I think the most positive news on the Flower front is that Orchids increased in number yet again albeit only by 5% and reached a total of 810 spikes. Even better than that was the surprise appearance of a single Great Butterfly Orchid. However the Fallow Deer have caused havoc this year eating pretty much any unprotected Orchid and also on the negative front numbers of Orchids that were not Common Spotted were down. The weather was strange this year so perhaps I should not draw too many conclusions but I didn't see a few of the less common flowers this year - the single Burnet Saxifrage, the small patch of Hairy Lady's Mantle, Quaking Grass - all eluded my view this year. As ever there were one or two new species recorded Teasel and Greater Butterfly Orchid were the notable ones plus Field Horsetail (which is actually a fern rather than a flower). The photo is of course the Butterfly Orchid.
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