Local Orchids in East Herts

One day last summer driving home from London after work, I was sat on the slip road at the lights at the Thornwood Roundabout (J7, M11), when I looked to my right at the triangle of land between the slip road and the southern bridge over the motorway and spotted some Pyramidal Orchids.

I went back today with a camera. There are lots of Pyramidal Orchids just coming into bloom, so I snapped away, with some poor results below.



As I was going I had a quick look around and blow me if there aren’t a load of Bee Orchids too! Now I think in retrospect that’s probably not a surprise as Harlow is (apparently) great for Bee Orchids that have a knack of popping up in small bits of neglected land, but I was chuffed.

I think that when you come across something unexpected, like coming across a bird you didn’t expect, its like seeing them for the first time. Without the dead weight of expectation, you see in an instant all the features that make them unique, and for something like a Bee Orchid that’s a really stunning flower.

Finally I twitched the Southern Marsh Orchids at Sawbridgeworth Marsh. They are great but the comments above applied in reverse – known knowns etc. For some reason the vivid deep purple of the flowers has come out pale pink. Oh well.