Roger Harding
rogercharding.bsky.social
Roger Harding
@rogercharding.bsky.social
Lover of all things natural history, particularly orchids, butterflies, birds.
Also, travelling to photograph them.
Play harmonica and poker and love whisky
Reposted by Roger Harding
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 9 is a post-thunderstorm snapshot in the old-growth forest where I work. This black-throated green warbler gave me a rare moment of stillness to admire him. 🪶
December 10, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Every now and again on Rhodes I'll come across a largely white example of an orchid that would normally be highly colourful. Like the hyperchromic #orchids, they're a fairly scarce find - and one I love to share with my @mariposanature.bsky.social guests on our #OrchidsOfRhodes tour.
December 10, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Roger Harding
I've a keen eye for the unusual, and love stumbling upon orchid varieties, particularly when I have @mariposanature.bsky.social guests with whom to share them.

Rhodes is always a happy hunting ground - here just a handful of hyperchromic #OrchidsOfRhodes we've found there over the years.
December 9, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Reposted by Roger Harding
The Tenerife Giant Orchid, Himantoglossum metlesicsianium, at 1100m asl. in the Corona Forrestal, Tenerife 😃💜🌋 6-12-2025. Especially for Messrs Cole and Blood ... @ukorchids.bsky.social @orchidvinny.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Every year I, or my European orchid-hunting friends, find at least one flavescens or chlorantha variety of Ophrys bee orchid in Rhodes. Always a pleasant surprise to see the way the genetic dice have rolled and come up with something slightly wayward, where normal rich colours are diminished.
December 7, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Matt
I have noticed that you have stopped using the tag RhodesOrchidOdyssey and now use the same RhodesOrchids tag as Mariposa Nature tours.
Is there a business advantage in copying Jon?
@mariposanature.bsky.social
Day 6 of my #orchid #AdventCalendar

Dense-flowered Orchid (Neotinea maculata). Here I present my favourite 'raspberry ripple' flavour, alongside the more frequently encountered 'plain old vanilla' flavour!

#OrchidsOfRhodes
December 6, 2025 at 4:47 PM
How very weird to copy Jon Dunn's last post today.
Day 6 of my #orchid #AdventCalendar

Dense-flowered Orchid (Neotinea maculata). Here I present my favourite 'raspberry ripple' flavour, alongside the more frequently encountered 'plain old vanilla' flavour!

#OrchidsOfRhodes
December 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Look
I rarely post anything unrelated to natural history or wildlife.
BUT what the fxxx is this peace prize from FIFA?
He is a Cuxt.
Ask Venezuela if he deserves it.
FIFA's boots can be seen just sticking out of POTUS arse.
December 5, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Melissa, it is one of my strongest memories of the trip.
Perhaps "Get a xxxxxxx move on" is clearer though?
😁❤️😁❤️
For #ArtAdventCalendar Day 5, here is a gorgeous Freija's fritillary seen this summer on the @mariposanature.bsky.social trip to the European Arctic. This butterfly was much admired, then much rained on, then relocated and adored once more.
December 5, 2025 at 10:34 PM
My mate @stevieparsons.bsky.social will love this. He is a suckered for slime moulds.
A colony of Badhamia utricularis (Hanging Slime-mould) feeding on Bleeding Oak Crust on the underside of a fallen oak in Old Sulehay Forest. Three stages were present - the orange-yellow plasmodium, and both developing and ripe fruiting bodies, the latter dark-grey hanging on orange threads.
📷🍄
December 5, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by Roger Harding
‘If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise’ 😮 The amazing Aseroe rubra (Anemone Stinkhorn). Surrey 4/12/25 #fungi #FungiFriends
December 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Like all of our orchid tours, from day one of Mariposa's inception, our flagship #OrchidsOfRhodes tour generates a donation to help support @bsbibotany.bsky.social's invaluable conservation work. It's important to us, and we know it's important to our guests too.

mariposanature.com/tours/botani...
December 4, 2025 at 3:23 PM
These are just so cool.
Time-lapse of various species of mushrooms growing
December 2, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Day 2 of our #AdventCalendar, and it's a Late Spider Orchid seen in Kent - a star of our Orchid Garden of England daytrips. Like several folk who joined us this year, you could say it with flowers this Christmas for the orchid-lover in your life - a daytrip makes a great present!
December 2, 2025 at 7:37 AM
"Are you bonkers - booking an orchid hunting trip in 487 days time?"
"Well, I have another trip booked that's 534 days away to Southern Italy"
It's well worth the wait.
You just can't get better than @mariposanature.bsky.social
@dunnjons.bsky.social
and
@thenewgalaxy.bsky.social
Looking at some old orchid photos from Rhodes in 2024 brought back warm memories.
I had to book AGAIN.
A look at the @mariposanature.bsky.social website showed it and just about ALL their 2026 trips were fully booked
So I have booked for 2027!
@dunnjons.bsky.social
@thenewgalaxy.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Looking at some old orchid photos from Rhodes in 2024 brought back warm memories.
I had to book AGAIN.
A look at the @mariposanature.bsky.social website showed it and just about ALL their 2026 trips were fully booked
So I have booked for 2027!
@dunnjons.bsky.social
@thenewgalaxy.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Intended to have a productive foray but Rubes & I were beaten by the rain & wind & turned back after 30 mins - all I found was a single (but perfect) Humpback Brittlegill (Dorset) #Fungi #Mushrooms
December 1, 2025 at 1:15 PM
👍❤️
It's December 1st, day 1 of our annual Mariposa #AdventCalendar - daily wildlife wonders shared until Christmas!

Today we've Ophrys x fajarama, a spectacular hybrid orchid from our brand new Orchids of Basilicata, Campania & Puglia tour. No wonder that one's already fully booked... 😍 #orchids
December 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Roger Harding
This week’s #thewinter10 challenge to myself, ten from Kenfig NR in South Wales. It’s definitely getting more difficult but here they are, plus a bonus Sea Spurge that wasn’t really in flower, but I liked it anyway. #wildflowerhour @wildflowerhour.bsky.social
November 30, 2025 at 8:03 PM
It's been wonderful to hear positive feedback from existing Mariposa guests, today here at the @bsbibotany.bsky.social conference, and over the course of the last couple of years.

We love being the first choice for orchid-hunting holidays, and are proud those tours support BSBI's great work.
November 30, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Get on the 'net today. Choose a fabulous trip, and save enough to cover (some of) your bar bill!
🥂🍾🦋🥀
#Mariposa_Nature
These guys REALLY make nature charity donations EVERY trip!!
Just a quick post to say this is the last day of our full Early Bird booking discount on our 2025 week-long tours - offering £150 off the list price if booked before midnight tonight.

Full list of tours and remaining availability here on our website:

mariposanature.com/calendar
November 30, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Reposted by Roger Harding
It's such an honour to have the brilliant orchid-hunter @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social as part of Team Mariposa. We're having a great day here at @bsbibotany.bsky.social conference - meeting friends old and new, sharing stories, making plans.
Discussing the Ghost #Orchid and its current status in the British Isles at the @bsbibotany.bsky.social Botanical Conference 2025, handily been put next to the @mariposanature.bsky.social stand so I can talk about our tours too, where you can come and see Ghost #Orchids in the wild if you want to!
November 29, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Ophrys lucis, your 'orchid of light' on Rhodes.

I enjoyed shedding some light myself today. Remember the time a competitor who boasts of his conservation credentials lobbied BSBI to refuse charitable donations from my wildlife tour company?

I do. It's an illuminating tale.
November 29, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Roger Harding
Discussing the Ghost #Orchid and its current status in the British Isles at the @bsbibotany.bsky.social Botanical Conference 2025, handily been put next to the @mariposanature.bsky.social stand so I can talk about our tours too, where you can come and see Ghost #Orchids in the wild if you want to!
November 29, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Polar Bear
Mountain Gorrilla
Manatee
Bengal Tiger
Wolverine
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild:

Bengal Tiger
Northern Right Whale
Bison
Leopard
Blue whale
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild:

Elephant
Rhino
Moose
Badger
Sting Ray
November 29, 2025 at 9:41 AM