Site visit :- New Ophrys apifera site

[peter hood]

Fred, superb pictures of a lovely site of a lovely plant; It is the density of the flower spikes that strike me. They seem very close together. I am interested that main companion flower seems to be white clover. At the site I am most familiar with, (below) it is mixed in with Red Clover in great quantity.
Maggie, it grows in surprising numbers surprisingly far north. I have found it in 5 places in County Durham this year, and two of the sites had well over a hundred plants. One of them, the Hetton Lyons site previously mentioned on this forum, has now had its visit from Sunderland City Councils Grass cutters again, so yesterday ther were only 22 plants still flowering that I could find.
Incidently, some of the sites in our our area are published in great detail and are very close to the roads.
Maren, and anyone else attracted by the reference by Peter to the Epipactis atrorubens site visit, (I reckon that usually the number of flower spikes there runs into 4 figures, not just three, though I have never counted them, probably about half the British population,) after going with the Good Professor and the North East group on Sunday, I will be returning with the Cleveland group on Monday, after a civilised lunch in Sedgefield. More details will be available for anyone interested. It is not the only interesting orchid at that site by any means (Fragrant, Pyramidal, Spotted, Twayblade and allegedly Bee ...etc.); hopefully Peter may post some of his pictures if the weather allows. I have a feeling I may get rather wet two days running.

[Peter Maguire]

There's also Early Purple as well, but they'll be well finished by now (and they didn't flower well this year when I was there in early May)

[John Aipassa]

Fred, Davey, I have removed the postcodes for the sites you mention. While most forumists are good folks who would never dig  plants, there can be any number of  folks reading this who might be tempted.
Best if contact is made via pm to John A and Maren 

It is a pity that you'll have to to do this because of the ignorance of many, but unfortunately needed .

Not far from where I live there is a nature conservation site formerly agricultural land, but given back to nature. Many different orchids have come back to grow there by the dozens and hundreds. It has become a well known orchid site, with the consequence that many ignorant people visit the site to dig some orchids for their garden . It is illegal and you can get fined, but nevertheless....

I have attached two photos (not mine) of the specific site. One with Dactylorhiza and one with hundreds of Epipactis palustris.

[daveyp1970]

WOW John two fantastic pics,love the epipactis not a plant i have seen in the wild.

[Maggi Young]

Exciting to see so many fine plants, John. 

[Peter Maguire]

the epipactis not a plant i have seen in the wild.

Davey,
I know you've been up this way. Go a little further and you'll find them in the dune slacks on Lindisfarne.

[daveyp1970]

Davey,
I know you've been up this way. Go a little further and you'll find them in the dune slacks on Lindisfarne.

Thank you Peter,isn't there another epipactis found on there as well?

[John Aipassa]

WOW John two fantastic pics,love the epipactis not a plant i have seen in the wild.

Great isn't it. There is hope if you see this site. Once agricultural lands and after scraping off the fertile cultured soil until the original layer is exposed all kinds of wild plants including these orchids just pop up after being absent for many decades in these numbers.

And the best thing is that it is only a couple of miles from where I live. Just around the corner