Hunting the elusive Bee orchid
Whilst doing the seed bomb workshop a couple of weeks ago I discovered a delightful fact – allegedly there are Bee Orchids growing on Tottenham Marshes about a mile and a half from my home, and they are due to start blooming right now. How could I resist such a lure? I’ve been neglecting the marshes lately, so I got on my bike and went to see what I could see.
What I saw, alas, was not Bee Orchids. It hardly mattered though, since I was out and about on the last glorious sunny day of this summer so far, and what I did find was rather wonderful in it’s own right.
Zooming down Coppermill Lane through a dense tunnel of rank vegetation, assaulted by the shrill voices of wrens and the scree of nestlings in every tall shrub I wondered why I don’t do this every day. When I got to the drainage ditches at Springfield marina the air was filled with zipping electric blue sparks of Enallagma Cyathigerum – the Common Blue Damselfly. I sat down beside the water and watched their nuptial dances, and was lucky enough to find these two in their extraordinary lovers embrace. If you view mating damselflies from the right angle their joined bodies make a perfect heart shape. Most bodies of water on a still sunny day will yield views of these lovely creatures right now in the UK, and they are well worth looking for. I also saw a glorious Libellula Depressa – or Broad-bodied Chaser, a male dragonfly with a body the colour of powdered and bottled summer skies. Naturally he teased me by flying from his territorial perch every time I got him into focus but I don’t go on these adventures just for photographic trophies and it’s just as well – I would have been deeply frustrated that day!
After half an hour of happy damselfly and tadpole watching I got back on the bike and rode along the River Lea navigation towpath. Shoals of small fish swarmed in the still water and mute swans fussed over their huge nests, and overhead swallows chattered. I was at Tottenham marshes at last.
It’s not much to look at, perhaps, to some people. A swathe of rank long vegetation sandwiched between a busy road, allotments and a canal and with pylons, gasometers, bus depots and factories looming at it’s edges, it’s not many peoples idea of a wildlife paradise. But it’s truly wild, and this liminal post industrial landscape is where the revolution starts, you mark my words. It’s places like these that are home to undiscovered beauty, the covert reclamation of land by all the other living things besides the human. Of course it’s managed to some extent, but the beauty of places like these is that things slip in under the radar – this kind of land is the sort that will suddenly sprout, unexpectedly, a beautiful flower from seeds or rhizomes that have slept in the earth for years.
The air was thick with the scent of elderflower and pollen tickled my eyes and dusted my feet. The voices of many warblers made one territorial claim after another, each responding to the last in a singing chain, a necklace of song. I wheeled the bike along and searched in vain through the long, tangled vegetation.
Was I sad that I didn’t find any Bee Orchids? Not at all, not when so many other beautiful things crossed my path. The bee orchids got me out of the house and may have been my stated aim, but their coy refusal to show themselves led me to other secrets every bit as marvellous.
There you go again with that beautiful commentary…I just love it!
And these photos are just the best. The first with your contrast of the natural and the man-made, the second with the awesome closeup (and I love that one’s color similar to Bianchi Bicycle’s celeste green—hmmm, saw that color in another post yesterday), that elderflower shot is so beautiful—I can almost smell its fragrance and feel a sneeze coming on, and the lovely closeup of daisies (?).
I think some of the most beautiful and interesting vegetation is found outside the realm of manicured landscapes and you seem to find the best of them!
I see what you mean about the Celeste green colour Holly, and with damselflies and dragonflies looking so mechanical it kind of reinforces the effect! They looked much bluer in flight, but actually they are pretty much turquoise. What I love about wild vegetation is how it just looks… right. There are never any colour clashes, (not that I believe in such a concept anyway) and nothing is ever laboured. The best gardens allow for wildness I think, or at least try to simulate it. But really, there is nothing like a garden that just puts its-self together, which is how I think of Tottenham marshes.
…oh yeah, and they are Ox-eye daisies
Thanks for visiting my blog so i could find yours! Lovely post, its amazing how much nature you can find in places most people overlook. Ragged robin, now, that is impressive! I love watching damselflies.
I was so happy to find the Ragged Robin, there was just one plant flowering and it seemed like a miracle. The damselflies were wonderful that day, now the weather has improved again I’m going to have to go back for another look. And your blog is a real find for me, so rest assured I’ll be back!
What a beautiful and fascinating blog! You left a comment on my blog, so that is how I found you. What fun it will be to enjoy another country’s flora and fauna through such a talented lens and pen as you possess. Thanks for making the connection. I especially like your attitude of non-disappointment when you found a hundred lovely things but not what you set out for. But you never know when you WILL find it. Happy hunting!
I was most excited to find your blog Jackie, I’ve subscribed to it so that I don’t miss anything.
And thank you! The thing is I’m no expert on this stuff so I set out with hope and rarely find whatever I’m after but I learned long ago that it really doesn’t matter. You are right though, one day I’ll be cycling along in a hurry and see, out of the corner of my eye, an interesting flower. When I stop to look I will find a Bee Orchid, I will not have a camera with me and I will be late for something important. But for a short time at least I’ll be able to drink it up.
Beautiful photos! Those damselflies are amazing!
Thank you Futuregirl, the damselflies were well worth seeing!
Fabulous post and beautiful pictures, thank you.
We’re sandwiched between a canal and a disused railway, the verges of these are far more interesting in terms of bio-diversity than the farmed fields that flank them. The forgotten industrial places are increasingly becoming havens for our wildlife.
Thanks Goo
I know what you mean about the verges; tiny patches that are overlooked and post industrial land is now so often the true home of wild nature in the UK. I spend a bit of time in Hampshire, which is heartbreaking in that so much of it is agricultural prairie. Each planting or harvesting season the land looks like it has been scoured, which of course it has. And with so many farmers cultivating their set aside land now, it’s only going to get more true – wildlife is moving into the city because it has no choice.
Hi…I see you want to join the Nature Notes meme. I put up a new post every Thursday. You can post anytime you want, just leave me a comment and I will add your link. All I ask is that you add a Nature Notes badge so that we can all find the post easily. If you have any questions, just leave me a comment. You have a fantastic nature blog here….I love it… Michelle
Hi Michelle and thanks for popping over! Ack… I thought I’d put the badge on this post but the autosave didn’t refresh, anyways it’s all there now. Glad you commented, I would never have noticed otherwise I bet. Thank you for hosting Nature Notes!
The colors on the damsel flies are so otherworldly, particularly that almost turquoise one. I’m glad you stopped to notice the small but still important things in life.
If there’s an orchid I’d be dying to grow now it’d be one of the bee orchids. I’ve gone through a few hundred species in my orchid-crazed days, but I could never source one of these on this side of the Atlantic. If you do find some would you be sure to post them? Living vicariously is the next best thing to being there. Happy plant adventures to you, Bird!
You grow orchids James? I can imagine that would become an obsession pretty quickly! If I am ever successful in finding them I’ll be sure to post a LOT of pictures for your vicarious pleasure. I’m going to look for them again some time this week if the weather stays reasonable. Stay tuned!
PS:- James, I edited the above because when I first read your comment I took you literally about me posting you some orchids – in the post! It seemed kind of out of character but I was thinking about other things so I very earnestly pointed out that they are protected and should not be disturbed, let alone dug up and posted. As if you wouldn’t know! Having re-read your comment I’ve seen my mistake and re -written mine, and I apologise for being a fool.
Bird, it sounds like this was a live example of two countries being split by a common language. Our words look so similar, but it’s fascinating how their meanings wander all over the place.
I love the photography and the commentary in your blog posts. I always leave your site smiling and happy that I visited your uplifting blog. Blog on …
Thank you timethief, I am now grinning from ear to ear myself! I am chuffed to bits that you enjoy reading here.
This is a wonderful post. What a cool picture of the damselflies! They’re almost otherworldly. And I just love that photo of the daisy field. Good luck finding the bee orchids, and may your future searches be every bit as lovely!
Thank you Kit, I’ll be out looking again this Tuesday, so fingers crossed!
Amazing photo of the damselflies. I’ve been trying all summer to get a picture, but they’re far too quick for me!