Lady's-slipper Orchid

A first for me! I've never seen one of these orchids in the wild, let alone blipped one. The Man, The Bro-in-Law and I went down to the south of the county to Gait Barrows. They had seen these orchids, Cypripedium calceolus,  last year but I hadn't.

These Gait Barrows orchids are reintroductions and surrounded by copper to protect them from slugs. This variety is Britain's rarest flower, only one has survived truly in the wild and is now guarded round the clock when in flower. Left undisturbed it's thought the plants can live for 100 years. Several clumps of them have been planted on this reserve.


From Silverdale we went onto Leighton Moss, an RSPB reserve where we go a mobility scooter for The Bro-in-Law and, from one of the hides, saw a Marsh Harrier (see Extra). I think that would be a first for me, too!

This has been a good preparation for me doing 30 days wild!