First of the Turtle Orchids on south of Lovers Jump Creek : February 4 2023

Slow start to the day after a late night. My wife headed out to drop her friend off at her writing course. Had it in my head to drive down toward the beaches to look for orchids in different places. Was a fab sunny day - roads to the beaches would be busy. Stayed home. Went shopping with my wife when she got home - she was picking up a PC monitor and wanted to make sure she got that right

Walked the local Lovers Jump Creek to check up on wasp orchids - chiloglottis sylvestris flowering on both sides of the track

Disturbed a brush turkey scratching here - the orchids are in the centre of the ring - scratched out

Will not be long before the whole colony is scraped away

From the other side of the track

Better light makes for a more clear photo

Walked along part of the old track - so the bonnet orchid is new for the season

This one caught my eye - the hood has become somewhat compressed - look at the sepal below - it is also bent - going to guess there was some obstacle as the spike came out the ground

Never tire of these - cryptostylis erecta - good thing as it is often all we will see over the next few weeks

Always a challenge to photograph the lobelia as the flower is small and the white grabs the light

Always something quirky to see - mushroom in an unusual spot

Growing 3 foot off the ground in the cleft of a tree

A bit of a rant next - they have been working on drainage below the waterfall - it comes out under the house above. Big mound of earth is fine as it is in dead ground

The next photo is the rant. They have dumped the old tree roots on the other side of the track. There are 3 or 4 orchid sites under there - gone

Just hacks me off.

This bonnet orchid is safe just below

There was a red bodied dragonfly buzzing out around the creek - it did pose but this is the best photo. Never seen one of these before. It was there when I came back too.

Spied a few buds on the turtle orchids - two leaves opposed on the ground

One flower open - turtle orchid - chiloglottis seminuda

Next week there will be a few. Good to see as this patch was badly scratched away by the birds earlier in the season

Picked up a leech there - a bit wetter than other spots. Glad I had boots on - hate them

Flannel flower - a few still open

Orchid spotter lesson - see the leaf

Look for the spike of the bonnet orchid

Pale flax lily

Last days of the common hyacinth orchid - dipodium variegatum

Had friends come over for dinner. They were supposed to bring ingredients for dinner. Oops. Made a quick BBQ

Also made rősti - do not be tempted to turn. This is after the first turn

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