Bee orchid

It was an overcast morning, but that can be good news for photographing sculptures outdoors, which is what I needed to do with the ArtUK end of July deadline in mind. It' best without deep shadows. So I spent a happy hour and a half finishing off a couple of incomplete sets of work near the city centre.
I'd read online, via Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, that there were some bee orchids on a verge by Motorpoint in Sheffield's East end.   Apparently the Trust had reached an agreement with Motorpoint that the verge would be left unmown for another month or so, to allow the orchids to set seed.
I had a bit of time in hand, and so went off into the twilight zone of the industrial estates between Sheffield and Rotherham to have a look. I wasn't particularly optimistic about finding them, and was close to giving up after a desultory wander around the perimeter of Motorpoint.  But as I turned to head back towards the car park, suddenly there they were, on a nondescript strip of verge between the fence and the road. Lesson learned: keep your eyes open, and don't give up so easily.
What wonderful plants they are. The detail is gorgeous, close up.  Seen as a group, the blossoms really do look like bees around the stems.  Just sitting on the dusty pavement, trying out various angles and camera settings, meant that I got entirely absorbed in taking in all the colours and shapes. Thank you, Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust - and Motorpoint.