At Last a Bee Hawkmoth 10th May 2025

I have never seen a Bee Hawkmoth, neither narrow-bordered or broad-bordered which are the two species that occur in Britain. I have not even come near as they are so infrequently reported, unpredictable whenever they do appear and always hard to see.

They are scarce too and declining, especially the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth which is the rarer of the two.

This situation changed for the better on my visit to Homefield Nature Reserve to look for Military Orchids. It sometimes happens this way, when you go specifically to look for something entirely unrelated and another equally or even more desirable thing turns up uexpectedly and un-anticipated.

As I entered a scrubby field on the reserve I saw a man standing in a corner of the field in which I hoped the orchids might be and walked over to him to enquire if I was in the right place.He was looking at the ground  intently through a camera whilst standing in a patch of Bugle, the short blue flowers extending for quite an area around him in the corner of the field.

Before I could speak he pointed downwards to the flowers and spoke.

I think I have got a Bee Hawkmoth. 

I do not know if it is a narrow or broad bordered but I am sure it is a Bee Hawkmoth.

Surprise, delight and yes, elation swept through me as a long desired encounter with this moth unexpectedly came to fruition in an unremarkable field in middle England.Who would have thought it?

At first I could not see the moth as it was obscured deep in the grass, nectaring from half hidden Bugle flowers but then it rose an inch or two to move to other more exposed flowers but never rising more than a few inches from the ground. 

It was hard to follow and it flew off after a couple of minutes. Would it come back was the big question. Frustration was writ large but at least I had seen it. My initial impression was that, as its name suggested it resembled a giant bee and behaved in a similar manner although, unlike a  bee it never settled to feed but remained constantly hovering and flying amongst the Bugle flowers.Its wings were transparent and moved at great sped, supporting a rather fat. squat and furry, sandy buff body with a broad black band around its middle and a black tip

That was all I could recall before it flew away 

The man told me it had been around for twenty minutes before I arrived but he had  found it very hard to photograph.

We left it there and assumed it had gone.

He showed me where a Military Orchid was growing higher up the sloping field where it adjoined some woodland and we went our separate ways 

Having photographed the orchid I returned to the patch of Bugle more in hope than expectation and for twenty minutes it looked like I would remain disappointed and my hopes of seeing more of the moth would remain unfulfilled. but no there it was again, flying low around the short blue Bugle spikes feeding from the individual flowers with an incredibly long proboscis, moving constantly from flower to flower and at one point literally feeding right by my foot.

I could not believe my luck and began rapidly filling the memory card on my camera, attempting to capture this insect in flight. By checking the images on the back of my camera I could see the dark brown bands around the outer edges of its wings were not extensive and thus it was confirmed it was a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth.What a result.

Its flight was not as rapid as a Hummingbird Hawkmoth but its mode of feeding was very similar  except the movements were slower although still quick.Think of an outsized bee and you would have a good idea of its jizz and behaviour.A few bumblebees also feeding on the Bugle gave a handy size comparison

It flew off again and I lost sight of it but after a twenty minute absence it returned and I resumed filling the memory card on my camera, being joined by the man, who saw that I had relocated the moth.This time it remained for a good fifteen minutes constantly feeding, checking as many flowers as possible but never the same twice.

The sun disappeared and with it so did the moth and despite standing in the Bugle patch for forty minutes it never returned

Both Bee Hawkmoth species used to be widely distributed in Britain but both have suffered severe declines due to habitat loss and most records nowadays come from southern and southwest England with a few records of it from East Anglia, parts of Wales and the Scottish Highlands

The moth was in typical habitat at Homefield as they like grassland and open areas adjacent to woodland.Their flight season lasts from May to the end of June and they mainly fly from mid morning to mid afternoon in sunshine.

Dare I say it but this encounter trumped even the Military Orchids.

Lady's, Monkeys and The Military 10th May 2025

Another day and another orchid sortie.Very much a novice I am becoming ever more enthused at seeking out these strange and rather wonderful plants

Today I planned a trip to Hartslock Nature  Reserve, yet another of BBOWT's small but perfect reserves.  Here I was going in search of two more orchid species that are a speciality of this four hectare reserve - the Lady Orchid which is nationally scarce and the Monkey Orchid which is classed as vulnerable.

The problem at Hartslock, especially for a beginner such as myself, is that the majority of orchids  there are hybrids between the two species and pure examples of both are very scarce and hard to find amongst the ranks of hybrids which are present in numbers and in a variety of shades of pink and sizes.

However I had been told that this year there was a pure example of a Lady Orchid and also a few pure Monkey Orchids. Peter who had visited Hartslock yesterday gave me guidance as to where to locate them amongst the many hybrids so I decided to take a chance and hope I would be able to identify them which was far from guaranteed.

Hartslock  is not easy to get to as it is located on a very steep hillside overlooking Goring on Thames. 

Looking down from the reserve to Goring upon Thames in the distance

There is nowhere to park anywhere near the entrance to the reserve and therefore a visit requires you to park further down at the beginning of a narrow lane and then walk in for a quarter of a mile.At least that is what I preferrred to do not wishing to fall foul of the local farmer or the affluent residents.

The day was cloudy but it was pleasant enough walking up the lane surrounded on both sides by burgeoning green hedgerows and then, turning down a track, after a couple of hundred metres I arrived at the entrance gate to the reserve.In front of me arose a steep hill with two more small wooden gates which led into the reserve proper.

Not too sure where to go I saw two other orchid enthusiasts looking intently at something outside and just to the right of the two gates and clambering up the hillside to join them they pointed out a Monkey Orchid, a pure one, its demure presence almost overwhelmed by the hedge it grew under.

It soon became apparent that my two new and very friendly acquaintances, making a special trip from Stoke on Trent, knew what they were talking about and generously imparted their orchid knowledge for my benefit and explained to me why it was not a hybrid  

We then indulged in the ritual of taking our photos before passing through one of the gates and moving upwards via a series of very steep steps to an area on the side of the precipitous slope that was taped off to protect the hybrid orchids, ranged on the side of a bank by a small wood.

Hybrid orchids

I was told that originally Hartslock was known as a place to see Monkey Orchids but at sometime in the past a Lady Orchid appeared and subsequently hybrids began to appear and they now dominate the reserve while some pure Monkey and Lady Orchids persist but very much in the minority. How true this  is I have no way of verifying but it is a reasonable supposition.

The hybrids were surprisingly large, some in fact very robust compared to the orchid species I had been viewing these past days and amongst them was a pure Lady Orchid which stood out due to the fact it was smaller and distinctly coloured.

Lady Orchid

Thus in the space of thirty or so minutes I had seen pure examples of both Monkey and Lady Orchids. The Lady Orchid struck a chord with me as it reminded me of a favourite orchid of mine, the Burnt Tip Orchid, the colours of the flowers being a similar dark reddish brown and white but there the resemblance ended. The name derives from the fact the three lobed lip is shaped like a lady in a crinoline, the two, narrow side lobes forming the arms and the central lobe divided into two. The dark reddish brown sepals and upper petals above, form the lady's bonnet. Really lovely.

We admired this specimen for some time, discussing the salient features and taking photographs and then one of my colleagues found what he considered to be two other Monkey Orchids. 

I looked more closely at the hybrids and amongst them found a smaller mainly white orchid tinged with pale pink which to me looked like a Monkey Orchid.None too sure of myself I pointed it out to my friends and they confirmed it was in their opinion a Monkey Orchid. 

I then spent time with the hybrids, marvelling at their fulsome size and variable colours. One in particular being noticeably large and a very attractive deep reddish pink with white flecks and really eye catching amongst its fellow paler pink hybrids.

The area on the bank where the orchids grow is comparatively small and protected by tape which while not being a physical barrier usually persuades people to remain the correct side of the tape and not get too close to the orchids for fear of trampling them.

Two more hybrids

Eventually we stood back content as a Cuckoo called close by from the trees at the bottom of the slope.

Further up the slope beyond the hybrids we found a White Helleborine, still relatively common and plentiful in the southeast of England to which it is restricted.

It was coming into bloom with one flower almost fully open revealing egg yolk yellow in its centre.We found another ten less advanced plants inside the wood as we did a circuit of this small reserve,.

White Helleborine

Before parting with my erstwhile colleagues we exchanged information about the various orchid areas worth visiting in the area and I suggested Bernwood Meadows and they told me I should go to Homefield Wood in Buckinghamshire for Military Orchids which were now flowering

It is a pleasant and relaxing experience orchid hunting as from my point of view there is not the competitive feelings that come with twitching or even watching birds these days and orchids have the distinct advantage in that they remain where they are and do not fly away overnight which results in a more relaxed frame of mind amongst those of us coming to view them and a general feeling of bonhomie to fellow enthusiasts.

We said our farewells and I made my way to Homefield Wood, one of only three sites in Britain where they grow, to try and find the Military Orchids which would be a new orchid species for me.

A forty minute drive took me across the border of Oxfordshire into neighbouring Buckinghamshire and just west of Marlow I descended a very steep hill and turned into a tiny car park at Homefield Wood, owned by the Forestry Commission and part of The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty. The reserve itself is 6.1 acres of undulating slopes and is managed by BBOWT and consists of deciduous woodland with glades and open grassland encompassed in a much larger area of mainly woodland. Specifically I was aiming for a sheltered field sloping up on both sides and through which ran a grass track at the bottom, the field bordered by a hedge on one side and woodland on the other. It was not very far to walk from the car park and passing through a gate off the main track I entered a field of scrubby grassland and scattered bushes but with little idea where the orchids might be.

Fortunately someone was already there and indicated to me where I could find a Military Orchid which he had found earlier. Military Orchids like to grow in chalk grassland along broad leaved woodland edges and true to form the specimen he had found was growing in the leaf litter beside a hazel, in the open at the top of the slope where field met woodland.

Big and robust, with shiny green strap like leaves and clustered flowers pinkish violet in colour, this was a perfect specimen and my first ever sight of this orchid species did not disappoint

They acquired their name from the fact the sepals and petals are folded in such a way they are said  to resemble a hood or more fancifully a knight's helmet with the lower lip shaped like a man, with arms and legs while lines of spots resemble buttons on a tunic. 

I knelt on the ground and took some photos and later explored the edges of the field.on the opposite side. Here I found another twenty three orchids in various stages of flowering, some near the hedge with others more in the open amongst the grass on the slope but none as advanced as the original one on the other side of the field.

Many were caged to protect them so I had been fortunate that the first one I saw on the opposite side of the field was free of any artificial protection although I had found others uncaged on the other side of the field too.

After wandering around and admiring these orchids I took a track by the hedge that would lead me back to the entrance gate and found half a dozen Common Twayblades. 

Green and undistinguished compared to their more colourful and exotic relatives I realised it had been a very long time since I had seen one so lingered for a while to give them due reverence.

Quite a day!

A Passion for Purple 7th May 2025

As an antidote to my trip to South Wales on Monday I was of a mind to stay local and entertain myself by seeking out two of our native orchid species that should be blooming now.

Orchids are fascinating and exotic native plants.The very name  Orchid conjures up images of mystique and fable, romance and rarity. Like much of our flora they are now greatly reduced in numbers due to loss of habitat with many becoming scarce and in some cases very rare and only surviving on nature reserves or where they are given special care.Others, in the minority still remain almost common but wherever they are found, rare or otherwise they invariably convey a sense of wonder and excitement on being discovered. 

Today I was going to search for two of Britain's commoner orchid species, the Early Purple Orchid and the Green Winged Orchid, that can be found within my own county of Oxfordshire and which are two of the earliest to flower. Both thankfully still remain in good numbers and finding them would not be taxing as I knew exactly where to go 

The persistent cold wind was still in evidence today but I knew that the day would warm up as the sun rose higher and planned to wait until late morning before setting off on my orchid hunt.

Noon found me at one of BBOWT's (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) fabulous small reserves near Beckley where I knew from a previous visit in early April that a small colony of Early Purple Orchids were growing in a discrete corner under trees and bushes. 

Last time all I could find were about ten rosettes of dark green spotted leaves but now they should have sprouted a fleshy green stem with a column of up 20-50 rich purple flowers at its top. Entering the reserve through a gate all was quiet..I had the place to myself and followed the track down through the wood and then up to pass through another gate and emerge onto a sunny slope.

Here was my prize as the orchids grew on both sides of the grass track that wound across the slope.Most were growing under the trees and bushes away from the track but a small group grew right beside it and thankfully have evaded being trampled.

Their innocent beauty and sheer exoticism bring a sense of delight every time and especially to see them in such numbers. I counted over a hundred and five flowering plants, some over a foot high but most half that size or less.

The sun was pleasantly warm here, sheltered as I was from the wind and the sunlight filtered through the leaves above to flicker onto the orchids and further illuminate their purpleness

I found two that varied from their normal purple neighbours. being pale pink on the sepals and with a lip that was white at its centre with a scattering of magenta spots  and tinged pink on the outer edges.I am told such plants are uncommon.They certainly possessed a unique and delicate beauty.

Alone, I walked slowly and contemplatively back through the wood which while never free of natural sound still contrivesd to bring a soothing sense of peace and tranquillity.

My next destination was a few miles further east, almost to the border between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire where Bernwood Meadows another of BBOWT's superb reserves is situated. The reserve consists of three large hay meadows, 19 acres in extent and is famed for its abundant flora and butterflies. It adjoins the ancient Bernwood Forest currently managed by Forestry England.

At this time of year the meadows are literally carpeted with Green winged Orchids, thousands upon thousands of them. Their name is derived from the lateral sepals (wings) being marked with half a dozen thin green parallel lines and which give rise to its alternative name of Green veined Orchid

Drawing up into the tiny well hidden car park I stepped out of the car to be met with a purple haze, a sea of purple orchid flowers as far as I could see. Again I was entirely on my own with not another soul present. A Lesser Whitethroat greeted me from deep within the thick blackthorn hedge that borders the meadow, its discrete warble ending in a familiar, distinctive loud and rattling finale.

Walking into the meadow I moved amongst such a profusion of rchids it was almost too much to comprehend.They were at their very peak both in colour and quantity, ranged in straggling lines or larger groups

My head spun with where to look first, trying to decide which were the finest plants to photograph and having to take great care not to tread on any.

The exposed nature of the meadows meant the wind blew unhindered although the sun kept it warm enough for me to only need a jumper. Green winged Orchids are shorter than Early Purple Orchids being between 5-15 cms in height.The flower heads varied bewilderingly in various shades of deep purple and even lilac. Amongst the majority of purple headed plants there were others sporting pink flower heads, whilst yet others displayed white flowers with pink edging  and a very few were pure white.

Green winged Orchids in a variety of colours

Borne on short fleshy green stems each orchid head bent to the gusting wind but remained steadfast due to its stout stem. 

I took many photos of the various coloured heads but in the end conceded to a mental and physical exhaustion of sorts and just meandered through this botanical sea of purple marvelling at the sheer profusion that nature can produce when allowed to.

Note the green caterpillar photobombing my picture!

Like many of our  other orchid species the Green winged Orchid has suffered from changes of land use and loss of habitat but sympathetic management of churchyards, rough pastures and the creation of reserves has led to a substantial revival of this orchid's fortunes as evidenced here at Bernwood Meadows.

Walking back to the car park I was pleasantly surprised to discover three Early Marsh Orchids cloistered  amongst a scattering of Green Winged Orchids, their shorter stems and more tightly packed candy pink flowers with the lips showing broken, narrow, red parallel lines, rendered them distinctive and left me wondering how they had been overlooked when I first arrived.

Early Marsh Orchid

A perfect ending to a pleasant afternoon in rural Oxfordshire and many thanks to BBOWT for creating and maintaining their splendid reserves for everyone to enjoy.

The next day I returned with Peter, my orchid buddy to show him the Early Marsh Orchids but my mind was set on another plant that is also an indicator of ancient meadows, the Adder's Tongue Fern which can be found amongst the hordes of orchids growing at Bernwood.They are tiny and at first I was somewhat daunted as to where to look for them.

I walked randomly amongst the orchids  and within ten minutes there they were, their single spade shaped pointed leaf protruding a couple of inches if that amongst the burgeoning ground level vegetation. Once you got your eye in it was comparatively easy to discern them, hidden amongst the rest of the vegetation.The leaf being slightly paler green and noticeably pointed stands out with a somewhat phallic stalk in which are contained the spores and that superficially resembles a snake's tongue as it stands proud and erect in front of the leaf 

Adder's Tongue Fern

They formed small colonies and we found at least three such colonies and I am sure there were many more.Years ago when I was living near Brighton in Sussex I was, on behalf of Sussex Wildlife Trust the volunteer warden for Ditchling Beacon Nature Reserve, one of which prized plants was Adder's Tongue Ferns and that was the last time I had seen them before moving to Oxfordshire.I never thought that thirty years would pass before I would see them again and in Oxfordshire.