The Early Purple Orchids are out.
When walking in Derbyshire in Spring one of the regular questions is whether the Early Purple Orchids have started flowering. Last year we met a couple from London who were making their annual trip to Litton Dale and Cressbrook Dale to see this event in nature's diary.
With a similar curiosity we started our walk at Cressbrook and managed to find the Orchid starting to come out last week.
Whilst many wild orchids in Britain are rare the Early Purple is fairly common. There are varieties of it in Bedfordshire that are pale and in Wales there is even an almost-white version.
Shakespeare mentioned it in Hamlet when Gertrude referred to it as “long purple” in “Of crow-flowers, nettles,daises and long purples, that liberal shepards give a grosser name”. Any guesses what that “grosser name” was ?
Our walk explored Open access land above Litton Mill which offered some new views of the gorge of the River Wye.
A gentle stroll through the picturesque and fun named Water Cum Jolly finished off a pleasing day.
Also heard that other milestone in the nature's calendar, the sound of the cuckoo, on a weekend walk to Willington Nature Reserve.
Are there any events in natures diary that you want to see or hear first hand for yourself ?
