Cevennes NP - Orchids of late May

This is the second of three posts of my recent trip to South France with my Dad. Although Butterflies were the main targets, the area of the Cevennes was alive with Orchids, most of which are very rare or just don't occur in the UK. We managed to find one of two endemic Orchids of the Cevennes, and was probably my favourite of the bunch. Twenty species of Orchids were identified and photos of a few of these are below. Unfortunately we dipped on Red Helleborine despite going to a known site and also hiking down one side of the Gorge du Tarn and not seeing Lady's Slippers Orchid was a shame but bumping into a Western Whip Snake was worth the hike.

Species seen:

White Helleborine
Sword-leaved Helleborine
Violet Limadore - common in dark woodland
Bird's Nest Orchid
Common Twayblade
Greater Butterfly Orchid
Lesser Butterfly Orchid
Elder-flowered Orchid - rare at high elevations
Common Spotted Orchid
Man Orchid
Early Purple Orchid
Green-winged Orchid
Lady Orchid
Military Orchid - a common Orchid
Monkey Orchid
Burnt Orchid
Pyramidal Orchid
Aymonin's Orchid - endemic to Cevennes and common on Causse Mejaun
Woodcock Orchid - rare in woodland
Small Spider Orchid
Spider Orchid sp. - many!!

pale and normal Elder-flowered Orchid

 Burnt Orchid - a common Orchid

Lady Orchid - surprisingly very few of these around

 Small Spider Orchid - the 'H' formation visible on the labellum

 Military Orchid - again a very common species

 a 'yellow' Man Orchid next to a normal Man

 Violet Limadore

 Woodcock Orchid

the stunning Aymonin's Orchid or Yellow-edged Fly Orchid