Wild flowers in the Unit and Chilterns

As well as the rare White Helleborine (see previous news item), the area around the entrance to the Unit supports several wildflower species- some can be see in the photos accompanying the full version of this news item. There is also a vegetative White Helleborine, which bodes well for future flowering plants.

For those wanting to see more wild flowers, especially orchids, there are several excellent sites in the Chilterns. A very impressive display of Common Spotted and Fragrant Orchids can be seen at Aston Clinton Rag Pits, also an important site for butterflies. The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust's flagship reserve at Warburg is also a good place to see several orchids and the Chiltern Gentian (a bit later in the year). For those wanting to see a wide range of rare orchids in a small space, Homefield Wood is a great destination and one of the only UK sites for Military Orchid. Another good site for rare orchids is Hartslock, where you can see Monkey and Lady Orchids, it is the only site in the UK where these two species have hybridised, and many intermediate forms can be seen. When visiting these sites, please be very careful where you are walking.

In other wildlife-related news, the Unit's two Blue Tit chicks successfully fledged yesterday evening.