Walked up the valley
behind Taychel on Sunday (3rd May) a little too early for the full orchid show but spotted a few none the less.The first to catch our eye was not an orchid but a broomrape, its curious chlorophyll-less display makes one uneasily feel as though you are looking at something very old. Apparently it is a parasite.. perhaps of the broom plant?
The next neat little beauty is a burnt orchid, petit and perfect.
Left is a man orchid, a yellow one. Up on the hill opposite the house there are also red ones. Well with red 'men', the little creatures with arms and legs dangling from each floret.
This is an early bee orchid I think, whatever its name it is such an harmonious plant to look at, art in nature.
Then we had a surprise, flitting about above the meadows where we found the orchids and only there, were these little cropped dragonflies which we had not
seen before. They are about an inch across and there were only about a dozen of them in all. Anyone else know what they are? The camera finally caught one resting and only then could we see that the ragged yellow wings where in fact yellow painted lace and the flashing body a fierce golden mask and armour to discourage predators.
