I went out on the reserve this afternoon to check on the progress of the first Brown Bee Orchid to make its appearance this year. Another flower was in bloom. The plant had clearly had many visitors since I first found it as the area had been trampled and some 'gardening' had taken place. I searched the hedgerow counting the Bee Orchids and found the second Brown Bee only six feet (1.8 metres) away from the first.
In the vicinity of the Brown Bee Orchids I found five more typical Bee Orchids. Photos I took this afternoon of a couple of the best specimens are below:
Elsewhere on the reserve spring is giving way to summer. The honeysuckle and meadowsweet are starting to bloom in the hedgerows. I like to take the time to stop for a moment, smell and enjoy the deliciously scented flowers.
On the way to the office to write this very blog I found a Common Broomrape Orobanche minoron on the edge of the car park near the Discovery Centre. I had been looking for this plant on the reserve these past couple of weeks, so I was very pleased to find one. The Common Broomrape is a parasitic plant which does not have any chlorophyll. The stems are normally brown, the flowers have a papery-look and are lilac veined. Broomrape needs a host plant to survive and obtain the nutrients it requires to grow. The preferred hosts in this case is the red clover but the plants have been known to use members of the pea family as hosts.
For locations of the Bee Orchids and the Common Broomrape, pop into the Discovery Centre or phone on 01305 778313. You can be sure of a warm welcome. With a heat wave predicted next week, the Centre will have ice cream and cool drinks available.