Yellow leek orchid pkus a few in Ku-ring Gai Chase NP : November 22 2024

A day that could have started early drifted away. Train strike was cancelled which meant I could have done a train-bike-walk. Had in mind a specific walk to seek out leek orchids. Makes sense to ride back from there - did not feel up to that at school puck up times. Took the car

Drove to a known fire trail in Ku-ring Gai Chase NP. They did a hazard reduction burn a few weeks back but my information was they only did the East side. Red spider grevillea on the West side

Information was correct. The good news is the leek orchids are on both sides of the track but in a very tight zone - maybe 50 metres long

Tall yellow-eyed grass. Maybe yellow could be the theme again as the leek orchid I am after is yellow

Saw this bug on the mini flannel flower. Happy to get it in focus - it is a weevil and about the size of a match head. Or bugs could be the theme

Grey spider grevillea

Pale flax lily - hard to focus

Lace monitor lizard trying to hide. Spots are yellow

A few patersonia iris starting to fold

Yellow goodenia - bug is an ant

Dampiera purpurea

Conesticks flower forming on the edge of the track

First orchid budding for the day - hyacinth orchid - dipodium variegatum

A little past - like one metre - was one yellow orchid. This is a new spot. Walked up to the known spot further on that side. The 4 spikes I saw last walk are all gone. Been gone a while my friend told me later. The ones in the burned section are gone too. Back to the photos. Flower is crawling with weevils

Close up - prasophyllum flavum

Labellum is quite ruffled

Watched these two weevils walking up and down - they are making more weevils

Slender rice flower

A few more hyacinth orchids budding - none open today

Did find a few bonnet orchids in the next wooded section

Cryptostylis erecta

Found one flying duck orchid - in a new location a good 100 metres closer up the track than seen before

Close up of caleana major

Broad leafed geebung just starting to flower

Double headed bonnet orchid - quite normal - not easy to photograph both

There was a lot of cicada noise. One flew right past my face - was bigger than I have seen - maybe the size of a fairy wren. So about twice the size of this husk - this was a whole thumb long

Walk back was spent looking deeper in the bush. No point looking on the burned side - tongue orchids a good 10 metres off track - a few plants

Always a test to get a decent photo of the veined underside of cryptostylis subulata

Narrow leafed hemigenia on a side track - no hyacinth orchids open

Was a good choice to drive-walk - found the leek orchids - first for the season.

Dinner: Pizza on gluten free bases
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Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking