Orchids At Last!

June 9th  Norwich

 

Common Broomrape

What I really wanted for my Norwich lockdown plant list are orchids. There were two places I knew where I could find bee orchids, but I soon discovered evidence of a lawn mower had been used on both sites. My heart sank. However, it turns out that one of these sites wasn't mowed completely and there were still patches of long grass untouched and left wild. My hopes were raised again. So, I went to this site on Tuesday to try my luck. After some searching, I found one, though it wasn't the best specimen with sepals (petals) missing. I also found one that was still in bud, but that was about it. I could not find any others hidden in the layer of grass. My mission was still successful though. All I wanted was an orchid and I found one.

With mission complete, I slowly made my way home, walking along the river and scanning every bare patch of ground along the way. From here on, I began to really appreciate these tiny patches of untamed land ranging from cracks in the pavement to edges of a car park. In front of a gym, I discovered a small cluster of broomrape (parasitic plants that have no leaves of their own) and bladder campion. Poking their tiny blue heads from the cracks of the pavement beside a hotel were lobelia, while under a flyway bridge was a colony of viper's bugloss. The best display, though, was the Anglia Square car park with the edges red with the flowers of poppies. I also found white melilot, mugwort, weld, hoary mustard and black horehound to name a few. It goes to show how amazing these little nooks and crannies in the city are. I just hope they avoid the council's mowers and pesticides.

 

While walking along the river, I also encountered a kingfisher whizzing low over the river alerting me with its high pitched peeping call as it went. Only the second time I've seen a kingfisher along this stretch of the river.

 

Wild Mignonette

June 12  UEA

 

After 2 days of rain, I was able to go plant hunting again. This time, I went to the UEA (University of East Anglia) with Dad for a walk around the lake and the surrounding playing fields. Wild mignonette and the yellow dandelion-like flowers of cat's-ear were on display within patches of long grass, providing valuable nectar for the bees, butterflies and other insects. Around the UEA lake, I found a few new species to add to my list such as white bryony, tufted vetch, common vetchling and white water lily.