In April last year I visited Braunton Burrows hoping to see the bee, Early Colletes - Colletes cunicularis which had been seen here for the first time in 2023. I didn't find any, I was probably a bit too late as they can bee seen as early as late February. I also might have been in the wrong area because Braunton Burrows is massive! I did see a new bee for me though in Sandpit Mining Bee - Andrena barbilabris. It was definitely worth the trip if only to see the beautiful show of Sand Pansy - Viola tricolor ssp. curtisii.
Also in April I made a quick visit to see the Fly x Woodcock hybrid Orchid - Ophrys x nelsonii in Dorset as we were in the area and passing the site on the way home. It was good to see that it was still doing okay, since the first time I saw it was 7 years ago now.
In very early May I spent a lovely afternoon at Barrington Hill Meadows admiring and photographing the wildflowers especially all the lovely varieties of Green -winged Orchid - Anacamptis morio. It was a beautiful sunny day, which unfortunately wasn't the shape of things to come, as May went on to become one of the cloudiest and wettest I can remember. I know the orchids at this site have featured on this blog at least twice before but you can't have too many photos of them if you ask me!
Braunton Burrows
Male Sandpit Mining Bee - Andrena barbilabris
Female Sandpit Mining Bee - Andrena barbilabris
Sand Pansy - Viola tricolor ssp. curtisii
Fly x Woodcock hybrid Orchid - Ophrys x nelsonii
Barrington Hill Meadows NNR
Cowslip - Primula veris
Cuckoo Flower - Cardamine pratensis
Green-winged Orchid - Anacamptis morio
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