2014-05-30 50 11

Location

In a field near Milda. Orchid territory!!

Participants

ScepticAnna (talk)
Juja and Sterni

Plans

Since I have a lot to do before I can even think about geohashing tomorrow, I'm not sure that I will go. If I go, it will be by bike and either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. ScepticAnna (talk)

I will probably drop by on the way to my parents in the early afternoon. Will leave a Hashmark just in case anyone else visits, but probably can't write a report before Sunday. Paintedhell (talk) 04:41, 30 May 2014 (EDT)

Expedition

Anna

I left Jena by way of Lobeda and Maua, being careful of the broken bottles left from the partying yesterday. In Maua I was confused for a bit, because there is major roadwork going on and my GPS tried to send me the wrong (i.e. obsolete) way.

I knew there was a decent chance that I would find orchids on the way to the way to the hashpoint, so when I went up the way through Herrental valley, I kept my eyes open and on the sides of the path. At first I only saw a lot of other flowers (that were also beautiful) and some impressive bracket fungi. But then, in short succession, I encountered three different kinds of orchid: the Lesser Butterfly Orchid, the Lady Orchid (Orchis purpurea, that is, or a closely related other kind of Orchis) and the Bird's-nest Orchid.

After much looking for and photographing of orchids, I finally reached the hashpoint. It was in a field with small plants growing. They looked kind of like corn, but corn is twice as tall already at this time of year, so I don't really know. but since the plants were so small and the space between rows pretty wide, I stepped over them to get to the hashpoint. At the point I took the proof photo and some photos to give an impression of the point, but I didn't stay long because a nearby field (luckily not the one I was standing in) smelled strongly of fresh liquid manure.

On the way back I went through the Leutra valley in the hope of seeing some more orchids. I wasn't disappointed. I found a lot more Lesser Butterfly and Lady's Orchids and also the Common Twayblade and the Lizard Orchid. All in all it was one of the more diverse orchid hunting trips I have done, and a geohash too!

Juja

This was bad planning, wasn't it? I actually read Anna's plans in the morning, but I needed to start around lunchtime and so neither early in the morning nor late in the afternoon would be good for meetups... and then Anna went there around lunch herself? (Probably before me, although I found no mark.)

Nothing very special about my expedition to the hash - I took the road via Bucha and only took a quick detour to the Geohash before I went on to cycle to my parents in Southern Thuringia. But actually I am a little envious of the orchid pictures now... maybe we can coordinate our expeditions better next time?