Little men

Final lecture drafted this morning, and then a glorious, but windy, afternoon spent on a nearby nature reserve where a thriving colony of Man Orchid Orchis anthropophora was in full bloom. This rare tuberous perennial herb is found in old chalk-pits and limestone quarries, calcareous grassland and on road verges. It tolerates considerable shade and is often found at the edge of scrub. Continuous heavy grazing is detrimental, eventually causing its demise.

This morning, in an idle moment away from the computer, I spotted a Large Red Damselfly sitting on a leaf. It was very well behaved and allowed me to thrust a large lens right in its face, so I felt I should include it in today's entry as an extra. Just amazing eyes!