Co-operative Plants and Animals

Tuesday, June 20th 2023

Thankfully plants do stay still for photographs. This very large, possible hybrid Northern Marsh x Common Spotted Orchid stands tall and obvious in the surrounding vegetation. It is also living up to part of its name, in that it does have spotted leaves. Not all orchids that have spotted in their names have spots - anywhere!

Taking a photograph of a Yellow Flag Iris, a bee decided to get into the photo, not very much in focus but obviously on the hunt for food. I did see it venture into the flower, but it did not stay long, although it does have some pollen on its back legs.

Often it is a mark or colour or shape that looks out of place that catches the eye. Another seed head in the way but no, it was a Crab Spider. They live up to their name and walk just like a crab. They do not spin webs but hunt for prey. This one was camera shy and kept disappearing to the underside of the daisy, so I held onto the flower and when it appeared topside and managed to get a photogrpah. Quite often these spiders are able to be well camouflaged against the background, well hidden from prey insects.

The Common Blue Butterfly frequents one area of the moor and flies amongst the flowers and then onto the path where it settles with its wings closed, making it very hard to find, never mind take a photograph. An obvious blue patch amongst the yellow stood out. A Common Blue, not feeding but resting or possibly sunbathing on a seed head of Ribwort Plantain.

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