Coral Root Orchids

Today I  went to Gosforth Park nature Reserve to see the Coralroot Orchid as it has a good colony here.

I have mentioned "The Natural History Society" before and this is their site I have also mentioned it's well worth being a member for I think £30 per annum , If you read an advert  in a local wildlife magazine offering to show you Coralroot Orchid for a mere £30 you would think it good value, well join the society instead and you can visit the reserve as many times as you like ,plus their excellent library and programme of Summer outings and Winter talks.

Well the Orchids located but the day rather dull and me with only my large lens , most where in tight groups but spread over several yards, I know Orchids have a complicated life cycle but here the conditions must be just right ,will have to read up on these as I remember the ones I saw at Holy Island where in the open and not at the base of trees (unless there had been trees in the past.)

I walked around the path to the screen then onto the hide for my lunch several Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler ,Chiffchaff  and a couple of Blackcaps with a brief Garden Warbler singing , Jay GSW also heard and seen , along with Heron ,Blue Tits and |Great Tits and a Song Thrush giving it's fantastic musical repertoire . The nesting platform on the lake held about 6 pairs of BH gulls and I counted about 14 pairs of  Common Tern , several BH gull chicks around with three to the left of the hide which must have swam from the platform , 30+ House Martins with several Swallows and 3-4 Swifts all hawking the area  it's always worth an hour or so in the hide. 

 Taken with miphone4u

Taken with miphone4u

Coralroot Orchid

 That Shoveller can't be comfortable on that post ?

 Three BH gull chicks they spent there time swimming amongst the reeds  till the parent returned, but no insects for them to peck at !

 Common Terns fishing in front of the hide and very good they where to!