I struggled with this item a year ago, before eventually experiencing some rather under-whelming examples with expert assistance (see here). Now, well into my second Orchid season, options for new varieties to see have dwindled moving into July. With the weather in Scotland again unfriendly for converting my last required British dragon and butterflies, and spur of the moment air fares too high for my liking, I resigned myself to seeking out two unencountered Helleborines – Green-flowered and Narrow-lipped – to fill the month ahead. I knew of historic Oxon sites for both of them but things were likely to be a challenge.

I began this British general election day at a woodland near Henley: itself a previously safe, one-party parliamentary constituency that I reside half a mile within, and so my own floating vote has not always influenced things. As in 2023 I failed to find the first of those Orchid targets though it would have been early to do so. Moving on to the south side of Aston Rowant NNR for my wildlife year’s first visit, as I walked out the phone rang. It was an invitation to a private viewing of both the still sought Helleborines in a neighbouring county later in the month. That at once dented my always fragile motivation for doing things the difficult way locally. But there were still Frog Orchids to re-acquaint myself with, and so I rambled on.

Frog Orchids

Having got my eye in properly with the tricky little things at Morgan’s Hill a week earlier (see previous post), I located some quite easily this time. I wanted to do justice today to these arcane entities that seemingly hold a capacity to intrigue that controverts their rather lurking physical presence. There were a number of enclosures along the south facing slope of Bald Hill (SU722960) but they were not for protecting Orchids, instead containing areas of weed-killed vegetation. Puzzled by that I eventually met a volunteer who was engaged in eradicating an invasive grass species with herbicides. I naturally hoped more sensitive plants would not be affected, then he went on his way.

Surveying anew the area recalled from August 2023 I soon found a first diminutive Frog Orchid in good condition. It is often said that after the first one the observer will quickly pick out more. Looking all around as I knelt carefully to take pictures, I realised I was indeed not treading upon five more items in the immediate vicinity. Having often set out in fair weather to such Chilterns’ hillsides in the past to curse the grey stuff that would roll in upon my arrival when butterflying, I not for the first time this summer considered the irony of wishing bright sunlight away to gain better pictures of Orchids. These below, with editing are of higher quality than last year’s, and also of more attractive specimens, so that was mission accomplished..

This group exhibited both the yellow-green and red tones of the plant’s varied forms. Each of them was delicate, mysterious even; all were subtle and understated, and collectively they provided a quite satisfying, self-found experience. To my mind the flowers’ suggested resemblance to frogs remained tentative at best. Walking on a bit further I beheld the largest Frog Orchid I have ever encountered, an absolute stonker possibly 15 cm in height (lead sequence, left and right). After that I sought shade in which to assess back of camera results, at which the phone rang again and then I messaged different wildlife colleagues.

Before becoming thus distracted I had recorded nine target plants, but upon attempting a second pass my location sense dissolved as randomly as it had been to get my eye in originally. Stumbling around I just could not re-find the morning’s subjects, and so moved on. I decided against checking so early in its season for the second Helleborine, instead going to cast my vote then home to watch the tennis.

Incidentally, the re-named though geographically little altered Henley and Thame constituency changed hands for the first time in 118 years, so my tactical vote had counted. I support no political party ideologically, opting at each election for whatever I might consider has the lesser potential for harm.