Not very lady-like

A pleasant evening was spent at Bonsai Bank in Denge Wood, and at Yockletts Bank. At least four Duke of Burgundy butterflies ('Dukes' to their mates) have already been seen on this bank this year so far, but the evening air was too chilly for them to show. Another trip in the middle of the day will be required, which is no hardship.

These woods are also excellent for orchids - you know the kind of thing.....delicate feminine flowers, of which the lady orchid is a particularly fine example.

Except that when they are in bud, they look anything but lady-like.

There are a number of fine specimens in the sun on Bonsai Bank, that will presumably open in the next few days, while those at Yockletts, below, being in the deep shade of the wood will take a little longer.
Also stirring are good numbers of twayblades...
...and a single early purple orchid.
A group of a dozen or so of these bizarre plants had my reaching for my handbook, as I've certainly never seen anything like them before (a sheltered life) and they turn out to be Herb Paris, or True-Lover's Knot.

Very strange things, which seem to have dispensed with the concept of petals. They do attract some insects (presumably by smell rather than sight) and also propogate by tubers, hence the grouping.

Not only is Denge great for insect and plant life, but also the bird song was lovely.

A tawny owl was hooting away as the sun started to set, green and GS woodpeckers called, a male kestrel swooped down to take a worm or a small slowworm, yellowhammers sat on a barn at the entrance, and marsh tits, blackbirds, a song thrush, blackcaps, willow warblers, chiffchaffs and a nightingale filled the evening air with song.