Green-winged Orchids at Muston Meadows NNR, Leicestershire!

Not having a DSLR camera back in 2009 when I first saw Green-winged Orchids at Durlston CP down in Dorset, I decided to head over to Muston Meadows NNR in Leicestershire this spring in an attempt to get some better photos of this charming species of orchid. 

Often described as one of the finest lowland meadows in England with thousands of Green-winged Orchids growing amongst a plethora of other botanical delights, after a quick stop off at the nearby tearooms for a bacon sandwich we arrived at Muston just before lunch, eventually finding the entrance to the reserve tucked away in the hedges (after getting slightly lost in several of the nearby crop fields!)

Bacon toastie - prime orchid hunting fuel!

With the black rain clouds on the horizon ominously threatening rain, we set to work exploring this hidden gem of a nature reserve in an effort to find the best flowering specimens for photography and to admire the many different colour variations of Green-winged Orchid that can be found on site here.

Pollination in action!

Thankfully the rain held off and we were able to appreciate the myriad of colour forms that occur, from the pretty pale rose pink varieties and the dainty almost pure white plants, to the more regular deep wine purple flowers that are the norm.

An especially pale plant

Rather sadly, Muston Meadows has seen a reduction in size somewhat dramatically over recent years, with almost 30 hectares de-declared from being an NNR and losing protection, leaving just a few fields secure. Thankfully it is here that the Green-winged Orchids thrive, and Muston Meadows is still one of the best sites on the northern edge of its range in which to see these dainty orchids, boasting an impressive colony of over 10,000 plants. 

The meadow was full of thousands of orchids

Even sadder still, with the destruction and drainage of many unimproved grassland pastures that Green-winged Orchids previously called home, the population in Britain has crashed, declining by almost 50% from the numbers seen only 50 years ago. As a result, Green-winged Orchids are now listed as Near Threatened in England, so it was fantastic to see them occurring in such good numbers at Muston - hopefully they will continue to thrive here for the foreseeable future. 

Getting to Muston Meadows

Muston Meadows NNR can be found just west of Grantham in north east Leicestershire. We parked on the corner of Woolsthorpe Lane (NG13 0FE) at the southern end of the village of Muston, then walked down the small lane heading west. The style entrance to the reserve could be found towards the end of the lane on the left hand side nestled within the hedge. 

Flowering is usually in late April through to May (earlier in the southern counties), and we visited Muston during the second week of May when the orchids were in their prime.

Map of Muston Meadows NNR

Bonaparte's Gull at Swithland Reservoir, Leicestershire!

Bonaparte’s Gull is a species that has been a long time coming for my British list, having never gone for the returning Anglesey bird from 2009 to 2011 and with no other tempting individuals turning up nearby in the years since. Therefore, when a 2nd winter bird appeared on Swithland Reservoir in Leicestershire on the Sunday morning it was all systems go in an attempt to finally connect with this dainty trans-Atlantic visitor. 

Bonaparte's Gull at Swithland Reservoir!

Arriving on Kinchley Lane on the northern edge of the reservoir just after lunch, we were dismayed to learn it had flown off high no more than ten minutes earlier, leaving just a handful of Black-headed Gulls present on the water. Speaking to the assembled birders it came as something of a reassurance that the Bonaparte’s had done this at least three times already during the day - returning back to the reservoir after a period of absence each time - and we hoped it would follow the same pattern this afternoon.  

Sure enough, after just over an hour of scanning both the sky and the reservoir from our vantage point of the dam, the gulls slowly started to reappear, singles and pairs of Black-headed Gulls alighting on the water swiftly followed by a large flock consisting of around 50 birds – the Bonaparte’s had to be amongst them surely! Scanning through the newly arrived individuals it wasn’t long until Alex called out that he had it – success and Bonaparte’s in the bag!

Floating next to the assorted Black-headed Gulls the differences were subtle yet apparent, although without careful scanning and a keen eye, it could easily have been overlooked. Once you’d got your eye in however it was easy to pick out, the slightly smaller and daintier size in comparison to the Black-headed Gulls the main standout feature, along with the thin all black bill and darker grey nape, mantle and chest which all helped to distinguish it.

Comparison of the smaller Bonaparte's alongside the Black-headed Gulls

Offering distant but satisfactory views through the scope, we fired off a couple of phonescoped record shots and watched on as it paddled around for a good ten minutes or so before departing, flying off over the conifer trees to feed.

With no sign the following day or indeed since, it seems we well and truly jammed in on this small American gull, a great little bird to catch up with and refreshing to get one relatively close to home!