These beautiful little orchids with their velvety brown 'spider' like flowers are nationally scarce and confined to short coastal turf along south-central to southeastern England. They are among the very first orchids to flower and no orchid season would be complete without seeing them.
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| The Dorset coast, Early Spider country... |
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| Early Spider Orchid |
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| Flowers resemble a spider? You decide. |
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| No more than a few cm tall you have to watch where you step! |
A search for reptiles in the warm conditions also proved fruitful with 4 adders seen, including 3 males.
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| Adder Vipera berus, female My first of the year! |
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| Males are silver/grey and stunning. |
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| Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara... first of the year too. |
The morning also yielded our first House Martin's, Swallows, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers of the Spring but the highlight was this flyover Red Kite.
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| Red Kite, highlight of the birds seen. |
Next, Early Purple and Green-winged orchids.
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