I took the opportunity of a sunny spell to go "orchid-hunting" in a nearby wood. Twenty minutes later, a heavy but short shower of rain just when I was back home. Many Anacamptis pyramidalis (Orchis pyramidal, Pyramidal orchid) in clearings or on the sunny sides of the forest path : A few Ophrys apifera (Ophys abeille, Bee orchid). Depending how much sun they get, the pink of the petals are almost white - unless it's a subspices. The first pic is the one in my "garden", the second one in Bucy-Saint-Liphard : I only saw only one Neotina ustulata (Orchis brûlé, Burnt orchid), but in previous years I saw quite a few, in the shade of the trees : There were also white ones that I didn't spot last year, Platanthera bifolia (Platanthère à deux feuilles, lesser butterfly-orchid) : I also have several Himantoglossum hircinum (Orchis bouc, "Lizard orchid") in my garden. They suffered from my sporadic use of the lawn-mower, so here are pictures from 2013 (with the white spider) and 2022. The reward of using no chemicals - and being too lazy to mow the lawn ! In the woods of Bucy-Saint-Liphard, I also saw a couple of other wild orchids, it's probably too early. I will be back... ;°)
