First purple bearded orchid for the season : September 25 2023

After two days of not walking in the bush had to find a way to fit that in. We have a a Council clean up scheduled for tomorrow. First task was to start working on that - cleared old hear from under the house. It all pre-dates my time living here. Then tackle the few things in the garage not done last time with more rigour than last time

That gave me some leeway to cycle down to Murrua Trail in Ku-ring Gai Chase NP. The mission is sun orchids, flying duck orchids and bearded orchids. First up were a few onion orchids growing in the grassy area below the retirement village

This is always a good spot no matter goe much strimming and mowing is done. The orchids thrive on the lack of competition. Slender onion orchid - microtis parviflora. Hard to say if labellum is triangular or heart shaped

The warm weather last week while we were away brought the sun orchids to flowering and pollination. Disappointing as there were so many buds the week before. This flower may never have opened but the seed capsule is swelling - guessing thelymitra peniculata by the blue colouring

First sighting of these for the season - centaurium is the genus - no idea beyond that - growing in the short grass area

Another sun orchid also looking like it has pollinated without opening

One with bud and one without. Maybe get a flower later

Sydney boronia from the side trail

Quite a few of the drumsticks flowering. Stopped at this one as it was fully open. Noticed a bug there - clear to see in first photo

Only when the second big arrived did I notice how long the proboscis was = perfectly designed for suckling nectar. Size - maybe 3 matchsticks long and about the same girth

Budding bearded orchid

Did find a flying duck orchid open right in the middle of the track - caleana major. Knew to look as I have seen it taking shape over a few weeks

Flower is a little off the normal shape. I cannot decide which is the better photo

Last visit this one was closest to opening - easy to photograph in the sun and photographer able to sit on a rock with feet below the knees

Saw thisnbudding last time lower down the slope in a new spot. Photo work was a lot harder as it had flowered in the shade. Photographer had to go to manual settings to get the shot

Turning back- leptospermum squarrosum - one with a red ridging and the other not

Bearded orchid in a known spot - copper bearded orchid - calochilus campestris - first for the season

Front on shows the solid bearding at the top of the beard

Back to the main fire trail under the powerlines - more onion orchid flowers open in this colony than last time walked

Looks the same as the one seen earlier - microtis parviflora

Close up - seems similar to the other one. Nice to see half a dozen plants in this spot. A different close up higher up the spike

Decided to walk back along the main trail rather than cut back through the bush. Hard to ID but it looks like a sun orchid deciding if it is warm enough to open. Maybe not warm enough

Did get the sun orchid open in the spot seen two weeks back. Sun orchid. The bud below has seeded.

Tough to get the photo right - bright light on the screen and finger prints, tired after big week and a few monster nights, and yellow wants to grab attention

Pink sun orchid - thelymitra carnea

Mission done - 3 orchids I was going to see open plus the onion orchids. Got a few kms done on the bike too.

Back home - more clean up stuff to dump. Did water the front lawn. Good to see some of our junk getting recycled. Every tool with a motor on went. Sure hope they are appreciated

Dinner: Italian meat balls with pasta

Markets opened ugly - stayed away

This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Cycling, Daily Activity, Gardening, House Chores, Photowalking