Counted the Southern Marsh Orchids at Wilwell, a cracking 713 (approx), the vast majority being in the middle & southern lower meadow. This is way up on last years worst ever count of just 38. A remarkable turn round even for a notoriously variable plant like SMO.
It has been suggested that as SMO survive as bulbs and the bulbs are able to split in two, this might explain these rapid changes, but not why. Many of the flowers were just coming into bloom so I think I caught them at peak SMO. But the flowers are very variable with some fine flower spikes, but in other cases very stunted.
Such little clusters of SMO`s are quiet typical of the lower meadow colony, with other plants skulking in the vegetation.
But the other interesting thing was, they have reappeared in the marsh area below the seat, not seen for maybe 15+ years. This is in direct contradiction of my claim that you don`t find SMO`s in really wet areas, there was a one inch layer of water across the area. Ornery little critters !
Also worth saying that at 205 flower spikes (again approx) this was the highest Green Wing Orchid count since the “great flood” decimated numbers in 2012/13.
The last couple of years has also seen the reappearance of Twayblade orchids in two (very) little populations. The original population was also lost in the great deluge, so in fairness at least one population well to the south might have always been there a green plant hidden in the vegetation.