‘Big Yellow’ bee orchids 2024

Today (6 June) I made my annual visit to Big Yellow Self Storage on Canary Way in central Norwich to count bee orchids. I have been keeping an eye on them here for 16 seasons, since I first found a few flowering spikes in 2009.

Bee orchid at Big Yellow Self Storage, 6 June 2024.

I thought there was a risk that my visit might be a little earlier in the year than ideal, but not so. Though it hasn’t felt like summer weather, as the UK has had its warmest May on record the bee orchids were well advanced. I found 15 spikes, most in flower, the odd one still in bud. It’s not a large number, but good to know that they are still there.

Oxeye daisies opposite Norwich City FC.

The main visual impact of the ‘meadow in the city’ now, as in recent years, is a sheet of oxeye daisies. Bee orchids often grow on quite bare ground or short turf, so I was more pleased than disappointed with this modest count. The orchids are tucked away around the back, rather than on the big area left uncut opposite Norwich City FC.

Oxeye daisies around the back, a new digital display hoarding and, if you look carefully, the pink sepals of a bee orchid (foreground, centre). 

Common broomrape (Orobanche minor) in two colour forms.

Ragged robin.

A few broomrapes, a ragged robin, crested dog's-tail grass and some perforate St John’s-wort added interest. About 10 of the oxeye daisies had green beetles on them: female thick-legged flower beetles, I think (only the males have the chunky thighs). Common blue damselflies drifted among the long grass, here far from water.

Thick-legged flower beetle, female (I think).

There is a change around the railway station side of the L-shaped meadow, with two large digital advertising hoardings having been installed last winter. For now, the vegetation around these is cut, though as it grows back it could provide the barer, nutrient-poor ground that wild flowers like.

Bee orchid across the road.

The biggest surprise was when I crossed Canary Way to look at the uncut grass on the other side of the road. This is the area that is full of canary-yellow crocuses in early spring close to the football ground. There, by the base of a tree, was another bee orchid, so the 16^th today. Big Yellow cannot take credit for the uncut vegetation here, and I don’t know who is following the No Mow May advice and extending that into June – presumably one of the local authorities. However, it’s fair to give Big Yellow the likely credit for the source of seed for the orchid here.

Cigarette end container turned blue tit nest box.

I called into Big Yellow’s office to give them my results and point them towards the orchid across the road. They shared another bit of wildlife news: an outdoor box for cigarette stubs has become a blue tit nesting box, and was suitably labelled as such. Curiously, on yesterday’s Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 there was a similar story, about a cigarette stub box used by blue tits at Norwich Research Park. There they were reported as having fledged: here, at Big Yellow, the adult blue tits were actively feeding young.

Chris Durdin

Previously on Big Yellow’s bee orchids (selected): 
Photos on Facebook 2022 
Bee orchids bonus in lockdown (2020) 
Bee orchids bounce back (2019) 
Bee Orchids get my vote (2017) 
Big Yellow bee orchids are back (2016) 
The Meadow in the City (2015)