Pink fingers orchids galore in Seven Mile Beach NP : September 17 2024

A cool sunny Shoalhaven Heads day. We headed into Nowra to do some shopping. It felt like first day of the holidays buying a few different things. Chicken curry sausages was different - cooked some for lunch. Headed out on the bike after that to check on spring orchids

It was a Seven Mile Beach NP walk with pink fairy orchids. IDs are a challenge - start with caladenia catenata. Green column is part of ID. Flower is normally white

Next one - yellow tip on the labellum and a bit of red banding - probably a hybrid with carnea

All the same but no yellow tip

Pink stripe down the centre of the labellum - shades of something else

Everything consistent with catenata other than the pink

Try this for a variation - darker pink and calli each have a dash of that pink - but not yellow - shades of hilmanii

Carmine bands - probably caladenia carnea

Close up - lobes do not fold in

No bands - back to catenata

Carmine bands. The noticeable difference is the petals are longer, narrower and less dumpy

Different angle of the column folded back with pollonia evident

Unfolding form

Dumpy fingers but everything else is consistent

First dyanella of the season - good light for photo

Carmine bands - darker colouring - lobes not curved - calli all white. Probably carnea

Close up

Made the turn here - the nodding greenhoods are gone - just a few caladenias

Hard the black cockatoos with about 10 flying overhead. A bit slow to get the photo but a good view of the tree canopy above

Double header over the shoulder

And from the front

Lomandra are just shaping up

Back to dark pink

Another double header

From the front

Counted the pink fingers orchids on the way back - this was #100 - got to 110 in a 3000 step walk just on one side of the track - double thst for the whole walk. Of note - no other pink flowers at all - a few blue and purple

Did find a few native violets right at the end of the walk

Was so good to get out on the bike. I love being able to go out the front door and not have to think about traffic

Dinner: Leftovers

Trade action: Bought CVV.V, DBG1.PA. Adjusted CBK.DE
This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Cycling, Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking