Common Globetail

Common Globetail (Sphaerophoria scripta), Cheltenham Escarpment National Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire, June 2026

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Hoverfly alights

if only for a moment

never stop too long

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by Scooj

Common Twayblade

Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata), Cheltenham Escarpment National Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire, June 2026
Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata), Cheltenham Escarpment National Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire, June 2026

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Unseen green on green

delicate flowering spike

overlooked orchid

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by Scooj

Roman Snail

Roman snail (Helix potamia), Cheltenham Escarpment National Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire, June 2026

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Roman artefact

also known as escargot

grassland survivor

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by Scooj

  • Roman snails are a naturalised species in the UK, thought to have been introduced by the Romans for food. This is the snail that is still prepared in France as ‘escargot’. However, some of the UK’s populations were decimated by people collecting them for cuisine or selling to such an extent that in 2008, the snails were given nearly total protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act in order to save the remaining colonies. (Taken from a rather interesting RHS article)

Common Spotted Orchid

Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Cheltenham Escarpment National Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire, June 2026
Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Cheltenham Escarpment National Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire, June 2026

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On Leckhampton Hill

at home in limestone grassland

delicate orchid

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by Scooj