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

Pantaloon Bees and Bee Wolves at Minsmere RSPB!

Having admired the many photographs of Pantaloon Bees at Minsmere RSPB doing the rounds on Twitter over the past few weeks, I was longing to see these interesting insects for myself.

Sadly, at over 4 hours away, Suffolk was just a tad too far to travel just to get my fix of quirkily named bees (if they had been referred to as Hairy Legged Mining Bees I don’t think I’d have been anywhere near as smitten with them) and it looked like any chance to see them would be off the cards. Luckily for me, the stars aligned at the beginning of August when a Purple Swamphen touched down at Minsmere, positively forcing me to take a day off mid-week to go and see it and offering the perfect chance to simultaneously search for these fascinating bees.

With the Swamphen safely under our belts, we headed over to the sandy patches of ground along the North Wall where the Pantaloon Bees had been seen, a helpful member of RSPB staff on hand to guide visitors and help identify any bees or wasps.

After a long wait searching in the cloudy weather, a number of other interesting bees and wasps buzzing around to keep us occupied, we eventually struck it lucky with a single Pantaloon Bee, busy excavating a burrow in the sandy ground, the thick bristly hairs on the back legs getting caked with sand as it scurried backwards through the substrate before scraping it off revealing the beautiful furry hairs underneath.

It is only the female bees that have woolly “pantaloon” legs as they are the ones that sweep away the sand creating burrows in which to lay their eggs.

Truly fascinating creatures and the only species of Hairy Legged Mining Bee in the UK, we were totally captivated as we watched her dig out her burrow again and again, backing out of the entrance hole before dashing back in each time – amazing!!

The majority of sandy burrows on the slope were also occupied by the ferocious sounding Bee Wolf – fearsome wasps that predate on the Honey Bees in the area, paralysing them and carrying them back to their nests in a rather menacing fashion.

Looking carefully, the Bee Wolves carry the Honey Bees in such a way that if they attempt to sting back, only the armoured part of the Bee Wolf’s body is presented.

Once stored in the burrow, the females will then lay an egg on the paralysed bee, ensuring the hatched larva has a sufficient food supply when it emerges. We saw several eyes peeking out of the occupied burrows, and these extensive tunnels can often hold up to 6 immobilised Honey Bees in chambers ready for the young wasp larvae to feed upon.

For anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to experience these delightful and quirky bees themselves, a trip to Minsmere in sunny weather next summer is definitely recommended! 

Marsh Fritillaries!

Marsh Fritillary is surely one of our most attractive British butterflies – a striking checkerboard of fiery oranges and burnt umbers flecked with delicate hints of gold and cream. A true delight of the Lepidoptera world. It was also a species that I had been extremely keen to catch up with after learning two years ago that there was a small population just a couple of hours away from home. Unable to visit in previous springs due to a combination of poor weather and being away in Mull and New York respectively during the last two flight seasons, this year we planned in a visit during the half term holiday.

Parking in the local village and walking the short distance to the entrance gate of the reserve, after a brief stroll along the boardwalk we had reached the small patch of ground where the fritillaries can be found. Almost instantly I spotted our first one – zig-zagging low down above the grass before alighting on a nearby flower to nectar and allowing relatively approachable views. Far more used to the restless and dancing flights of other species of fritillary, it was a refreshing change for these mosaic patterned beauties to tolerate a close approach!

In total we managed to find 4 or 5 individuals – luckily the fritillaries are just managing to hang on here, despite being reduced to just a small isolated population in what is sadly the last site for Marsh Fritillaries in the area.

With Marsh Fritillary colonies undergoing periodic population crashes and extreme swings in numbers, individuals will recolonise the area from other nearby populations as part of one large meta-colony in order to replenish numbers if they drop too low. If there is an absence of adjacent colonies nearby however, this lone surviving population could be in trouble if numbers do ever crash to unrecoverable numbers.

Once a relatively widespread butterfly, Marsh Fritillaries have undergone a serious decline in numbers, especially in continental Europe, and the British Isles are now considered one of the few strongholds left for this charismatic species. Despite this, they have suffered severe population drops even in Britain due to the draining of their fenland and marshy habitat for agriculture, making the Marsh Fritillary a definite species of concern. Appropriate conservation measures will hopefully see them continue to grace our wetland meadows for years to come.

Marsh Fritillary sites may be susceptible to trampling (especially if there are caterpillars still waiting to emerge in the undergrowth early on in the season) so it is always best to tread carefully and view from the footpath where possible.

With their gorgeous chequered patterns of orange, yellow and cream hues, Marsh Fritillaries are one of our most attractive fritillaries, and it was fascinating to study them up close as they nectared and rested on the strands of grass - we even witnessed two individuals mating on one occasion.

An incredibly enjoyable day at a beautiful reserve, and I for one really hope that the population continues to hang on and delight visitors for years to come.

Coralroot Orchids - Sandscale Haws, Cumbria

Having previously travelled to Sandscale Haws in Cumbria a few years back in search of Coralroot Orchids but unfortunately drawing a blank and failing to find any in the extensive dune system, I was determined to finally catch up with my ‘nemesis orchid’ this year upon hearing they were having one of the best flowering seasons at the site in over 20 years.

With none recorded in 2013 and just 177 plants counted in 2014, this year’s showing of over 1000 plants was reminiscent of the huge numbers found in the late 80s and early 90s, and meant I had the best chance in several years of finding them.

Luckily, the warden was on site at the car park when we arrived, and after explaining the reason for visiting, he kindly drove us up the beach and to the slacks the Coralroots were growing in – success was guaranteed this time around! After a short ten minute walk through the dune system we had arrived, and sure enough I spotted a small yellow flower nestled amongst the Creeping Willow next to his boot – my first Coralroot Orchid!

With the orchids scattered all around the adjacent area amongst the dune vegetation, the warden led us to the flowers that were still in pristine condition (a trip to New York during the peak of flowering meant this was the earliest opportunity to go, with several plants now edging past their best) and left us to admire the colony in all its glory.

Distributed over a northerly range in the UK, Coralroot Orchids can be found across Scotland and in several colonies in the north of England, although most populations are thought to be relatively small (Sandscale Haws being one of the most popular along with Gosforth Park in Northumberland).

Found in the dune habitat at Sandscale as opposed to woodland and tending to favour the younger and wetter slacks with short vegetation, Coralroot Orchids can soon get overcrowded by the other vegetation here. Grazing and habitat management are therefore critical for this population’s survival, as sadly the dunes are no longer mobile enough to create the new areas of pioneer dune slacks the orchids would naturally colonise after their current slacks age and become unsuitable.

The slack where the Coralroots were favouring

Creeping Willow plays an important role in Coralroot growth, with the orchid forming a symbiotic relationship with this species in order to survive.

Just 5-14cm tall and with small, dainty white and yellow flowers measuring just 5mm across, Coralroot Orchids are extremely hard to spot unless you get your eye in! Without knowing the exact slacks they grew in a few years ago, it was clear to see how I never quite managed to find them last time around in the absolute maze of dune systems at Sandscale!

A small in-situ shot from my phone where the surrounding Creeping Willow is obvious

With a variety of other coastal plants and a soundtrack of singing pipits and skylarks, it was a great morning where thankfully the rainclouds that were threatening to break held off and the sun shone throughout! Here’s hoping that the Coralroots have another bumper season in 2016 and continue to thrive here for years to come!