What a scorcher!

A very warm day today so we didn't walk too far this morning. It was nice to see the orchids starting to appear in the grassland around Shipley Park.

These little stunners are Southern Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza praetermissa). The name Dactylorhiza comes from the Greek Dactylos, meaning finger and rhyza, meaning root. Reference to this species five-'fingered' root system.

The rather beautifully coloured, pinkish-purple flowers stand out well amongst the green grass and give a touch of the 'exotic' to an English landscape.