Flowers on the Sussex Downs including native orchids on Saturday 4th June 2016

 Cowslips have set seed now and the occasional one above still has its petals.

Yellow Rattle, Rhinanthus minor is an annual parasite on grasses.  Scatter some seeds on your lawn if you enjoy a wild flower meadow in your garden.  It grows well on chalk and also in the High Weald on clay.

 Some of the Common Spotted-orchids are in peak condition now.

 Above, one of my favourite plants, Sainfoin, which is French meaning healthy hay: a linguistic remnant of the Norman invasion.

 Fragrant Orchids are just starting to open.  And what a joy they are.  Their scent is wonderfully fragrant: a well-named plant.

 Common Twaybaldes are plentiful.  Twayblade is a corruption of the old Norse meaning "two leaves" and is a remnant of Viking invasions.

 Elegant White Helleborines are in flower.

Butterfly Orchids are stunning and really sadly misguided vandals steal them from the wild.

A few late Early-purple Orchids are still in flower too.  These unique habitats and beautiful wildlife needs both maintenance and protection.  Details of an illustrated talk are at www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk/orchids.html

The Invasions of England as reflected in our language (including some plant names) is a subject that is also covered in an illustrated talk.  Please see  www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk/page16.html  if interested in public speakers.

Native orchids on the South Downs today: Burnt Orchid, Orchis ustulata and Fragrant Orchid, Gymnadenia conopsea

One of the UK's most beautiful and rare native orchids is the Burnt Orchid in bloom today. 

 It is tiny and exquisite.

 Just starting to open are Fragrant Orchids with their long spurs.

Enjoy them later this month on Newtimber Hill with The National Trust on an event detailed at
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/b2db466a-fdc4-48e8-979f-2fc3df32bdd7/pages/details

Marsh frogs at the Dutch National park De Groote Peel.

 The Dutch National park De Groote Peel is a wonderful place for nature lovers and for mosquitoes that attacked us in swarms. We are still itching from two days ago.

To listen to marsh frogs click the link https://www.facebook.com/peter.lovett.18
Marsh frogs like to spend all their time in, or within jumping distance of, water. Both powerful swimmers and amazing jumpers, they often just stand in the mud, ready to leap into deep water at the first sign of trouble and landing with a resounding plop. They are robust and warty members of the green frog group, have a laughing call and a talent for singing whose quality is judged by females waiting to mate. Europe's largest native frog (reaching 17cm long) are now enlarging their range, partly naturally but mostly through being sold for garden ponds.

Scientific name: Pelophylax ridibundus
Rank: Species
Common names: Eurasian marsh frog, Lake frog, Laughing frog  Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Marsh_Frog

We spotted Coots, Greylag geese, Cuckoos, Greater-spotted woodpeckers, Starlings, Redstart (above), Pewit, Sparrow Hawk?, Great tits and Stonechats.