The search is over for the elusive Yellow Bird's Nest

Back in the 1980s, a weekly nature magazine hit the shelves called the Living Countryside. I used to look forward to buying these and they were about £1.50 if I recall. I learned an awful lot from these information packed magazines and every now and then there would be a picture of something that would catch your eye and make you wish one day you would find one.

One such plant in one of the editions was a Yellow Bird's Nest. It looked strange and had a strange name. I was hooked, I really wanted to see this species. I was really getting into my plants but as time went on I never seen one - until now.

A site I know close to where I  live has a section of ancient woodland, mainly mature Beech trees, and this is where the Bird's Nest Orchids I had been photographing were growing. But walking through there on early evening this week, mainly on the hope of seeing a late orchid - I was astonished to find not one but a tight group of ten Yellow Bird's Nests. I knew straight away what I was looking at.

All those years of waiting had paid off, and it was a 'wow' moment, to say I was overjoyed would be an understatement. Once believed to be a parasite of the roots of Beech trees, it is no known to be 'saprophytic; (obtaining its food from decaying matter).  It contains none of the green pigment chlorophyll.  The plants generic name 'Monotropa' is derived from two Greek words meaning 'single' and 'to turn', referring to the way in which the top of the stem is turned to one side. The species name means 'under pine' indicating the plants more favoured habitat.