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Orchids WildWest.ie is quickly becoming an Orchid site, unintentional but inevitable! This list is grouped into various species or groups within the Orchidaceae.

Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Irish Lady’s Tresses

A very special plant in North West Ireland and one we have studied for years… 2016 Observations. 2017 American seeds coming to Ireland? 2018 Numbers, Reproduction, Propagation. 2019 Daily LOG now ACTIVE 2019 total Count & Report 2019 2020 SURVEY & RESULTS

Other ‘Special Orchids’

A rare group of species chosen for their significance, speciality, and their occurrence in the Wild West! Various genera. Anacamptis morio  Green-winged Orchid. Ophrys insecifera Fly Orchid. Very restricted. Hammarbya paludosa Bog Orchid. Local. S. spiralis Autumn’s Lady’s Tresses.

Non-Dactylorhizid Orchids

Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid Neotinea maculata Dense-flowered Orchid Psudorchis albida Small White Orchid Plantathera bifolia Lesser Butterfly Orchid Plantathera chlorantha Greater Butterfly Orchid Ophrys apifera Bee Orchid Neottia nidus-avis Birds Nest Orchid Neottia ovata Twayblade FRAGRANT ORCHIDS: All SPECIES together… Gymnadenia conopsea Chalk Frgrant Orchid G. densiflora Marsh Fragrant Orchid G. borealis Heath Fragrant Orchid

Dactylorhizids… Marsh Orchids

D. incarnata Early Marsh Orchid D. pulchella                “ D. coccinea                “ D. cruenta Flecked Orchid D. kerryensis Western Marsh Orchid D. traunsteinerioides Narrow-leaved Marsh Orc. D. purpurella Northern Marsh Orchid

Other Dactylorizids

D. fuchsii Common Spotted Orchid D. maculata Heath Spotted Orchid D. viridis Frog Orchid

Helleborines (all species together)

Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris) Dark Red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens) Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) Green-flowered Helleborine (Epipactis phyllanthes) Narrow-leaved Helleborine, Cephalanthera longifolia

Habitats Various reports focusing on western Places, their topography and associated Plants and Animals… Kesh Mountain, Co. Sligo.  A free-standing large hill with many interesting plants, caves, history and pre-historic remains. Eagles Rock, Co. Leitrim.

Birds and other Animals Our former research work was based on Lough Allen, and was was motivated by the stunning wildlife of that location and the time and the boat we had. We will be transferring some of the data from that site to here.

Red-breasted Merganser

A year in the life of our Mergansers * A beautiful duck, common in the sea around Ireland in Winter with an interesting small breeding population in Lough Allen that we have have studied for many years almost exclusively.

Glaucous Gull

A frequent visitor to NW Ireland. Not a native Gull but seen around the north west coast from October to May. A very large gull with no black on wing-tips and often an overall magnolia/white colour

Common Scoter

Few sightings on L. Arrow. A declining breeder in Lough Arrow. Numbers are few now probably due to and movement of their breeding range northwards. South L. Cullin mudflats in Spring (BELOW) and some breeding birds.

S. romanzoffiana 2020 Survey/Results

Other Topics News / Records / Research / Reports…

Conservation…

Several Orchids species are at risk due to commercial development, forestry, drainage, etc. and we need to conserve this age old Biodiversity. Our rare plants really should be protected. They are (by Law) but in other ways they just look after themselves!  Irish Lady’s Tresses is a very rare orchid. We have participated in conservation before but now want to work with Local and National interests. While well represented in Mayo this species is scarce elsewhere and unknown in Europe apart from Ireland and Scotland. This years survey (2020) is now in progress… [More]