Green Winged Orchids

I paid a visit to a nearby site for Green-winged Orchid this morning after seeing them (possibly at the same site) on Roger's blog yesterday. They are very early this year, I don't usually go to see them until May, and some of them very big too!

If only more meadows could look like this.

There were lots of really robust specimens like these.

Also the usual variety of colour forms, although I couldn't find a white one this year.

 The majority are this shade of purple.

 The green veins on the wings are clearly visible on this specimen.

The veins on this one are the alternative bronze colour.

Slightly different shade with pale centre to the lips of the flowers, again  with the bronze veins on the wings.

A couple of really dark ones.... 

and best of all several shades of pink...

Exquisite!

The icing on the cake of my visit was hearing and then seeing a Cuckoo. Unfortunately I hadn't brought my birding camera along  but that didn't stop me trying to get a record shot. It's definitely a real bona fide 'record shot' too!

See. Told you so!

I wish I'd taken my other camera along because after I'd taken this stunning shot it flew right past me.