A rather smart looking Slow-worm in the garden today

Mendip today A bit of a struggle but eventually found a dozen rather small specimens of Autumn Lady's Tresses

Epipactis x schulzei @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Most of the local Broad-leaved Helleborines have failed this year, apart from one site on Mendip where, for some reason, numbers are better than normal. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Southern Marsh orchid from a site on Mendip that always produces a couple of plants with pink unmarked lips. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Checked on progress at a local Epipactis site today - first two are both E. x schulzei while the third is Violet helleborine. Could only find one Violet showing, which is a bit worrying, hopefully more will emerge shortly. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Dactylorhizas at a Mendip site where plants are hard to identify @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Heath Spotted orchids on Mendip today @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Some attraactive Common Spotted orchids from Mendip today @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Lesser Butterfly orchids in good numbers but just past their best Mendip, 20/6/25 @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Anyone able to tell me what the insect on this orchid is, some kind of spider? Mendip 20/6/25

A few nice white Pyramidal orchids on the outskirts of Bristol today @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Looks to be a good year for Green-flowered Helleborine locally, I counted 45 this morning. Hopefully a number will flower this year. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

An oddly mutated Chalk Fragrant where the flower structure changes as you move up the spike. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Chalk Fragrants coming along nicely North Somerset @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Some of the local Marsh helleborines now nearly in full flower. North Somerset 18/6/25 @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

This rather attractive pale Common Spotted orchid caught my eye this morning @ukorchids.bsky.social

Some attractive local orchids that caught my eye today @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A Southern Marsh orchid with red flower lips @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Mendip plants 2/6/25 @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Slow-worm in the garden today @argroupsuk.bsky.social

Plants on Mendip today; Cheddar Pink Red-tinted Hawkweed (Hieracium angustisquamum) Greater Butterfly orchids @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

The local Heath Spotted orchids are suffering in the dry weather with a lot of the plants stunted. However there are a few nice examples if you look hard enough. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Harestail Cottongrass Mendip 090525 @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Early Purple orchids today high above Rock of Ages in the Mendips @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Still a few nice pale variants of Green-winged orchid appearing locally @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Local Southern Marsh orchids coming through in good numbers despite the dry ground @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A few more Heath Spotted orchids appearing amongst the local Green-winged @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A couple of rather attractive pale Early Purple orchids Mendip 2/5/25 @ukorchids.bsky.social

Todays orchid oddity, and not very photogenic, a Green-winged where the flowers haven't fully rotated into place @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The first local Heath Spotted orchids coming into flower today NE Somerset, 29/2/25 @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

A pair of mutant Early Purple orchids with most of the reproductive bits missing. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

First few Southern Marsh orchids starting to flower. N Somerset 28/4/25 @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Adders and Adders-tongue today

A couple of white Green-winged orchids today, one rather weedy and the other with a little purple wash on the hood @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The birding was a bit slow so I checked out the Green-winged orchids. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Early Purple orchids today - these are slightly unusual in that they grow in the open, well away from woodland. North Somerset @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Alpine Pennycress in flower this morning on Mendip @bsbibotany.bsky.social

This small stand of white flowered Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis stood out this morning @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Numbers of Green-winged orchids locally starting to build, and a few of the pastel colours starting to appear. @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The local Adders have all now changed into their summer clothes.

The recent warm weather has brought the local Green-winged orchids along. I found about a dozen showing today

A few Slow-worms from this morning

Time to change into your spring clothes. Freshly sloughed male Adder and a Common Lizard in the process of shedding it's skin. Mendip today

Hutchinsea now in full flower on Mendip. Mind you even in full flower it is still nearly impossible to see!

First Lizards starting to show today on Mendip

Hutchinsea just starting to flower on Mendip. The bridge camera, even on macro zoom, struggles with this tiny plant

Just arrived on Bluesky. Too early for orchids but the Adders just starting to emerge locally.