Orchids Orchids Everywhere

Following on from a fellow Blipper (Chantler63) visits to Rag Pits Nature Reserve I ventured up there for a look around not expecting to see anything like what I did see. 

Once inside the reserve it is almost wall to wall (or chalk pit to chalk pit) in beautiful orchids. Many are past their best now but there are still new flowers popping up here & there. There was also some pretty yellow vetch which I have since identified as Horseshoe Vetch and a number of different butterfly varieties including the one pictured which I think is called the Ringlet.

In the past the site was used to quarry chalk for the building trade & when it fell out of use BBOWT (Bucks, Berks, Oxon Wildlife Trust) over the next 20 years developed it into the wildlife haven we see today....and what a fabulous job they have done here too. Besides the rare orchids, there are also 27 species of butterfly plus, snails, slow worms, & grass snakes.

Its warm & sticky though nothing like the temperature it was yesterday.

The last couple of days I have added a "funny" extra. I took one today but decided not to publish it. It was a shot of my walking stick hanging on a fence by the car. The reason its funny is because today I couldn't walk without it but I somehow did.....silly old fool am I....

RIP Val Doonican