30 Days Wild | Day 7 - Bee Orchid quest & an escapee plant!

On day 7 of 30 Days Wild I was volunteering at EcoRecord, for the last time before I start my new job. I've only been volunteering there since April but it's given me experience that I think was probably crucial in helping me gain my new job and I've really enjoyed it! I wasn't sure yet what I would do for 30 Days Wild today but in the end actually did a couple of things.

In the morning as I was walking from Five Ways railway station in Birmingham to the Wildlife Trust offices (where EcoRecord are based), I spotted an interesting plant growing in a bit of waste ground next to the pavement. It didn't look like anything I'd seen before so I took a couple of photos. I showed it to a few people in the office at the Wildlife Trust and the consensus was that it looked like a garden escape of some kind. Luckily Ian Trueman popped in later in the morning and he helped narrow things down by suggesting that it looked like something from the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family. With this information and Google I identified it as probably Moroccan Toadflax (Linaria maroccana) which is indeed a fairly common garden plant that comes in many colours.

Moroccan Toadflax (Linaria maroccana).

Moroccan Toadflax (Linaria maroccana).

At lunchtime Andy, James and I took a short walk out of the office to a nearby grass verge. Last year Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera) had been discovered growing here and they were back! A small area had been left unmowed at the top of the bank and there were three Bee Orchids growing there with perfect flowers. I think if more of the bank hadn't been mowed there would maybe have been more orchids too. 

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera).