One of the rarest orchids in the UK is the Late Spider Orchid. At the beginning of this month Tony, Tania and I stumbled among a hillside full of them. The yellow tongue on the lower lip of the flower instantly distinguish it from the Bee Orchid with which you will no doubt be familiar. Orchids are such beautiful flowers.
On our photographing orchid day the other week I failed to find Birds Nest Orchid. It has to be said they aren’t showy bright flowered jobs. They are nondescript and difficult to find under trees amid similar coloured leaf litter. I felt sure it was the late spring had perhaps delayed them and it wasn’t my inability to find them that was at fault.
However, I thought I’d go back to the site about a week or so later to see if I could conjure some up. I couldn’t, but I did find a few spikes of Twyblade; another very unassuming orchid. The flowers are supposed to look like little men. I think they are a dead ringer for tiny ‘jesters’. What do you think?
Letter From Norfolk 