Marden Meadow 25th April 2016

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This is a Kent Wildlife Trust reserve, famous for its colony of Green-Winged Orchids. While not endangered they are only found at a handful of sites in Kent, this being the most prolific.




Today's blog is mainly not a diary, just photos of these beautiful wildflowers.



Anacamptis morio








I took about 100 photos, but whittled them down to just a few.








Bugles were coming up as well. These attractive plants have blue flowers, but last year I did find some in pink form.














Ajuga reptans














The far end of the meadow was very damp and Cuckooflowers grew here in abundance, their flowers ranging from pink to white.




Cardamine pratensis 











 If you could take your eyes off the orchids, these little beauties were in the grass, still quite small at the moment.

They are actually a fern called Adder's Tongue.



 Ophioglossum vulgatum








Greater Stitchwort are out in large numbers in hedgerows and woodlands now. They are quite difficult to photograph as they blow about in the slightest breeze and the white flowers bleach out as the camera adjusts for the shady areas they grow in.



Stellaria holostea








Wood Avens also grew in shady areas, a difficult weed in a garden, but nice in the wild.


Geum urbanum 





Lesser Celandines are still going well, but as they age their yellow petals turn half white, quite odd looking really!



Ficaria verna






We then left the meadow and visited a nearby wood which was full of Bluebells and a colony of Early Purple Orchids, one of the first orchids to flower most years.




Orchis mascula





































































With Bluebells in the background, this is my favourite picture so far of an Early Purple Orchid.
It really does sum up a vision of Spring.



I'm trying to catch up on my blogs, so keep a look out for the next one, coming soon.

Regards
Dave

@Barbus59

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