Strangeness and beauty of the bee orchid
by Paul Evans from on (#CYR5)
Wenlock Edge This lone orchid is as wonderful as the whole meadow
The bee orchid opens its beautiful strangeness a few inches above ground. Surrounded by lady's bedstraw, common whitlowgrass and wild thyme, the orchid appears as a lone curiosity, a magnet drawing attention from the wide world above into the small, intimate world of the meadow.
Late, because of a cold start, the wild flowers seem more prolific than previous years, but there are worryingly few butterflies and moths around yet. There are a few small heath butterflies, each the size of a quartered old bus ticket. They are swift and flighty, and their erratic movement through the air and camouflage when they fold up in the grass may be all that protects them from being eaten by birds.
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