Sun Orchids and Double Header Flying Ducks : My Actifit Report Card: October 10 2021

Forecast was for rain to arrive in the afternoon. We had a visitor for lunch and I was set to cook paella. Best get out on the bike to check a few orchid openings. A friend had seen a specific sun orchid while I was bashing around the other side of the park the day before - I wanted to find those. I skipped coffee and was off.

Timing is coincidental but another friend happened to be starting his walk. If I had had coffee, I would have missed him. He is a flower photographer getting into orchids. I showed him an orchid close by to help him with ID. Blew me down if there is not an insect for the photo - calochilus robertsonii

Another new bearded orchid further along - similar but without the eyes - calochilus paludosus

My other firiend had given me specific directions for the sun orchid. He said it was thelymitra improcera which is not known this far north. I am thinking thelymitra media - tall sun orchid

Picture of leaf and spike - no bracts - standing about 45 cms tall

We came across a big cluster of sun orchids

5 or 6 plants

Love the yellow

So far all the same - and then this - sorry for lack of focus but I did get the fly

Maybe this is more like it

Two plants together - this looks like thelymitra peniculata but the plant features do not stack up - too tall and many flowers. The black hood is not the same as the one I saw the day before

Part of the mission was to see the double header flying duck. I was distracted by the company and did not check the photo - blurred. Will hope they are still flowering tomorrow (two days after) and it is not raining too much

One bud still to open

Next stop to check on cymbidium suave I saw in bud last time

Of the 4 plants, two are open and one easy to photograph.

Close up

I left my friend to his photo work and headed back hoping to see the sun orchid a little more open as the day warmed up.

Double header on the red bearded orchid

Front on of the sun orchid a little more open

Looks like thelymitra media to me in the side on.

Found this red bearded orchid well off track. They do cope better with competition than other orchids

One more - and then a step back photo

Turned into a good whistlestop trip

Back home to prepare lunch - oysters Kilpatrick ready to grill

And classic paella ready to serve

We had a fab lunch - the last before lockdown ends.

Well it ends for the double vaxxed. I remain locked down until December 1. It is doing my head in.

I will keep doing my orchid a day thing but I will stretch the rules a bit more. Imagine how hard it will be for coppers now - 70% of the people are legal and 30% not. Who do they check?

Trade action: Sold a bunch of dross altcoins bought in 2018 and bought LUNA
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Cycling, Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking