Bee Orchids

RobinP · #1 (**permalink**) 28-06-2008, 05:28 PM

Found two today, not bad for Hertfordshire...

Second one was a bit worn...

leifus · #2 (**permalink**) 28-06-2008, 05:48 PM

Nice pics. I found three down at Durlston on the south coast last monday. Two were a bit worn but the third...stunning!! They are definately one of my favourite flowers!

ron1863 · #3 (**permalink**) 28-06-2008, 05:57 PM

Lovely flowers, do they grow up North (Scotland)

aeshna5 · #4 (**permalink**) 28-06-2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron1863

Lovely flowers, do they grow up North (Scotland)

Extremely rare in Scotland- they were thought extinct but a small colony was found in an old industrial site in Ayrshire.

I've got a small colony on what was a small lorry park in our local country park, though number of flower spikes was low this year- only found c10.

lizard orchid · #5 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron1863

Lovely flowers, do they grow up North (Scotland)

I was the person who found Bee Orchid new for Scotland with Paul Stanley back in 2003. It is still at present the only known site in Scotland. Sadly the site is getting scrubbed over and I do hope someone does some habitat management on the site which is an old colliery and also has a number of good plant species on there. I thought I had refound Bee Orchid for Scotland as someone told me the last record for Scotland was 1908 but a number of experts have now told me it is totally new for Scotland.

Brian Laney Northants.

Izice · #6 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 05:03 PM

Their is somewhere else in Scotland that has a population of Bee Orchids.

I was there when we found them. Location in Dumfries and Galloway.

Hopefully get some spikes this year. Also lesser butterfly orchids are quite common on site ;-)

Dorts · #7 (**permalink**) 12-05-2011, 05:47 PM

The Bee Orchid has a somewhat 'scattered' distribution over the British Isles.
Well distributed throughout England, except Devon and Cornwall where it is very scarce.
Only found at the very edges of North and South Wales, absent elsewhere.
Absent from Scotland except for the one recently discovered site, (as Brian has previosly mentioned), although it can be found amost right up to the border on the English side.
Rather scattered in Ireland.
Dorts.