On 13 May 2023 the Association de botanique et de mycologie de Sainte Maure de Touraine had an outing to the Eperon du Murat at Ferriere-Larcon, led by orchid expert Marc Fleury. The site is a managed nature reserve in the care of the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturelles de la Val de la Loire. It consists of a limestone ridge with rough grassland grazed by sheep and dominated by juniper and downy oak on the steeper bits. Across one end of the site is a prehistoric defensive wall. The weather was distinctly iffy, and after a couple of hours on the north side of the site we got hailed on and very wet. Nothing daunts a keen naturalist though and off we went to check out the south side of the site. Seventeen species of orchid were recorded, plus three hybrids and two hypochromatic mutations.
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| Lady Orchid Orchis purpurea (Fr. Orchis pourpre). |
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| Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica (Fr. Nerprun purgatif), an uncommon species. |
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| A hypochromatic Monkey Orchid Orchis simia (Fr. Orchis singe) with a ruby-tailed wasp Chrysidae. |
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| Marie-Claude photographing a Monkey x Man Orchid hybrid, with lots of Monkey Orchids visible in the grass. |
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| Burnt-tip Orchid Neotinea ustulata (Fr. Orchis brulé) and Monkey Orchid habitat. |
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| The very last Small Spider Orchid Ophrys araneola (Fr. Ophrys petite araignée) on the site. They have died out in the past three decades. |
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| Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis (Fr. Orchis pyramidal). |
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| Wood White butterfly Leptidea sinapsis (Fr. Piéride de la moutarde). |
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| Male Adonis Blue Polyommatus bellargus (Fr. Azuré bleu céleste). |
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| Marc released this young Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus (Fr. Couleuvre verte et jaune) that he had captured in his chook shed. |
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| Since the weather was unreliable, Marc gave his introductory talk in the church. |
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