Christian hindle

Spooky, spiky Ghost Orchid flower.

Pale hanging flowers on a dark pink, curvy stem among mosses

Pale hanging flowers on a dark pink, curvy stem among mosses

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to be taken to a site in Estonia that holds a few Ghost Orchids. I was pleased to find the first of 16 at this site within ten seconds of arrival 😀. Fortuitously, the sun was lighting it up under the tree and I saw it before getting out of the car.

It's not everyday you come face to face with a carnivorous plant! Lesser bladderwort is less well known than other carnivorous plants like sundews & butterworts. They rely on digesting insects for nutrition but use suction traps (bladders) to capture their prey! @bsbibotany.bsky.social #wildflowers

Oof Rockspeedwell 👌

Happily botanising in the clag with @mattrjones.bsky.social on Ben Lawers #wildflowerhour

Forked Catchfly Silene dichotoma has reappeared in a local arable margin after a lapse of two years. Central Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Amazing day of birding and walking on the Quantocks. Singing Wood Warbler, at least 5 LSW’s, Several Pied Fly’s, Redstart, Yellowhammers, Tree Pipits, Cuckoo the highlights all in glorious scenery. #ukbirding #somersetbirding

Adder's-tongue Fern, Ophioglossum vulgatum, at Hutchinson's Bank in Croydon. Another special plant that I'm lucky enough to be able to see within a short drive from home.

Rutter Force, Eden Valley

Orchis pauciflora on a scrubby hillside near Vrana, Croatia this morning. Egg yolk yellow and pale lemon, a beautiful combination. Easily one of the loveliest of orchids. @europeanorchids.bsky.social

#OrchidsOfRhodes - Though the heavens opened today, the Gods smiled favourably upon our group's determination and blessed us with a couple of dozen species including the Queen of the fusca group, Ophrys persephonae. Beads of rain adorning her mirror made for a fine sight @mariposanature.bsky.social

Early purple orchid (orchis mascula) 6.4.25 North Wales

Brilliant day pal 👍

Fantastic days birding in North Wales with @christianhindle.bsky.social ...dawn on the moors, then the forests & lakes finished off on the coast. 9 Black Grouse, Hen Harrier, Red Grouse, Wheatear, 2 Ring Ouzel, 2 Osprey, Crossbills, 9 Goshawk, Red Kite, Shags, Redstart, Grey Seals & Adder

Spring in full swing in South Liverpool this afternoon. Grape Hyacinth, Snakes-head Fritillary, Primrose, Alexanders & Wood Anemone for #WildFlowerHour
@mbblerc.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

This chlorotic example of Ophrys rhodia from 2024 was memorable! I'll shortly be starting my recce before we commence @mariposanature.bsky.social's 2025 #OrchidsOfRhodes tour. It will involve exploring new sites and meeting with my co-leader @dunnjons.bsky.social to finalise our itinerary #wingingit

Today I kicked off my environmental workshops for 2025 with an Environmental Masterclass. The facilitated workshop used a variety of teaching techniques and thinking routines to engage the group and to explore our knowledge & understanding of the natural world.
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4/3/25 Mariposa's #Orchids of Cyprus Tour - Ophrys lapethica, a localised near-endemic #orchid, is a really lovely plant with its bright and colourful flowers. One of the many delights our guests have enjoyed on an action-packed second full day on this wonderful island! @mariposanature.bsky.social

Ophrys alasiatica © Jon Dunn

The first of the week's Ophrys alasiatica yesterday here on Cyprus, enjoyed with a group of our local friends gathering for a picnic lunch on Green Monday.

Red Kites are paired up and displaying...Adders out of hibernation and sunbathing...spring has definitely sprung in Denbighshire #UKBIRDING #UKReptiles #Adders #Reptiles #RedKites #Denbighshire

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I have a series of environmental workshops planned for 2025. Follow the link for more details and how to book www.natureswork.co.uk/environmental-training-courses/upcoming-events/

Waiting for summer!! It won't be long before we see the first sighs of spring and the flowers will be inbloom again. I have a series of botanical workshops planned for 2025. Follow the link for more details and how to book www.natureswork.co.uk/environmental-training-courses/upcoming-events/

😳wow Jim that is early,great find 👍

Not sure I've seen purple saxifrage flowering so early before. 9th February in the West Highlands. May be a record and sign of milder winters #wildflowers #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social @plantlifeuk.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @christianhindle.bsky.social

Happy New Year - my orchid countdown is over, but here are a few that didn’t quite make the cut ! Marsh Helleborine, Northern Marsh, White Helleborine, a white Loose-flowered, Giant, Early Marsh, Marsh Fragrant, a white Chalk Fragrant and Bog. #orchid #dailyorchid

Having guides who are intrepid and knowledgeable, but also friendly and helpful, is central to how we operate at Mariposa. Richard is a shining example of that, and we're delighted he's part of the core team here.

Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) © Jon Dunn

That was a lovely day! And super to meet you both.

A collage of wild orchids, seen during 2024 in Britain, Sicily, Rhodes, and Norway, © Jon Dunn

2024 was a pretty grim year for me, interrupted by deaths of both family and dearly loved animals, major surgery, and cancer. A year I'm not sorry to see the back of. But there were also orchids, and they were wonderful, shared with my friends and @mariposanature.bsky.social guests. Here's to 2025.

#NewYearPlant Hunt around Speke Hall this afternoon included Winter Aconite & Large-leaved Pachyphragma in flower, other highlights inc. a Short-eared Owl (on the adjacent Airport) & the local Raven pair bonding #NYPH #Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social @nationaltrust.bsky.social @mbblerc.bsky.social

Daily orchid (day 37). I’m posting a native U.K. orchid picture, taken by me over the last couple of years, every day, until New Years Eve. The last orchid of my countdown, and the last to flower, Autumn Lady’s-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) Hampshire Aug 2024 #orchid #dailyorchid