Bird's Nest

A quick trip to Oxfordshire to cut the grass and tidy up the hedges at the bungalow. Of course I couldn't resist having a look for orchids and was rewarded with a few Bird's-nests. These are named not for the flowering stem but the tangled roots which are said to resemble a bird's nest. Its odd looking, even by orchid standards. Having no leaves and no chlorophyll (it is a parasite, living on the roots of nearby beech trees) it always appears a rather sickly yellow-brown colour. They are difficult to spot in the dappled light under the trees but I've been visiting this same location for several years now and can usually find a few.