ORCHIDS AND FLEDGING BIRDS AT LOUND LAKES

   At the weekend I went down to the SWT reserve at Lound Lakes to see the display of Common spotted and Heath spotted orchids although it is difficult to be certain of identity in many cases as they hybridize so readily between the species. The damper areas were covered in flowers showing above the grass as you can see below but I was excited to come across a pure white version of the orchid which is unusual to find although not especially rare. By the time I found this white orchid the sun was fully out which doesn't help photography as the white highlights get 'blown out' very easily.

   A walk through the wooded areas of the reserve revealed many recently fledged birds including this little Blackcap who along with its brothers and sisters were deep in the vegetation hiding from the local predators waiting for the parents to return with a feed.

   Returning to the car park I was greeted by orchestra of screeching Kestrel chicks that had also just fledged and were calling for the adults to feed them. The nest box sits in a tree near to the car park and the chicks had left the box and were all sitting on branches nearby, one of the chicks especially seemed very young and still had many of its downy feathers but it was nice to see that they had survived with all the marauding corvids around and being so close to the public around the car park and visitor centre.

    During my walk around I also came across several Large Skipper butterflies fluttering around on the grassy meadows where the Ragwort was just about coming into flower and on some of these plants the caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth were plentiful and easily identified with their distinctive colours which are meant to say to anything that might want to eat them "stay away I don't taste nice".