Setting out this morning, I decided to go on a stroll to find Durlston’s four Spring Orchid which are in flower at this time of year. First up – the Common Twayblade Orchid, which although very few in number is actually the closest one to find. From the car park I step into the Reservoir Copse and under the canopy of the Sycamores and Willows. All of the usual culprits are heard singing amongst the canopy – Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Chaffinch, Wren, and Goldfinch.
On the corner of the chainlink fence I find a few Twayblades, their broad pairs of leaves dappled in sunlight, and flowers resembling little people dancing atop each stem. Also nearby, I find a couple grey pellets, though nothing of that much identifiable interest inside.
Next I head into the meadows, passing the Skylark signs asking dog owners to be respectful of these ground nesting birds. I can hear some singing in the distance as I cross a field scattered with beautiful yellow Cowslips.
In Saxon field I find both the Early Spider Orchid and the Early Purple Orchid. The former is a subtler green colour with a velvety-brown lip, said to mimic that of a spider visiting the flower. The latter a tall spike resplendent with pretty pink flowers, with purple blotched leaves at it’s base. It’s windy here exposed to the easterlies. But the arriving Hirundines appear unphased displaying their impressive aerobatics despite travelling from as far as sub-Saharan Africa.
For the final orchid, I head out west from the Lighthouse, following the dry cracked path lined with yellow Gorse, and increasingly leafy Blackthorn. Meadow Pipits flow along these patches of scrub. Honeysuckle and Old Man’s Beard creep out underfoot.
Upon reaching the third boundary wall, I find a patch of Green-winged Orchids. Deeper purple in colour, and stubbier in height, than the Early Purple. Look closely to identify the dark veins running through each petal.