the ability to stain the wood on which it grows a bright green.
Another fungus called the Common Stinkhorn is noted for its foul smell and phallus shape which makes it instantly recognisable.
The English names are very descriptive either of the fungi appearance or other characteristics but the Latin names are useful for classification purposes particularly if you want to identify all of the species available.
Altogether 33 different fungi were identified of which the above is a small selection and represent a slightly less number than expected. There are over a thousand fungi varieties in the New Forest area which gives an idea of the unlikelihood of getting the identification right. It is debateable whether picking fungi harms the stock in the wild since the spores will have already spread when they are picked but at best it stops other people from the pleasure of finding them and at worst it could be fatal.

Manor Farm Bird Fair

Waterside Natural History Society goes to a Bird Fair

We were due to go for a walk around Dibden Enclosure for this month’s outdoor meeting but we took the opportunity to visit a bird fair at Manor Farm Country Park instead.
Not many years ago a bird fair would mean the sale and exchange of chickens or game birds and their eggs but nowadays it is all about watching wild birds in the countryside. Bird watching has become ever more popular as the number of birds has declined. When sparrows and swallows crowded under the eaves of every house and wild birds cleaned up after the harvest most people thought birds were a nuisance and only small boys went out to gather birds eggs. The reason for their decline may be conveniently complex but if you have ever seen a meadow dying after been sprayed by herbicide the reason becomes all too clear. It is the loss of habitat and food that means birds cannot survive in the wild. Nevertheless people are rising to the challenge and going to ever greater lengths to spot birds in the wild and take their own photographs.
Birdwatching is becoming a big business. Wild bird food is sold in many outlets and highly technical photographic equipment is snapped up by the discerning amateur. You can now watch pigeons mating on your garden fence without having to look through the window.
On arrival at the bird fair we decided to go on one of the organised walks which was due to depart imminently. We would then have our lunch followed by a walk round the exhibits and if time allowed we would then walk on our own around the park. The guided walk was to be a stroll through the woods looking for birds and anything else that was brought to our attention. Unfortunately it is a bad time for bird spotting at the moment as leaves are still on the trees and many of the birds have started their migrations. It did not help either that the group consisted of over fifty people shuffling and talking their way behind the guides.
Birdspotting is rather an anomaly however and the poor viewing conditions did draw attention to the fact that birdhearing might just as easily be used. Identifying birds by their calls is a difficult skill to master. Even if your hearing is good you have to associate the sound with a particular bird and more importantly you have to remember the sound for the next time you hear it. Teaching music in schools is not regarded a priority these days but it would definitely be an advantage with bird identification. Fortunately the guides were skilled in this area and nuthatch, tree creeper and members of the tit family were all identified before they were seen.
There may be a shortage of bird sightings at the moment but this is compensated for by the abundance of fungi. One of our guides was able to identify a number of fungi from the many thousands that occur in the country and he pointed out that when starting to identify fungi the best idea is to first identify the group or species to which it belongs. It is also a good idea to know what to look for. Does the stem snap like chalk, is it tough and spindly or is it fibrous? Does the fungi have gills or is it spongy? One of the boletes turned from lime green to blue within seconds when cut with a knife and one called a beefsteak looked exactly like its namesake. The fly agaric is one that can be identified by most people and we were fortunate to find a perfect example as we neared the end of our walk. It is a good idea to assume all fungi are poisonous and wash your hands after handling.
The exhibits in the fair consisted of stalls representing the various countryside organisations such as the RSPB, Hampshire council and Hampshire and IOW wildlife trust. There were sales of bird food and refreshments but surprisingly none of birdwatching equipment. Demonstrations went on during the day but when we went round a tawny owl with its handler was the only sign of bird life.
One of the stalls had, as a means of attracting interest, a box of bird feathers and the stallholder asked passersby to identify from which bird they came. I thought this was quite difficult as none of the feathers were from common birds and lots of people did not even try. A young girl with her mother picked up one of the feathers and suggested tentatively what she thought it was and to everyone’s surprise it was correct. She then went on to correctly identify all the rest of the feathers in the box. One that she identified as a greater spotted woodpecker was in fact from a green woodpecker but was nevertheless pretty impressive. I had never thought that young people would be so interested in nature and that you had to be old to appreciate it but perhaps the future is in good hands after all.

Waverley Paddle Steamer

A short trip on the Waverley paddle steamer from Southampton
We noticed an advert for one day cruises on the Waverley paddle steamer in the local paper and decided that we might like to give it a try. The advert gave a price of £34 each with a second pensioner going half price but when we checked on the internet it gave a price of £37. On phoning they confirmed £37 was the correct price but with the half price second ticket we thought it was still worth it so we went ahead and booked.
All we had to worry about was the weather which a week ahead did not look good due to approaching high winds and rain. However nearer the day the forecast was for the bad weather to be postponed to later so we were looking forward to a pleasant trip.
On the day, which was a Saturday, we duly got up early and were in the car park at the dockside in Southampton with about 45minutes spare. We were expecting a high parking cost of about five pounds for the day so it was a bit of a shock to discover that it would be £10 payable on exit. The parking scales which were the highest for 5-24 hours looked to be specifically targeted to obtain the greatest return from day trip users. Luckily we found out about the charges before we got on board so made sure we had £10 in coins for our return. Other people were not so fortunate and had great trouble in feeding ten pound notes through the machine.
Our first impression on seeing the ship head on was that it was quite a small boat but sideways on the length makes it look a lot larger. It did not help that the dock level was above the boat deck due to the low tide. I had seen the Waverley some years before when it sailed from Largs on the west coast of Scotland so I was familiar with the two funnels and wide paddle chambers.
The trip was billed as ‘Yarmouth and the Needles’ but by the time of the trip we had forgotten the details and just looked forward to a cruise on the water. There were probably less than a hundred people boarding at Southampton so we had plenty of room to wander around the ship as we pleased and at the start we went on to the top observation deck. We were surprised how smoothly the ship reversed from the dockside and how quickly it gathered speed. Once out in the water it had to stop and manoeuvre to start its forward motion and this operation took some time with both the Isle of Wight and Hythe ferries waiting patiently for us to gather speed. We stayed on the top deck whilst the ship moved down Southampton Water and into the Solent on its way to Portsmouth.
During this part of the voyage we went down for a coffee and biscuit in the restaurant. The latte coffee turned out to be a bit of a disappointment probably due to the weak milk but the movement of the ship was barely noticeable so we could have been sitting in our own house. The furnishings of the restaurant and the ship in general were all of wood which gave it the appearance of an old railway carriage.
I took the opportunity of this quiet spell to have a look at the engine room which was open to view on the lower deck. The view was of three pistons driving the paddle wheels on either side of the ship. Although the sight was impressive after a while I began to think there must be more to it than at first sight and bought a small pamphlet from the onboard shop giving details of the mechanical arrangements. Sure enough there is considerably more than meets the eye. The ship is powered by two oil fired boilers; there was one originally with two exhausts hence the two funnels but this was replaced for a second time in 2000 by the two. The boilers supply steam at 150psi to the first piston. The exhaust steam from the first piston drives the second and the exhaust from the second drives the third at an inlet pressure of about 1.0psi. This exhausts to the condenser which is held at 25inches of vacuum by the air extraction equipment. The condenser is cooled by pumping sea water through the tubes. In addition there is equipment for pumping the condensate through the boilers, equipment for changing the speed of the paddles and equipment for steering. All this equipment would make up a power station on land so we were particularly impressed by the reliability and hard work that must go into maintaining and operating the ship.
The steering equipment means the ship can be operated from the bridge but there is an emergency steering wheel at the rear which had I not read the book I would assume was just there for decoration. The steady pounding noise of a diesel driven ship is not there in a paddle steamer and in general it was very quiet but after a while you recognise a dede dede dede-dede dede deda sort of musical sound that was rather comforting. I also noticed a couple of flat screen monitors on the bridge and one in the engine room which obviously were not there when it was built but then I suppose neither were the rules and regulations.
We returned to the outside deck area as the ship approached Portsmouth and manoeuvred past yachts, ferries and hovercraft. Portsmouth seems to be a busy dock area and especially so when there is a festival on the Isle of Wight. The movement of visitors to the ‘Bestival’ took precedence over our ship and we were not allowed to disembark or embark passengers through the dock terminal although we were allowed to dock. This meant that over two hundred passengers had to board a special Gosport ferry boat which left the dock for a few yards before it pulled alongside the Waverley so that the passengers could be transferred. The few passengers going to Portsmouth then went in the reverse direction. We also had to wait until the regular Gosport ferry had left before continuing on our journey.
Eventually we left Portsmouth about half an hour late and sailed back westwards near the coast of the Isle of Wight. The large number of passengers that boarded at Portsmouth meant that the ship was quite busy so we were a bit apprehensive about the queues at the restaurant. In the event we did not have to wait very long. The menu was rather confusing as it gave the lunch and dinner menus on the same sheet and it was not until we ordered that we found out that it was still on the lunch menu. We found the food adequate but nothing special; a typical ferry meal.
After lunch/dinner we went back on deck to see the sights as we sailed along the north coast of the Island. We cruised past Osborne House followed by Cowes were we manoeuvred past the ferries entering and leaving the port. The swell became greater the further west we went until as we approached Yarmouth it was quite choppy. The swell combined with the running tide meant that we could not enter Yarmouth so this part of the trip was cancelled which conveniently compensated for the delay we had at Portsmouth. Nevertheless we sailed on towards the Needles. As we rounded the lighthouse on the Needles we were exposed to the full force of the south westerly wind which produced a very choppy sea. The Waverley is not called an ocean going paddle steamer for nothing and coped with the seas quite well. That is until we decided to turn round when we got to Freshwater bay. We had just decided that the ship was going to go all along the south coast back to Portsmouth and went inside to escape the wind but at this point the ship turned round in the rough seas and we had great difficulty in keeping our feet. After we had managed this manoeuvre however the pitching of the ship returned to normal and we slowly returned and rounded the Needles once more. A few of the passengers were looking a bit apprehensive in the choppy seas and one was violently sick over the side of the ship. Luckily for her and those close to her the wind was blowing away from the deck. The surprising thing was that no one seemed to notice this episode and the woman herself walked back to her seat as if nothing had happened.
After returning round the Needles the sea become calmer in the shelter of the island and we sailed past Yarmouth once more. Having seen the sights on the way there we decided to return to the restaurant for an afternoon cup of coffee. This time I tried the cappuccino but it was very much like the latte in being made of weak milk. Once again we returned to the outside deck for our approach to Portsmouth. Passing the outside of the lounge windows we could not help but notice the same people who boarded at Portsmouth were still in the same seats not having moved throughout their journey. Whether this was from fear or to prevent anyone else claiming their seat was open to doubt.
The run in to Portsmouth was again busy with shipping including the large ferry from Spain which is due to be discontinued shortly. The passengers at Portsmouth were able to transfer straight to the dock terminal as normal so we did not have to wait long before our journey resumed. The ship seemed very quiet without the Portsmouth contingent and we were able to get a prime seat in one of the lounges for our return to Southampton. We had had a long and unusual day so we were quite tired when we eventually docked at Southampton. We were among the first to leave the ship handing in our tickets as we left. This was the first time that anyone had asked to see our tickets so we had boarded and had a full days cruising on trust that we had bought a ticket which was quite unusual in this day and age. We duly paid our parking ticket from the £10 in coins that we had saved all day and drove home.

Martin Down

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Martin Down
The recent rain, although welcome, has not been enough to prevent the leaves on deciduous trees from turning brown. Horse Chesnut leaves for instance, which have a large surface area, have turned dark brown as if the trees have died.The conker shells are the only part that remains green. Hopefully this is a natural protection against the dry weather and green leaves will appear again next year. Grasses in the meadow and crops in the field have also turned a straw colour but in their case fresh shoots are already starting to reappear. Interestingly the forest areas are at their most colourful with the pinks of the heather and emerald green of the bracken contrasting well with the yellow of the Dwarf Gorse. Martin Down was also looking colourful but that was because of the number and variety of wild flowers growing amongst the short grasses.
Driving south from Salisbury we had to drive through three counties before reaching Martin Down although since it is at the junction of Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire this was not as big a challenge as it first appears. Martin Down is however just in Hampshire and we arrived on a dull and breezy day in August hoping for some improvement in the weather.
Our first challenge occurred just a few paces on to the down and that challenge was to name all the different varieties of wild flower. One sign of a well established and flourishing countryside is the sheer number of different flowers and since they are flowering and setting seed at all times of the year to see so many on the day of our visit was very impressive. Yellow flowers included Toadflax,Ragwort, St. Johns Wort, Wild Mignonette, Ladies Bedstraw and Agrimony as well as the members of the daisy family such as Catsear and Autumn Hawkbit. Red was represented by the Red Bartsia growing low to the ground and white by the Eyebright which has a multicoloured pattern on closer inspection. The predominant colours however are the blue and purple of the Field Scabious, Sheepsbit Scabious,Self Heal, Harebells and particularly the Knapweeds.
This abundance of flowers usually means that butterflies have a good chance of being around but the dull and breezy weather did not act in our favour. Fortunately the weather warmed up as the day progressed and butterflies flying low to the ground were able to find a sheltered spot. In the event we managed to see a total of eighteen different species which was excellent when you consider there are only just over thirty in the country which do not all appear at the same time. Some of the usually common butterflies such as Red Admiral, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell are in short supply this year but we managed to find examples of all three. Small White, Large White and Green Veined White were also there as well as the Brimstones. Gatekeepers, Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Ringlet made up the browns. We also saw one Small Skipper but they are getting to the end of their flight period. There were quite a number of Common Blue and one or two Holly blues but we also saw Chalk Hill Blue and Adonis Blue. The intense shining blue of the male Adonis is particularly striking and once seen is never forgotten. The predominant colour of all the female blues is brown so identification is made even harder.
Larger butterflies such as the Silver Washed Fritillary were seen usually fluttering quickly past but we were fortunate to see a Queen of Spain Fritillary feeding on flowers as we returned to the car park. The latter is a migrant so it must have been holidaying on the south coast.
After lunch we went round the western part of the reserve which is thickly wooded and gives a completely different habitat to that over the road to the east. Plants such as Hemp Agrimony were common as well as a patch of Solidago or Golden Rod which is usually seen in gardens or florists shops. A patch of Carline Thistle was seen on the shorter grass which although looking as if it had gone to seed presents a striking picture.
Nature flourishes in Martin Down and no opportunity is wasted. As we returned to the car park over the cattle grid we could see a small pond had formed under the grids with bulrushes and tadpoles wriggling about in the water. There is always something new to see when you visit Martin Down.

Waterside Natural History Society visit Magdelen Down near Winchester
The lack of rain since early spring has made the Waterside area unusually dry. Even the rain of the last week or so has not been enough to make a difference since the high temperatures mean that any water evaporates before it has a chance to soak into the ground. Garden plants and wild flowers cope with the lack of water in several different ways. Their prime object is survival but survival in the plant world means survival of the species and not of the individual plant. With this in mind the plant first of all withdraws water from the leaves and puts all its energy into producing a flower. The flower may be smaller than normal and last for only as long as it takes for fertilisation to take place but only when seeds are produced will it wither and die completely. Some plants do not normally flower until late in the summer and these have adapted to cope with a dry season. They have small spiky leaves with a small surface area or leaves with a hairy covering which reduces evaporation.
The dry season was obvious as soon as we began our walk over Magdelen Down. Grasses were a straw brown colour and flowers which were abundant had numbers which had already gone to seed. Ladies Bedstraw and Heath bedstraw gave a yellow and white covering to the ground with both greater and lesser Knapweeds adding a purple tinge. Field Scabious with its sky blue flowers and the dark red of wild Marjoram were also at their best. All of these plants have slender leaves and stand up well to the dry weather.
Magdelen Down was seeded with wild flowers in the 1990’s which gives it an artificial provenance but there is no doubt that the plants are thriving. The ground is not grazed so has the appearance of a meadow rather than the downland from which it originated. It will be interesting to see how the area develops but already some of the shorter downland plants such as Thyme, Birdsfoot trefoil, Kidney vetch and Horseshoe vetch are in short supply. One small area that has been scraped down to the bare chalk is starting to be inhabited by these plants.
Insects have had a bad winter but the dry warm weather of the past months have led to a resurgence in their fortunes. The empty chrysalis cases of the Six Spot Burnet moth could be seen on many grass stalks and the moth itself covered many of the plants in flower although they are supposed to feed on vetches. Tufted Vetch and Meadow Vetchling were the only vetches tall enough to grow above the uncut grass. The yellow Melilot, Wild Mignonette and Agrimony provided a suitable alternative. Another moth seen was the small Purple Barred moth and every Ragwort plant was covered in the black and yellow ringed caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth.
We counted eleven different species of butterfly during our visit with meadow Brown and Gatekeeper being the most common. The Small Skippers provided a challenge at identification as we suspected that some of them may have been Essex skippers in disguise. Whenever anyone brushed against the grasses a sudden movement was the only sight of Grasshoppers or Crickets. Occasionally they could be seen or heard and identified as Crickets by their long antennae whereas Grasshoppers are short. Some people can identify different sorts of Cricket by their sound but this ability deteriorates with age; along with many other faculties.
Many other flowers were present including one plant of Chicory near the entrance with its sky blue flowers. Sainfoin with its rose pink pea like flowers was past its best as was the Black Horehound being propped up in the hedgerows. Black Horehound is a member of the mint family and has a strong tar like smell. St. Johns Wort on the other hand was just coming into flower together with the Hemp Agrimony which is particularly attractive to butterflies.
Magdelen Down is a pleasant and unexpected place to visit being so close to Winchester but is not extensive and requires little effort provided you don’t go too far down the hill and have to walk back up again.

Orchids

Waterside Natural History Society day with Orchids
Our original outdoor visit was cancelled to make way for a look at Orchids. It is always difficult to predict when flowers are at their best, particularly this year, so when we heard that the Orchids were coming into flower we quickly rearranged our schedule to take advantage of this opportunity.
Charles Darwin after he had written ‘The origin of the species’ followed up with ‘Fertilisation of Orchids by Insects’. This was no accident since besides being beautiful and elusive flowers they have a unique fertilisation adaptation. Insects normally fertilise flowers by picking up pollen from one flower and depositing it on another. This carries the risk however of self pollination but is avoided in the case of Orchids by a clever adaptation. The pollen lies in masses, pollinia, at the top of a stalk, caudicle, resting on a sticky base covered in a thin membrane, rostellum. When the insect touches the membrane it breaks exposing the sticky base which attaches itself and the pollinia to the proboscis of the insect. When it first attaches the pollinia is held vertically but after about half a minute it falls over to a horizontal position. This means that the insect can visit other flowers on the same stalk within the half minute without pollinating but when it later visits another orchid the pollinia is in the horizontal position which allows fertilisation.
If this seems complicated think of the many millions of gene formulations that must have occurred to enable this process to evolve and reach the perfection we see today. The individual orchid flower consists of three sepals and three petals but the sepals have been adapted to look like petals. Normally the three sepals are at the top of the flower and form a hood over the lower petals, two of which are in the form of wings to either side and the bottom petal is in the shape of a lip hanging down from the flower. A spur is usually positioned to the rear of the flower.
We had to travel to different locations in the New forest in order to see a variety of Orchids and we were lucky to have as a guide Roger Grieve who not only knew where they were but holds a vast amount of information about them. Sometimes we had to stop the car at the side of the road and dive in to a boggy area in order to inspect the orchids more closely.
The first four varieties of Orchid although not at the same location all belonged to the same group. This was the Dactylorhiza group which is characterised by having long bracts between the individual flowers of the flower spike. They can therefore be identified by their dense flower heads. The ‘Heath Spotted Orchid’ is usually identified as a pale pink rounded spike amongst the heather. They have a broad three lobed lower lip with the middle lobe the smallest. The dark markings on the individual flower tend to form a loop around the lower lip. However the size and shape of the middle lobe varies widely from one to another. The leaves are all very pointed running up the central stem and are pale green with circular purple spots on either side of the centre line.
The next orchid was the ‘Common Spotted Orchid’. It generally has a bigger and fuller flower spike with a Christmas tree look. The individual flowers have a lower lip with three almost equal lobes and the dark markings are more in the form of dots or blotches. The leaves are a darker green than the Heath Spotted with purple transversely elongated spots but the greatest difference is that the lower leaves are broad and elliptical. Orchid leaves are very tasty however and often the lower leaves are the first to be eaten.
The third orchid was the ‘Early Marsh Orchid which has particularly long bracts. A distinguishing feature is that the stem is hollow which can be observed by squeezing between the thumb and forefinger. The individual flower has a lower lip with sides that are bent back giving it a narrow look. Dark markings are U-shaped with blotches at the centre. The spur behind the flower is straight and tapering. Leaves which cling to the stem are all pointed; keeled, without spots, and rise to a hooded tip.
The fourth and last in the Dactylorhiza group was the ‘Common Marsh Orchid ‘which is sometimes divided into the northern and southern marsh orchids although only the southern is present in our area. The stem is stouter than the early marsh orchid so is not so obviously hollow. Flowers are usually dark rose purple and a good distinguishing feature is that the top of the stem below the flower head is also purple coloured. The lower lip is broad and does not bend back. Darker green leaves are broad, lanceolate and fan out from the stem.
Our next Orchid looked completely different from the previous four. It was the ‘Lesser Butterfly Orchid’ which has a slim open spike of pale yellow flowers. The bottom lip was in the form of a narrow tongue and at right angles to the back was a straight narrow spur. The sides of the hood had pink markings with a green top. The two pollinia stand vertical in the lesser butterfly orchid whereas in the greater they are curved as is the spur at the rear.
The sixth orchid was the ‘Marsh fragrant Orchid’ which even in the heat of the day had a powerful carnation like smell. The deep pink flowers appear to have a pea shaped centre with delicate horizontal wings but this is largely because of their small size and the lower lip being broader than it is long. The orchid has slim keeled leaves and bracts between the individual flowers but it still retains an open appearance.
We also saw one or two Bee Orchids but they were not yet in flower. A ‘Broad Leaved Helleborine’ and several ‘Marsh Helleborine’ were also seen but again not in flower. This brought our total for the day to nine different varieties; an impressive total for such a small area.