Early, Early Spider Orchids...

A quick trip to the Dorset coast with my brother paid off at the weekend with what appears to be the first orchids seen in flower in the UK so far this year.  The furry brown and slightly weird looking Early Spider Orchids Ophrys spegodes are a scarce species that thrives along the Purbeck cliffs.

Inquisitive Roe Deer checking us out on the long path down to the cliffs

As their name suggests, they are one of the first species to flower each year, however the cold weather we've experienced in 2018 so far has knocked the flowering times of most species back by a couple of weeks - last year we saw hundreds of these orchids in flower over the Easter weekend.  Despite an extensive search, we didn't find any sign of the controversial Sawfly Orchid this year.

Early Spider Orchid - one of the first this year

And another...we just about reached double figures!

The weather was cold and damp and apart from a few Blackcaps there were no birds of note whatsoever. However we did happen across a couple of Egyptian Geese on floodwater by the minor road connecting Dorchester to Pallington Heath.

Egyptian Goose looking alert, Pallington Heath

And the second bird looking more chilled

Sadly it was too cold for reptiles as well and despite an optimistic stop-off to look for Sand Lizards, none were found.