Brown Bears in Finland

One of the aspects of our Finland trip that I was looking forward to most was a night in a hide on the Russian border, from which our primary hope was to see Brown Bears. Late May isn't the best time to see these beasts as it's the mating season, but the chance of sightings nevertheless remains high. We enjoyed two encounters during the night - the first of which was by far the most memorable. Quite early on (around 20:00) a nervous-looking female tentatively made her way through the bog, her hesitation becoming clear when three tiny cubs appeared around her feet. They were on show for about 10 minutes before disappearing off in to the forest towards Russia, but not before I'd taken several hundred images. Our second sighting came in the twilight at about 01:00 - a brief male that lingered only for a matter of seconds.

There was plenty to see from the hide while waiting for the bears, including at least three White-tailed Eagles and displaying waders such as Spotted Redshank and Wood Sandpiper. A handful of supremely elegant Baltic Gulls also popped in and out.

adult Baltic Gull 

Spotted Redshank in breeding finery

Homefield, 6 June

On Saturday morning I visited Homefield Wood near Marlow. Military Orchids were just past their peak with some plants browning, although those in the shadier areas still looked pretty good. I've visited this site at least once for the past three years and my impression was that there were fewer plants this year, and most were smaller in size than I remember them being. Perhaps I was looking through rose-tinted spectacles in the past.

 Military Orchid

The most impressive specimen

Common Spotted were beginning to flower while a nice carpet of Common Twayblade were approaching their peak.

Common Twayblade

A few Greater Butterfly Orchids were looking spectacular, as they always do.

Greater Butterfly Orchid close-up

I also found this dopey Slow-worm under a tin, which was evidently still too cold to move and simply sat there looking a bit pissed off with life.

Slow-worm - always a treat

I then moved round to nearby Moorend Common, where the southern meadow was awash with Southern Marsh, Common Spotted and assorted hybrids, all beginning to flower and probably still a fortnight off looking their best. The northern meadow is supposed to contain hundreds of flowering Heath Spotted Orchids - a potential tick for me - so I headed there next. Plenty of Heath Spotted, yes, but none yet in flower ...

Heath Spotted Orchid - still a way off flowering

Mid-June orchids

Early Marsh Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid...

... and close-up (note fly!)

Kenfig NNR is a great place to see orchids, if you're that way inclined. Following the impressive carpet of hundreds of Early Purple and Green-winged Orchids I saw here back in May, it was nice to see plenty of Common Spotted, and Southern Marsh and Early Marsh Orchids over the weekend. The reddish-purple form of the latter was particularly impressive. Pyramidal Orchids were also just starting to come out; later in the season there can be thousands of them - there certainly were last year! While in hindsight I think I also saw a few Fragrant Orchids, I wouldn't like to say for sure. In addition, there were plenty of flowers I simply couldn't identify - I never realised orchids hybridized so readily, I guess that explains things!

 Next year I'll have to get clued up before I visit.