Orchids!

Today F and I went on a members only walk organised by Shropshire Wildlife Trust.  We went to Melverley Meadows SSI nature reserve which are traditional hay meadows.  There were masses of orchids and other flowers and we were led by an expert and ex warden of the site so she knew all the different plants.

My collage is left to right,  Common Spotted, Heath Spotted and Southern Marsh Orchids.  We also saw yellow rattle, eyebright, ragged robin, bugle and pignut.  (The Common Spotted has straight petal edges and the Marsh Spotted curly edges).

Hay meadows have massively declined unfortunately, it coincides with the reduction of diversity of our flora and fauna.

When I got back I did a bit in the garden.  I have lost two more plants to slug damage.  I emptied my two beer traps in which there were well over 50 slugs caught in three nights!