A very confiding Snow Bunting on Cleeve for its second day Cleeve Common Gloucestershire

So officially we’re In metro logical Autumn as of today , still going strong Painswick Golf Course Gloucestershire , Ladies-tresses @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), on my garden Buddleja this morning. St. Mellion, SE Cornwall.

Bookending my first and last UK Orchids of the year in UK from Swifts Hill Gloucestershire this afternoon Autumn - Ladies Tresses, seen in double figures @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social

Can’t believe Jersey Tiger Two years running our Cheltenham Gloucestershire garden

Occasionally Gloucestershire throws up a really special Violet Helleborine

So walking over the Moiry Dam nr Grimentz Switzerland 🇨🇭 out the corner of my saw a giant butterfly in flight turned out to be TWO Wallcreepers , absolute buzzing

Some serious Alpine Vanilla Orchids in High pasture Switzerland 🇨🇭 Alps this morning

So first proper day walking Swiss 🇨🇭 Alps meadows today really pleased to find these Alba Gymnadenia conipsea Fragrant Orchid

Queen os Spain Fritillary from Swiss 🇨🇭 Alps today

Ghost Orchids Epipogium aphyllum in SE France this week. An awesome experience seeking out these enigmatic spirits and finding them in such abundance, in beautiful sub-alpine woods #wildflowerhour

Tough Tough gig , looking for Violet Helleborines at Hailes Abbey Gloucestershire today , eventually found these , but still not in flower @ukorchids.bsky.social

A rather special little plant for #wildflowerhour... A few of the Lindisfarne Helleborines (Epipactis sancta) spotted over the weekend. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Should I be happy or melancholy it’s June29 and Broad -leaved Helleborines are flowering at Painswick Gloucestershire @ukorchids.bsky.social

Rather pleased with this Marbled White photo from this morning

Fantastic day out in Kent , looking thru a multitude of Ophrys fuciflora , Late Spider -Orchids over 50 counted @ukorchids.bsky.social

Had friends travel up from Kent to Gloucestershire this morning , a real nervous wait untill this Large Blue preformed beautifully

I just adore the paler end of the spectrum of Chalk Fragrant Orchids , this particular one was on Rodborough Common Gloucestershire yesterday afternoon ( But Boy it was Hot ) @ukorchids.bsky.social

Fantastic to visit this suburban garden in Cheltenham Gloucestershire , nature given a chance ElevenBee Orchids in a pocket handkerchief of a front lawn @ukorchids.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social

If only the Chalk Fragrant Orchid had been perfect @ukorchids.bsky.social , I would be entering in competitions with a Dark Green Fritillary nectaring , Rodborough Common Gloucestershire this morning

Struggled locally to find any Bee Orchids so this ( first one ) was spectacular , outside Scott House at WWT Slimbridge in heavy rain

Really impressed with the White Common Spotted Orchids at WWT Slimbridge in the rain this morning ( there were three ) @ukorchids.bsky.social

Particularly pleased , although in heavy rain to get my best look at The WWT Slimbridge White Spotted Bluethroat

The more typical size of the Chalk Fragrant Orchids on Cleeve Common Gloucestershire this afternoon , I particularly liked this pale pin k one @ukorchids.bsky.social

Cleeve Common Gloucestershire this afternoon , this was the most robust of about thirty Chalk Fragrant Orchids I recorded @ukorchids.bsky.social

Little bit early I reckon but had Marbled Whites two Gloucestershire sites 25km apart flying , this was Cotswold Waterpark today

Checking a couple of sites in Cotswold Waterpark this afternoon , plenty of Four - spotted Chaser on the wing

Heath Spotted Orchid is pretty rare in the Cotswolds. Little Witcombe Gloucestershire with views to Malverns Worcestershire @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Doing my bit for #nomowmay Common Spotted Orchid back up , yellow rattle being visited by Common Carder Bees as well

Cotswolds Beech Woodland site between Withington and Chedworth Gloucestershire, incredible numbers of White Helleborine looking resplendent @ukorchids.bsky.social

Comments welcome , a bit of a head scratcher think this a rare pink form of Nottingham Catchfly on Herm in Channel Islands today , @trisnorton.bsky.social @ralphsian.bsky.social

Mighty surprised to find this Swallowtail Butterfly on Guernsey 🇬🇬 today , possibly migrating but very pleased

Okay @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social , excuse me posting early ( it’s my birthday and I’m out for Dinner Anacamptis laxiflora on Guernsey 🇬🇬 today a beast of a Orchid

My first Pained lady of the year just happened to be in our front garden 😱😀

What a beautiful plant Meadow Saxifrage is , just a shame it’s so localised in Gloucestershire

I have a real soft spot for Woodland Fly Orchids , this afternoon in Gloucestershire

White Helleborine at a Cotswolds site with thunder close by this afternoon , luckily missed us

Nice to bump into Sean Cole at Clattinger Farm Wiltshire today who I noticed had gravitated to this lovely Green-Winged Orchid @ukorchids.bsky.social

Good morning from Dorset. Glanville Fritillary roosting on a grass stalk.

Nearly there with Cotswold , Greater Butterfly Orchid , but can’t get over how dry the country side is generally

Mother Shipton Moth, in our #Yorkshire garden today. Named after Old Mother Shipton, the 16th century Yorkshire witch, whose profile is said to appear on the forewings.

And classic fly orchid on the Stroud Commons Gloucestershire this morning @ukorchids.bsky.social

Wonderful Fly /Bee hybrid on Stroud Commons Gloucestershire today , if your going just be careful where you stand plenty of fly orchids close by @ukorchids.bsky.social

North Gloucestershire Cotswolds today visiting two beautiful sites. Thanks as always to the legend @duncan-dine.bsky.social for the help. White Early Purples, a Common Twayblade strangled by a Beech leaf, Broad-leaved Helleborine, and gorgeous views everywhere 😍🌅 #orchids

Earliest i have recorded a Marsh Fritillary May 2nd Gloucestershire

Stunning white Early Purple Orchid on Cleeve Common Gloucestershire this morning @ukorchids.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

For #FingerpostFriday, a rural sign in deepest #Sicily. An area of dazzling #orchids, ancient history and plunging gorges.

Ophrys calliantha, endemic #orchid of #Sicily

Seen some impressive #Orobanche here in #Sicily, locally common. Here’s today’s: Orobanche Variegata on Broom.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, is Ophrys speculum the fairest of them all? #Sicilia #orchids