Yoklett's bank

It was my birthday today, so Mr U&L and I went for a trip to Canterbury to see some of the amazing orchids that grow there.
On my previous visit I went to Bonsai bank but today I really wanted to see Yoklett's bank so we set off before 6.30 am to ensure we could park in the very limited parking spaces!
Yoklett's bank was just amazing - everything I dreamed it would be and more with so many beautiful flowers to enjoy.
My main blip is of a stand of Lady orchids Orchis purpurea, which is listed as critically endangered though it does very well in this location. Unlike many British orchids it is quite large with individual flowers that look like ladies in bonnets. There were also a good number of Fly orchids Ophrys insectifera, which is a remarkable example of sexually-deceptive pollination where the flower resembles a species of wasp, so as to lure the males to try to mate with the flower and thus pollinate it - see extra 1.
There was also an example of the rare green form of the fly orchid - see extra 2, and also a good number of plants of Herb-paris Paris quadrifolia which is a good indicator for ancient woodland - see extra 3.
After we left Yoklett's bank we went to Marden meadows to see the spectacle of thousand and thousands of Green-winged orchids ...it was truely amazing - See extra 4.
what an amazing birthday!