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Following a text message from Ben Croxtall about the whereabouts of a couple of singing Quails near Groby, after finishing work I drove over to Anstey Lane to see if I could hear the distinctive call (sounds like Wet-my-lips,Wet-my-lips..) in the nearby fields. Walking along the footpath from Anstey Lane towards the fishing lakes next to Groby Quarry, it wasn't long before I heard at least one Quail calling from the crop. Over the next hour the Quail was heard calling at least three times and always at the same time as the nearby Skylarks burst into there flight song. As I walked back to the car I noticed at least six Painted Ladies Butterflies flying around the footpath and realised that maybe the invasion of these butterflies was still occurring and possible the Quail and the Butterflies had migrating from the same area in North Africa? On the whole it was great to hear the Quail calling but maybe next time I should borrow a Jack Russell dog to flush the little critters!!

As the Bee Orchids are know in flower in Leicester I took a few more photos of this beautiful orchid. Looking at the flower itself it might possible that these flowers are actually the very rare form Var. Atrofuscus and potentially the second record ever for the UK!!! I informed my fellow orchid twitcher Sean Cole about these possible rare forms and he joined me later in the afternoon and came to the same conclusion as myself after viewing the orchids. The only problem now is that I will just have to wait and see what the BSBI orchid recorder thinks of them? I will keep you posted on the developments?

Over the last week I checked out some Bee Orchids near to were I work and found at least fourteen plants in the grassland. Over the next couple of weeks I will check this site out on regular basis to make sure that no numpty picks them!!

Early Marsh Orchid Bee Orchid Frog Orchid Chalk Fragrant Orchid As we hit mid-summer the birding has been put on the back burner and have been checking a number of orchid sites during the last few days. The highlights I have seen included Frog Orchid, Chalk Fragrant Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid, Common Twayblade, Southern Marsh Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid,Common Spotted Orchid, and small numbers of Bee Orchids .

In the afternoon I checked out Cloud Wood LRWT and the A50 by-pass at Markfield. The orchids I saw included Greater Butterfly Orchid , Common Spotted Orchid , and a non-flowering Bee Orchid at Cloud Wood. On the way home I checked out the by-pass at Markfield and found hundreds of Southern Marsh Orchids next to the busy road.

Following info from Adey Baker and Mark Skevington I nipped over to Huncote Embankment this morning to photo the Bee Orchids . Checking out the embankment I found at least 18 Bee Orchids on the south-facing slope.

Heath Spotted Orchid Marsh Fragrant Orchid Marsh Fragrant Orchid Yesterday morning I met up with the Leicester wildlife group for a walk around Ulverscroft LRWT reserve. Although it rained for most of the walk, I did see good numbers of Marsh Fragrant Orchids , Heath Spotted Orchids , Common Spotted Orchids and a single Bee Orchid (just flowering) at Herbert's Meadow.

Whilst photographing the Orchids at Clipsham, I got a text message from Andy Mackay about a Red-necked Phalarope at the inflow end at Eyebrook Reservoir. So after finishing at Clipsham I drove over to Eyebrook and joined the group of birders watching the attractive female Red necked Phalarope whilst it feed on insects on the shoreline. After taking a few record shots of the bird I drove home pleased of what I had seen in the day.

Here is a couple of photos of the Common Twayblades at Clipsham Old Quarries I saw on saturday.

On Saturday I nipped up to Clipsham Old Quarries in Rutland to look for Greater Butterfly Orchid. At the quarry I noted at least 30 odd Greater Butterfly Orchids, 100+ Common Twayblades, and good numbers of Common Spotted Orchids which were coming into flower. What is interesting about this site is that the GBO's flower in the open on south facing spoil heaps, then the usual dark woodland environment.