Maes y Pant 4th June 2022 (SJ 35397 55187) 

This is just a scouting trip, to see if the local Bee Orchids are in flower yet, before venturing further afield. They are not, and probably need at least a week or more yet. Common Twayblades and Common Spotted Orchids still only just in bud, while the Dune Helleborines are showing.

Minera Quarry 6th June 2022 

Our fist visit of the year here, and eight species (plus a hybrid) seen. Okay, two were nowhere near flowering yet, but that is still quite good. Our primary targets are the Frog Orchids in their usual haunt, and it seems a good year for them with a good number on a bank where I do not recall them in such numbers before. This was spoiled to an extent by someone putting little stick markers by them. This is not going to prevent anybody stepping on them and it ruins the discovery of them for us. Still, we found more than ‘Twiggy’ did!! These early flowering Frog Orchids here are usually unpigmented but a couple this year are showing degrees of reddish colouring, with it highlighting the 180 degree twist of the ovaries.

Then we are off to a new Frog Orchid spot we discovered last year. Here all six are quite tall and doing well. Again there is some pigmentation in a couple of individuals. These orchids all had their own identity and were not a homogenous group. They were all different morphologically. A couple also had last year`s seed pods still.

Although many had well and truly gone over, there were still some nice Early Purple Orchids to be seen. Common Twayblades, Southern and Northern Marsh orchids, Common Spotted and x venusta were just coming into flower. There was an usual variegated leaf Common Spotted Orchid, a variation I have not seen in this species before.

RSPB Conwy 7th June 2022 (SH 80175 76811) 

Last year we found no Bee Orchids in the car park, but thankfully in 2022 they are back and looking good and up to 10 flowers per stem -wow! Inside the reserve their are more Bee Orchids of course, more Southern March Orchids than seen in 2021 with some quite solid plants, a few Early Marsh Orchids var coccinea just coming out, and a tightly grouped bunch of Dactylorhiza x grandis. It looks a good year for orchids here this year.

 
Bee Orchids in the car park
 
Southern Marsh in paler and darker shades
 

But, we come to the main reason for a repeat visit - the Green Bee Orchids (O. apifera var chlorantha) we saw last year a bit late in the season. We see three in full flower, two more probables still in bud, and another close by, also in bud, but with a broken stem. I am happy to see these reappearing and thriving. Perhaps there may be more and more in years to come.

 
Interesting to see that there is still some brownish pigmentation on the speculum
and that the rest of the lip has some degree of chlorophyll.

Ellesmere 8th June 2022 (SJ 40560 34606) 

After abortive trips to Wem, Bettisfield and Fenns Mosses, hoping for Heath Spotted Orchids at least or Early Marsh Orchids at best, we stop over in Ellemere, by the mere itself. Across the road on Castle Hill, opposite the Boathouse Restaurant, is a flower meadow with many Common Spotted Orchids. They seem to have seeded themselves in the wild garden of the cottage on the promenade too.

Telford 10th June 2022 (SJ 66936 10642) 

Good to see these Bee Orchids in fine fettle this year after they were mown down whilst in flower last year. In fact an estimate of numbers of 1,000 in flower would not be far off. Photographing them you just have to ignore, or not catch the eye, of the motorists inching past, waiting their turn to into Tesco or McDonalds. What I did notice was that they were just starting to colonise neighbouring verges too, and there was a flash of the occasional Common Spotted Orchid there too.

This year, on returning a few days later, I just couldn’t go and have a look at them again just in case the mowers had attacked them again.

Quinton Birmingham 10th June 2022  (SO 99475 83564)

Leaving the M5 at junction 3 onto the dual carriageway Quinton Expressway into Birmingham I spotted what was quite likely to be some Southern Marsh Orchids growing in the wide central reservation. Difficult place to stop and access, so left it as a fleeting glimpse.

The following day, half way between junctions 8 and 9 on the southbound carriageway of the M5 there may have been more, but I am much less certain of these.

Winterbourne Gardens Birmingham 12th June 2022 (SP 05401 83866) 

The house and gardens, lying within the university campus, were once home to a Mr Nettlefold, the N part of G.K.N. A chance finding are groups of Common Spotted Orchids growing in and near the Japanese garden. Regardless of these, the delightful gardens are well worth a visit if you are in Birmingham and have a couple of hours to while away.