Orchids, Wales

Aberystwyth - a first time visit for Lu and I. A couple days away, without the kids (who were both working) to look at some special orchids - primarily Irish Lady's-tresses at the Dyfi National Nature Reserve, a few miles up the road from Aberystwyth. Wales was fantastic. Our trip took us through the Brecon Beacons and the breath-takingly beautiful Snowdonia National Park - so wild and unspoiled - loved it! We spent Sunday night in Aberystwyth, Monday night in Bangor and travelled home today, via Wrexham (for Dune and Green-flowered Helleborines).

Aberystwyth.

Irish Lady's-tresses - Dyfi National Nature Reserve. Special arrangements have to be made to see these wonderful orchids. They're only found in North America and at a small number of sites in Ireland and Scotland. They're absent from the rest of Europe and Asia, which makes this tiny, isolated Welsh poulation all the more special. Weirdly, a small colony once persisted on the edge of Dartmoor. A big 'thank you' to Sue, and members of the Hardy Orchid Society, for facilitating the viewing, and to the warden, who discovered this population only recently.

Aberystwyth - looking south from the war memorial.

Lu and I spent a short while on the Great Orme, looking for Dark-red Helleborine. We found just one spike but sadly it had gone over. Another target for another day...

I'm not sure what this species is - growing on the limestone cliffs. Possibly Goldilocks Aster?

Grayling - a sub-species unique to the Great Orme - Hipparchia semele ssp thyone - smaller and on the wing a little earlier apparently.

Lu and I didn't spend much time searching for other stuff, but this Great Orme Berry, a species of Cotoneaster, was in the rock garden on the summit. Found on the Great Orme and nowhere else in the world.

A cable-car and tram both ferry visitors to the summit of Great Orme. Lu and I took the less exciting option and drove up. What a place!

Harebell.

Rock Rose.

A toll road skirts the Great Orme - accessed from Llandudno.

Bloody Crane's-bill.

Alyn Waters, near Wrexham - a fantastic site for helleborines. A huge thank you to Steve Tandy for all the site information. We'd have really struggled without it.

Some of the Broad-leaved Helleborines at Alyn Waters were impressive - really putting the Exmouth specimens to shame.

The Broad-leaved Helleborines were lovely but what drew us to Alyn Waters was the Dune Helleborines - a brand new species for us and, although past their best, fantastic to see...

Dune Helleborine. The flowers on this species are small and the leaves are narrower and lighter green than BLH, held upwards at an angle.  The outer part of the lip (called the epichile) is broader than long and its tip folds downwards. We found hundreds but most had gone over. 

DH

DH

DH

DH

DH

Was a little surprised to see the odd remaining flower of Common Spotted Orchid. Even more surprised to fine 'well past it' Common Twayblades.

Having seen just a handful of Green-flowered Helleborines in Gloucestershire last summer, it was wonderful to find good numbers at Alyn waters. Again, thanks must go to Steve Tandy for all his help. I feel like I've now got a good appreciation for this species but I'm not at any level where I can detect hybrids yet.

GFH

GFH

GFH

GFH

Aberystwyth Pier - a glimpse of the sun after heavy rain.