Buckinghamshire Chilterns II

After the intensity of the first few days of the week, I really valued the opportunity to spend the greater part of today with members of the Bedfordshire Natural History Society as we visited various sites in the Chilterns, primarily to view some members of the incredible orchid family. After the deep disappointment of our first visit of the day to see the Red Helleborines (see report below), we enjoyed a marvellous time in the sunshine, exploring the treasures of this wonderful landscape.



Violet Helleborine is not particularly uncommon, but this form - var. rosea - which contains no chlorophyll, is quite rare.



After lunch we entered the Pulpit Hill/Grangelands Reserve. This Red Kite flew right over our heads.


Our Musk Orchids in Bedfordshire are the most northerly population in the UK, but we haven't seen any flower-heads for the last couple of years. You have to get your eye in to spot them and there were just two here. Is that a tiny fly in the photo? The books says that the insects who get to pollinate these minute flowers have to be tiny themselves (up to 1 mm long!).

























At Aston Clinton Rag Pits were were taken aback by the thousands of Fragrant Orchids, even though they were past their best now. Pyramidal Orchids were dotted about - 3 can be seen in the photo above. Other plants here included White Helleborine, Common Twayblade, and Broad-leaved Helleborine.



We'd just been saying how surprised we had been not to have seen a Bee Orchid all day when we came across this beauty!

It was getting late, now, so we moved on to one last Reserve.



This is the first Fly Orchid that I have seen. It's right at the end of its flowering season and this was the only flowering spike, so I was very fortunate. What an incredible plant it is - it even secretes sex pheromones to attract a particular species of male Digger Wasp to pollinate it....amazing!

Our full list of orchids for the day comprised:

Common Spotted Orchid; Fragrant Orchid; Pyramidal Orchid; Bee Orchid; Greater Butterfly Orchid; Musk Orchid; Common Twayblade; Fly Orchid; Violet Helleborine; Red Helleborine; White Helleborine; Broad-leaved Helleborine; Narrow-lipped Helleborine.

Buckinghamshire Chilterns.

This is Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra). It's found at only 3 sites in the UK, including this site in the Chiltern Hills. Understandably, it is classified as critically endangered. This is one of just 5 flowering plants found here. The Volunteer Warden, Roger Newman, has spent hours studying these plants: visiting the secret site where it is found right through the year; diligently studying all he can about the species; visiting Kew Gardens to learn the delicate techniques of pollinating the plant artificially; trying all manner of things to stop slugs, rabbits and other pests from consuming the plants; patiently watching the flowering heads for hour after hour to try to discover what invertebrates might be adapted to pollinate the plant naturally; liasing with enthusiasts engaged in the same work at the other two sites in Gloucestershire & Hampshire where this special plant is found. In short, it has been a real labour of love.

Today I witnessed first-hand the dismay on Roger's face and heard him question whether it was all worth it. I was looking on as he entered the enclosure and witnessed the scene of devastation before him. Notice the broken stalk to the right of the flowering head in the photo.

When he last visited this site 2 days ago the 5 plants were looking good, though the flowers themselves were paler and their numbers down on previous years. This morning this solitary flowering head was the last one.....3 of the others had been snapped off, the 4th and best of the blooms was bent over and broken.

What creature had caused this? The fact that the wire cages and anti-slug copper rings had been removed and placed in a pile made it pretty clear. Some person, for some reason - probably someone wanting a photo of this rare plant - had entered the enclosure, removed the safeguards and then, somehow, absolutely vandalised the plants before leaving.

It beggars belief. How could someone do this? All of us who were there felt angry and empathised with Roger's frustration.

Tomorrow, I've got no doubt that Roger will pick himself up, make his way back to the site and spend the first of many more hours doing whatever he can to ensure the survival of these special plants. Roger, don't let them beat you. Keep going with the marvellous work you're doing. You are making a difference and I take my hat off to you!

Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire.

This was the amazing view out of my window at Hothorpe Hall at 5.30am this morning.

The 'We Belong' racial awareness course has been really intense with sessions morning, noon & night! I really valued a few hours gazing over an adjoining field late last night watching a Badger, Brown Hare, a number of Rabbits....and a black cat! I was also attacked by a Notch-horned Cleg (Haematopota pluvialis) by the stream during a coffee-time walk. Fortunately I noticed it and managed to swat it away before it bit me!

I need a day to chill out...and I've got a special treat planned tomorrow. Watch this space!

Ampthill Park.

I managed to catch one of those horseflies from yesterday first thing this morning. I love the eye patterns in the Tabanidae family. I'm off to Leicestershire for 2 days of racial awareness training in a few minutes, so I'll have to identify it when I get back.

Update: Thursday 25th June - having examined it under the stereo-microscope I'm still not 100% sure. I'm plumping for the Bright Horsefly (Hybomitra distinguenda)...but I need to find a horsefly expert somewhere to confirm it for me!



Several young robins had just left the nest.



A pair of bullfinches were seeing off an intruder in their territory. I managed to grab this shot of one of the males.

A507 - Millbrook Crossroads

Carole and I cycled to Marston Vale Country Park this afternoon. There were several kinds of poppy flowering along the roadside verge between the pet shop and the Millbrook Crossroads, including this fascinating specimen!

Ampthill Park

I went for a walk over Ampthill Park before the service this morning.



When I saw several of these hovering over the bracken in the south-east corner of the Park, I thought that they were a new species of hoverfly at first, but I quickly realised that they were male horseflies. Realising that they were males (which don't bite), I felt quite safe, until it struck me that they were waiting in a likely spot for passing females (the ones that do bite...painfully!). Males will often engage in this activity very early in the morning, so it's not observed that often. I reckon that they are a species called the Bright Horsefly (Hybomitra distinguenda), but I need to see one in the hand to confirm that, so I'm planning to return with the net early one morning later this week...watch this space!



This is the Marsh Snipefly (Rhagio tringarius). The state of the left wing makes me wonder whether it's had a close escape from a bird of some kind. The Flushes just to the north of where this individual was attract a number of invertebrates that thrive in this kind of habitat.



There are lots of these around at the moment: the Nettle Tap Moth (Anthophila fabriciana). Nettles are the larval foodplant, but it's found on various types of foliage at this time of year. Tap a bed of nettles with a stick and you'll see where it gets its name from!

Chandos Road, Ampthill.

A nice Privet Hawk-moth in the trap this morning was my 4th Hawk-moth species of the year.



I couldn't resist this photo-opportunity!