Exeter, Devon: Bee Orchid

27th June 2013

Exeter, Devon: Bee Orchid

The past couple of days seem to have been ones where I have encountered things, where there might not ordinarily be things.  When I work in Exeter, oftentimes I'll take myself off to a tiny piece of nowhere at the bottom of the MET Office's land.  

Here lies a small and unremarkable piece of bog; where over winter lunch breaks I would occasionally watch a Moorhen wander about among stumps of rush.  I'd not followed the progress of this area in the past few weeks, but can report that yesterday, the rush stood tall among a cavalcade of Mugwort, Yellow Flag Iris, Spotted Orchid, Red Campion and courting Damselflies. 

This photo can't capture how lovely it was to come back to this once grim looking scene and see it looking so verdant.  I also managed to disturb a rabbit from it's snooze while I scaled the fence.   Happily I watched it's white bottom disappear into a thicket, while I stood beside this mirage-like place, most surreal among the industrial units and rows of car parks.  

It was while walking down to this area, which is just a few yards from my office that I found the Bee Orchids.  Magnificent little jewels!  It was as if someone had accidentally dropped them there, by the side of the road.

Anyway, I shan't bang on about Orchids again, having only just posted this-and-that about their qualities, but seeing as it's an entry about surprise happenings, I must mention the drive back from Widecombe tonight.  For when I drove Dilys and Keith back across the moor to Torquay, and while Bob Dylan played 'Simple Twist of Fate' on my stereo, a Barn Owl swooped an inch away from my windscreen, a Hare ran a whisker away from the bonnet and when I had almost made the home stretch, a black cat shot in front of my car with a Badger in hot pursuit.  Magic!