Minera Quarry, 27th April 2021 (SJ 25156 52172)

The first orchid trip of the new year is a disappointing affair with only one small Early Purple Orchid found. Clearly we are too early for this location, but perhaps a more intensive search would have yielded examples. We will be back though.

Esgyryn, 29th April 2021 (SH 80627 78933)

Twice over the last few years we have looked for orchids at Bryn Prydew but never found what what we were looking. The reason was because we were at the wrong site! We had previously gone to the nature reserve east of the hamlet of Bryn Prydew - it is labelled such on the entrance board, and internet searches lead you there. A chance remark told me that we should have been at a field to the west of the hamlet, clearly indicated by the monument atop the hill clearly visible from the A55. As these are two different sites, I shall continue to refer to the first as Bryn Prydew and this site as Esgyryn as labelled on the OS maps.
We were greeted by a couple hundred Green-winged Orchids. Not as plentiful as Gop Hill, nor as variable in colour, but still well worth the visit. On the other side of the hill is a smaller colony of Early Purple Orchids. A lower altitude and more coastal location has brought these on much earlier than Minera. I may well return here later in the season to see what is on offer.

Mynydd Marian 29th April 2019 (SH 88999 77358)

Just a quick stop to have a look at more Green-winged Orchids at a field we had last looked at in 2019. It is a private site so it is just a look over the wall. Compared to two years ago there are fewer in flower this year, even though we have come on the exact same date.

 
2019                                                                     2021

Rhyd-y-Foel 29th April 2021 (SH 91209 76282)

A return visit here and again the orchid turnout does not seem as great as two years ago. Still there are plenty of Early Purple Orchids and this time we go higher up onto the open hillside where there are still patches of EPOs, including some quite robust specimens. I had hoped to find some Green-winged but saw none. However a friend who visited a couple days later found two. Obviously he is a lot more diligent than me!