Don't Worry, Bee Orchid

On a spur of the moment thing we went for a morning stroll across Minchinhampton Common, in the hope of spotting a rare Bee Orchid. Well, they certainly are rare! So much diversity in the meadow wildflowers on the common, but in the end only one Bee Orchid - found, of course, by Janet.

It's the first time I've seen one in the real, and my they do make one smile. Just look at the flower! Not so much a bee as a happy fairy baby! I've been scrolling through dozens of near identical shots, finding the ones that the winds had left in focus, and it's a real belly laugh flicking through them.

I'm sure there are others up there. I may go a-hunting again. But next time perhaps with a hard hat, because them golfers; they just don't care...

[In the past, orchids have been picked for their attractive flowers. In the case of the bee orchid the single flower is the culmination of up to 8 years growth and, if picked, the plant is unlikely to flower again and has lost its only chance of producing seeds.]