First Orchid

In case the title didn't give it away, I saw my first Orchid of the season today. Usually Early Purple Orchid is easy enough to see just by driving along a lane on the way to the local tip but I've had no luck yet this year. I got out of the car and a a good look around but couldn't see any sign of them. I was half expecting as much because I seem to remember seeing the ditches being re-dug last Winter with the resultant spoil being heaped along the sides of the roads. I'll have another look for them in a week or so but they could well have been buried. Plan B was to go and look for some along the cliffs to the East of Axmouth as I'd seen old ones that had 'gone over' here before. I found quite a few but they need about another week to be at their best having only just started to come into flower. The weather was ... yes, you've guessed it, showery! I managed to avoid one downpour by sitting under some bushes where I was joined by a Chiffchaff with the same idea. A second downpour got me just 200m short of the car though .... rats!

Early Purple Orchid against a rather threatening looking sky ....

.... With Beer Head in the distance.