Sandwich Bay

I have got a bit behind on reporting my wildlife encounters, so time to catch up. A trip down to Sandwich Bay, the main objective to see another new Orchid which is particularly fond of  damp grassland and dune slacks, the Marsh Helleborine.

View across Sandwich Bay

With the necessary permissions to view the area where the Orchids grow and on a gloriously sunny day, I was soon in position viewing the Marsh Helleborine where I must admit grow in some profusion. This is probably the best looking native Orchid I have seen to date, Butterflies and wasps were everywhere, and I had a great time watching a smallish wasp called a 'Crabro cribrarius'

 So first a look at the Marsh Helleborine together with a few Southern Marsh Orchids still in flower.

Southern Marsh Orchid & Marsh Helleborine

And here's the Digger type wasp that's quite common at Sandwich Bay

Crabro cribrarius

You can see how as each Wasp visited the flowers of the Marsh Helleborine a small package of pollina sticks to the wasps forehead.

A good selection of Butterflies on view, always nice to try and get a photograph of a Butterfly on an Orchid. But the Butterflies not really playing ball today.

A shy Painted Lady on a fading Marsh orchid

Marbled White on Red Clover

Small Copper

Meadow Brown on a Southern Marsh Orchid

Common Blue on an emerging Marsh helleborine

A battered Brown Argus

Essex Skipper in Kent

Honeysuckle

Last of the Lizard Orchids

Sea Holly, Eryngium maritimum.

unknown Leaf Cutter type Bee

Orchid Life List                                          2019 Orchid List

 Common Spotted Orchid                        Green Winged Orchid

 Early Purple Orchid                                Early Purple Orchid

Common Twayblade.                               Lady Orchid

Greater Butterfly Orchid                          Early Spider Orchid

 Lady Orchid                                            Fly Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid                                     Common Twayblade

 Bee Orchid                                              Man Orchid

Fragrant Orchid                                        Monkey Orchid

White Helleborine                                    White Helleborine

Southern Marsh Orchid                            Common Fragrant Orchid

Green Winged Orchid                               Bee Orchid

Early Spider Orchid                                  Southern Marsh Orchid

Fly Orchid                                                 Common Spotted Orchid

Man Orchid                                               Pyramidal Orchid

Monkey Orchid                                         Lizard Orchid
Birds Nest Orchid                                     Birds Nest Orchid
Lizard Orchid                                            Musk Orchid
Musk Orchid                                             Greater Butterfly Orchid
Heath Spotted Orchid                                Heath Spotted Orchid
Late Spider Orchid                                    Late Spider Orchid
Marsh Helleborine                                    Marsh Helleborine

21 Species