Early- purples definately plant of the month!

Well done everyone who has been searching the target woods for Early- purples.


This is a screen shot of the recent adnoto submitted records showing a good coverage.




Chris will be adding these records to the database to give an overall map of Early-purples in the county.
Contrast this species with Green-winged orchid described by John Dony in his flora of 1953 as "Frequent....on calcareous soils throughout the county...becoming scarcer..increased ploughing of grassland". Chris`s  2011 flora has recent ( 1987 - 2006) records from 7 tetrads.

We are down to 4 in 2012/13 as one of these recent records was made in 2012. We can only hope that with increases in field edge grassland in agri-environment schemes that Green-winged can make a comeback.
If you know of any likely grassland that is flower rich..perhaps in your local churchyard, common or orchard now would be a good time to have a look.
Good hunting as always.
Graham

Early Purples..an excellent year so far

After the last request to look for Early -Purple Orchids especially in woods with no recent records we have received records from 17 main locations; four of them in the target woodlands of Chicksands, Flitwick, Salem Thrift and Kempston Woods.
Thanks to everyone who have gone out to have a look.There is still plenty of time to go and see EPO`s.
Potton Wood takes the prize as best EPO wood so far with over one thousand plants recorded by Ian Woiwood ..so far!!

keith found a nicely coloured specimen showing that they do vary in colour.

Do send me a zero record if you have visited any woodlands but failed to find any. Its all good information!

The Beds Green-winged Orchids have done well this year also, but none have been reported from Fancott meadow- an old stronghold for the species.

It looks like flowering of other species will be late this year after the late cold weather and flowering of species normally seen in late May may not be seen until June.

Shoots of Common Spotted, Twayblade, Butterfly, White Helleborine and Fly Orchid have been spotted so there is plenty to look for.

The known colony of Bird`s-nest orchid has been reported to be beneath a pile of logs this year!. This Orchid has no chlorophyll and so relies on its fungus association for its food. It can be difficult to find!
Richards photo may help you spot them.

 Most recent sightings for Bird`s - nest  are King`s wood Heath and Reach (SP92J), Aspley Wood (SP93H),  Dungee Corner ((SP9359) and  Odell Great Wood (SP59); but any ancient wood or wood on or close to the chalk will be worth a look. They can be found in the darkest part of woods with little other ground vegetation and quite a lot of leaf litter.

Good luck

 

 

Early-purple Orchid  is now out.

 

Here is a list of locations compiled by Chris Boon that have had EPO`s in the past but not recorded recently. If you are close to these woods now is the time to enjoy the bluebells and have a good look round.

 

Sadly Cainhoe wood is no more...one of the last ancient woodlands to be felled and cleared in Beds.

Flitwick wood used to have an attractive white form of EPO, do go and look to see if it can be refound.

 

 

Wood	Tetrad	Last    Date
Blackgrove Wood	SP93R	1950
Salford Wood	SP94F	1995
Holdot Wood	SP94K	1979
Marston Thrift	SP94Q	1953
Kempston Wood	SP94Y	1985
Hanger Wood	SP94Z	1987
Dungee Wood	SP95J	1993
Park Wood	SP95J	1993
Hardwick Spinney	SP95Q	1953
Salem Thrift	SP95V	1986
Barwick Wood	SP96Q	1981
Great Hayes Wood	SP96Q	1986
Flitwick Wood	TL03H	1988
Claphampark Wood	TL05L	1994
Lady Wood, Melchbourne	TL06H	1989
Keysoepark Wood	TL06L	1997
Cainhoepark Wood	TL13D	1992*
Chicksands Wood	TL14A	1995
Waterloo Thorns	TL15V	1987
Cockaine Hatley Wood	TL25Q	1991

 

NB The tetrads given above are for location on Ordnance Survey maps. Several sites are in more than one tetrad and we need 6 0r 8 fig grid references for the orchid locations as we wish to plot the data at a resolution of 1km grid squares.

*Wood felled…old field edges still have large trees.

 

Chris has also updated the map for EPO showing the new adnoto records to date.

 

We look forward to a rush of records! Happy Hunting.

Graham