This year’s Big Orchid Count certainly produced big results. Volunteers surveyed the wild-flower meadows at Orchid Meadows on Saturday and counted 2771 flowering heads of heath spotted orchid, 40 per cent more than last year and the highest number recorded over the past four years. The orchids, which range in colour from almost white to pink to deep purple, have been identified as Dactylorhiza maculata subspecies ericetorum. They cope well with the heavy, damp, acid soils common in West...

This year’s Big Orchid Count at Orchid Meadows nature reserve and glamping site near Tregaron in West Wales takes place on Saturday 27 June. We will be counting mainly heath-spotted orchids – last year 1981 flowering heads were recorded. Also on-site are lesser butterfly orchids and broad-leaved helleborines. The annual count provides valuable information on how effective our nature-friendly meadow management is turning out to be. Come to stay in Red Kite Yurt, Goldfinch Glampavan or...

Recent Tawny Little House guests Alex and Kim Tooth arrived with a camera lens a foot long and spent their time discovering the bird and insect life of our wetlands. Top left shows a willow warbler with a four-spotted chaser dragonfly to the right. Below that are azure damselflies, the blue and black ones male and the more yellowy green ones females doing a handstand. Does the male look impressed? You decide.