Early purple orchids at Brockadale

The overcast light this morning seemed perfect for a trip to photograph early purple orchids at Brockadale YWT reserve. I figured they would be just about in bloom now and I was right. The whole of the limestone grassland was covered in a sea of purple and yellow, the yellow being cowslips which are just passing their peak now. There was plenty of spring migrants singing too and I came across a whole gang of red soldier beetles in the grass. They seemed content crawling to the end of a blade of grass but were not so happy when I tried to place them somewhere more photogenic and kept flying off!