wildlifestravelling: Aragon Pyrenees: orchid-tastic!

A superb week in the mountains, where the sun shone and the spring was a good couple of weeks early (apparently, in complete contrast to the eastern Med/Balkans where I've been for much of the spring).

A highlight for me, and something of a surprise, was the variety and particularly the sheer numbers of orchids in flower: on every roadside, under every patch of trees.

As well as the following photographed species, I also happened upon Sword-leaved Helleborine (one of my favourite orchids, and flowering just about everywhere!), White Helleborine, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Dense-flowered Orchid, Early Purple Orchid (mostly heading over), Champagne Orchid (a single spike past its best, presumably most have finished by now), Serapias lingua and (to my eyes, anyway) Heath Spotted Orchid. There are also Bee and Woodcock Orchids out there for the finding, as well as some well-guarded Lady's Slipper. Something to look for next time!

Pyramidal Orchid

Fragrant Orchid

Orchis langei

The ever-spectacular Lizard Orchid

Lady Orchid, together with Greater Butterfly and Lang's Orchids, one of the commonest orchids in the area, found everywhere from the high alpine meadows around 2000m to hot lowland (relatively) roadsides.

Military Orchid

Burnt Orchid

The Dactylorhiza orchids are one group that, to me at any rate, are more bewildering even than the Ophryses. These stocky, chunky, deep purple spikes in wetter areas in the alpine meadows, I guess, must be Dactylorhiza majalis... although quite why, I have no idea.

Whereas this tall, elegant, almost 'traunsteineri' plant growing in an area of rushy riverside wetland would seem to fit with Dactlyorhiza elata. Perhaps.

Phew. At last, a Dactylorhiza that's pretty straight forward!
Elder-flowered Orchid, which comes in two colours: this lovely buttery yellow, and a pinky 'rhubarb and custard' form.