Orchids at Durlston Country Park

 We had a lovely day at Durlston Country Park, making the most of the sunshine after having so much rain over the last few days.   Our mission was to find the Bee orchid, we were not disappointed, we found seventeen of them.  There are also plenty of other orchids, the Pyramidal orchid and the Common-spotted orchid.

Pyramidal orchid

 Bee orchid

Common-spotted orchid

 There are meadows at Durlston full of these wonderful orchids, the Common-spotted

The Lady and the Cuckoo

 We went to Mapperton House and Gardens, the garden is wonderful, very naturalistic.  It is a place that we visit every year in June, the best time to visit in my view.  Mapperton House is one of the location for the recent film of Thomas Hardy's 'Far From The Madding Crowd'.  There is also the lovely Sawmill cafe, adding to the enjoyment of this place.

 This is the Lady, there was two Painted Lady butterflies, the first sightings for me this year

This is the Cuckoo,  the Southern Cuckoo bumblebee, as the name suggests, it does lay its eggs in other bumblebees' nests instead of rearing it's own young

 A few damselflies flying around the lily

 Some views of the garden, a very peaceful place

Nature's Art Work on a Canvas of Green

 A field at Morden Bog is looking brilliant at the moment, it is nature doing her artwork, painting a field with blue of the Germander Speedwell, red of the Sheep's Sorrel and yellow of the buttercup.  It is also Dorset Arts Week at the moment so I think nature has done a good job :-)

 

 Germander Speedwell

 Sheep's Sorrel

 

Germander Speedwell and Sheep's Sorrel

Swathe of Germander Speedwell and Sheep's Sorrel

This is only a small section of the field