Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve 2019 Orchid survey

Over the last 2 weeks Jen, Julie, Ian and I have been undertaking a survey of the orchids on the reserve. The areas surveyed were very similar to those that were surveyed last year but a couple of extra areas were added as we knew that these areas also had colonies of orchids. We counted the spikes (flowers) that could be seen. Identification of the species was difficult due to the tendency for plants to hybridise but it looked like virtually all the plants seen were common spotted or hybrids with a small handful of marsh orchids also being present. The total seen in 2019 was 200 compared to 138 counted last year.