First orchids! (dragonfly-free post, promise)

Yes, we have some species of wild orchids in The Netherlands.

Right on the edge of the peat bog where I walk around a lot, there is a small area that is just right for the common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii).

I had already noticed the typical leaves a few days ago:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO400, f8, 1/50s}

The spots on the leaves gave them away immediately. Yesterday, they started to flower:

^{Olympus Stylus 1s, 42mm, ISO125, f8, 1/160s}

One of the other species that used to grow here, the great-smelling lesser butterfly-orchid (Platanthera bifolia) hasn't been seen for a few years now, and there are far less spotted orchids than before.

I think something has gone very wrong for the orchids with this habitat. There are fewer species, and far less of the species left. They also seem to be less exuberant than the first time I saw them here years ago:

Let's hope they recover.

Thanks for watching!