My first orchid trip into Hampshire with one key target in mind, to add Sword-leaved Helleborine to my all time orchid list. Chappetts Copse, which is just over the border from West Sussex, is the ‘go-to’ place for this Helleborine with a large colony. The drive took ca. 2 hours and finding this small copse did not prove too difficult, nor parking nearby. Inside the copse the Sword-leaved Helleborines were easy to find due to their abundance, even though they were only starting to flower. Quite a stunning sight to see such a rare orchid in these numbers! There also a few White Helleborines and what looked like hybrids between the two, essentially very tall White Helleborines. As a real bonus I also found two Bird’s-nest Orchids by the path. My second ‘first’ of the day (if that makes sense?). On the way home I couldn’t resist dropping in at Mount Caburn to have a final look, for 2021, at the Burnt Orchids, some of which were now starting to go over.
Sword-leaved Helleborine Sword-leaved Helleborine Sword-leaved Helleborine Sword-leaved Helleborine Sword-leaved Helleborine Sword-leaved Helleborine Bird's-nest Orchid Bird's-nest Orchid Bird's-nest Orchid White Helleborine Burnt Orchids Burnt Orchid Burnt Orchid Burnt Orchid Burnt Orchid Burnt Orchid Burnt Orchids
