A speculative road side stop on the way home paid dividends when I found three Lesser Butterfly Orchids little more than a mile from my front door.

I have stopped to to look at this small area of cut over bog and wet grassland just to the west of Ballycastle before, but this evening I almost immediately spotted the shape of a butterfly orchid, and as the soils were peat I know it was likely to be Lesser. I parked and walked back and sure enough I found three beautiful examples of Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chloratha).

There is always something special in finding interesting wildlife close to home.