Postcard from the field, from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social on our #OrchidsOfRhodes tour:
New orchids continued to come thick and fast today, with new species for the week seen in good numbers, and some lovely hybrids too as an added bonus. Plenty more to come in the next four days...
Ophrys halia, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys x ionica (Ophrys ferrum-equinum x Ophrys mammosa), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
A wonderful day of orchid-hunting with my good friend @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social and our @mariposanature.bsky.social #OrchidsOfRhodes group, filled with terrific finds: many Ophrys halia, and a couple of lovely, rare Ophrys x ionica hybrids particular personal highlights among many enjoyed by us all.
Ophrys cretica, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys cretica, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Tour update 🚨
Just two of the many faces Ophrys cretica presents here in the orchid wonderland that's the #OrchidsOfRhodes tour. Speaking of twos, two more places have been taken this evening on the second week we're running in March 2028. See you there! #bloomscrolling (1/2)🧵
5/4/26 #OrchidsofRhodes - We’ve filled our boots with a veritable bounty of outstanding #orchids today but my highlight was this pair of busy Eastern Festoon #butterflies. We don’t just do orchids y’know! @mariposanature.bsky.social
Ophrys cretica x Ophrys speculum hybrid, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys cretica x Ophrys regis-ferdinandii hybrid, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
In Rhodes on an orchid tour and your guides haven't shown you these achingly rare #orchid hybrids? You're not travelling with Team Mariposa on the ultimate #OrchidsOfRhodes tour. It's no wonder our tours here fill up 2 years in advance. Second week for 2028 now taking bookings...
Ophrys rhodia x umbilicata, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys rhodia chlorotic variation, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Welcome to Rhodes!
And how better to welcome our guests to the ultimate #OrchidsOfRhodes tour than a range of Ophrys rhodia varieties and hybrids today? Watch this space - the coming week promises to be extraordinary.
#orchids #bloomscrolling
Anacamptis coriophora, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys candica, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Yesterday was the final day of our latest #OrchidsOfRhodes tour, and we celebrated seeing 53 species and some truly amazing hybrids during the course of the week. What will we find during the coming week?
Dense-flowered Orchid (Neotinea maculata), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Loose-flowered Orchid (Anacamptis laxiflora), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Dense-flowered and Loose-flowered Orchid here in Rhodes in the past week. The #OrchidsOfRhodes have been particularly fine this year, and my @mariposanature.bsky.social guests have enjoyed seeing a wide range of genera and species.
#orchids #bloomscrolling
Ophrys lucis, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys lucis, the 'orchid of light' still in superb condition here on Rhodes yesterday. We've enjoyed shining a light on this, and over 50 further species of the #OrchidsOfRhodes, this past week with our guests. And still a day of this tour to go...
#orchids #bloomscrolling
Serapias carica with bee within the orchid's flower, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Serapias carica with bee emerged, four orchid pollinia attached to it, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Thrilled to show my @mariposanature.bsky.social #OrchidsOfRhodes group masses of Serapias carica today, particularly when I found a flower with a bee tucked inside it. When it emerged, it had four orchid pollinia stuck to its head - a busy little bee indeed.
Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio ssp. caucasica), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Collage of Pink Butterfly Orchid (Anacamptis papilionacaea) and variations, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
A tale of two Anacamptis. While the green-wings have been feeble, the butterflies have been soaring on Rhodes this past fortnight.
Green-winged Orchid are frankly a bit underwhelming this year, but Pink Butterfly Orchid and its variations have been spectacular. #OrchidsOfRhodes
Ophrys mammosa, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys reinholdii, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys mammosa and Ophrys reinholdii both coming into their own, if a little soggy, yesterday after the preceding day's heavy rain here on Rhodes.
#orchids #OrchidsOfRhodes
Ophrys mammosa x reinholdii, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys halia, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Postcard from the field from tour leader @dunnjons.bsky.social leading our current #OrchidsOfRhodes tour:
It's been a productive day exploring the woodlands of the central spine of the island, with some excellent finds to be had, including a fine hybrid and a mighty Ophrys halia.
Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
If you're coming to Rhodes looking for orchids, and your guides tell you it's been a cool, wet spring and it's too early for Violet Limodore to be flowering... they're wrong. A lovely colony of this strangest of orchids seen yesterday by our #OrchidsOfRhodes group. 💜
#orchids #bloomscrolling
Ophrys calypsus, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys phryganae, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys sicula, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
A wet day here for my #OrchidsOfRhodes tour, but rare, golden variations of three orchid species brought the sunshine among 30 species seen during the course of the day. What a fabulous group of guests we have here! It's a joy sharing treasures with them.
Ophrys cretica hypochromic variation © Jon Dunn
Ophrys rhodia hypochromic variation © Jon Dunn
I'm normally no fan of a pale imitation of the real thing, especially on orchid tours, but in the case of these hypochromic Ophrys cretica and Ophrys rhodia we've found in the past 48 hours for our latest @mariposanature.bsky.social #OrchidsOfRhodes guests, I can make an exception.
Ophrys lucis, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys cretica, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Yesterday was departures day for our Orchid Conservation Alliance guests, heading on to the World Orchid Conference after a week of fabulous #OrchidsOfRhodes. Hard to pick favourites, but Ophrys lucis and Ophrys cretica certainly didn't disappoint, providing thrills to the very last. #orchids
Ophrys korae, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Jewels in a crown of thorns... our final full day of our first #OrchidsOfRhodes tour this season has been studded with gems in dry phrygana habitat, and our final tally for the week is nudging 50 species, plus a plethora of hybrids and forms. It's been a joy from start to finish.
Ophrys blitopertha, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys lindia, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
A wonderful day for our guests in Rhodes today that combined culture in the beautiful historic town of Lindos, and some fine #orchids, including Ophrys blitopertha and eponymous Ophrys lindia. We're roaring through the forties for our species count for the week. #OrchidsOfRhodes
Ophrys oreas, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys calypsus, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
A superb day for our OCA #OrchidsOfRhodes group today, with a plethora of Ophrys bee orchids seeing our tally sail past 40 species. Ophrys oreas were a joy in pine woodlands, but Ophrys calypsus blew them away in the olive groves.
Ophrys sicula variation, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Golden Ophrys sicula variation looking every inch the trophy #orchid for my @mariposanature.bsky.social Orchid Conservation Alliance #OrchidsOfRhodes guests today here in Rhodes. 🏆
Milky Orchid (Neotinea lactea), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Orchis anatolica, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
We're feeling in the pink this week as the #OrchidsOfRhodes continue to delight with every turn. Today we started our exploration of upland and woodland sites, enjoying many orchids in peak condition, including these fine Neotinea lactea and Orchis anatolica.
Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum) x Ophrys rhodia hybrid, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Today's been an absolute feast of Ophrys bee orchids for my @mariposanature.bsky.social guests on the #OrchidsOfRhodes tour. Mirror Orchid in particular have been exceptionally numerous, while their hybrids with Ophrys rhodia are just getting started in bloom.
Ophrys cretica ssp beloniae, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys cretica ssp beloniae, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Over 20 species of #orchids seen beautifully well today on Rhodes, with the stars of the show being vast numbers of Ophrys cretica - they're having a great year, and are flowering in profusion at the moment. A firm favourite with our #OrchidsOfRhodes guests.
A new site for Ophrys sancti-isidorii... our meticulous pre-tour recce and preparation already paying dividends for our #OrchidsOfRhodes guests.
Naked Man Orchid (Orchis italica), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Ophrys umbilicata, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Tour update 🚨
Well, that didn't take long! The second #OrchidsOfRhodes tour dates for 2028, provided due to popular demand, already have a booking.
It's the ultimate #orchid tour of Rhodes, it generates a donation to @bsbibotany.bsky.social, and it's here:
www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
Ophrys reinholdii, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
'Green-winged Orchid' Anacamptis morio ssp caucasica with pollinator, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Tour update 🚨
Our flagship #OrchidsOfRhodes tour is pretty special. We aim for c.50 species during an incredible week - it's exhilarating orchid-hunting. No wonder it's in such demand. The 2028 tour is now fully booked, so we've laid on a second week...
www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
Pink Butterfly Orchid (Anacamptis papilionacea), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
If ever there was a day for a joyous Pink Butterfly Orchid from the #OrchidsOfRhodes tours, this must be it. 🦋
#bloomscrolling #orchids #Butterflies
White variant of Pink Butterfly Orchid (Anacamptis papilionacea), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Giant Orchid (Himantoglossum robertianum) with atypically pale flowers, Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
In honour of the return of the weekly @wildflowerhour.bsky.social challenges, and this week's #WhiteFlowers challenge in particular, am looking forward to seeing what white variant #orchids we'll find on Rhodes in the coming weeks during the @mariposanature.bsky.social #OrchidsOfRhodes tours.
Dense-flowered Orchid (Neotinea maculata), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Dense-flowered Orchid (Neotinea maculata), Orchids of Rhodes © Jon Dunn
Been a busy day writing about #orchids*, and putting finishing touches on a *very* exciting new orchid tour I'll be leading for @mariposanature.bsky.social next year...
*Dense-flowered Orchid, as you ask. I'll be seeing you any day now, a personal, subtle favourite of the #OrchidsOfRhodes.
