Rainforest Orchids on Gibberogong Track : February 20 2022

Some monster dreams early on - just wanted to turn over to grab something back. We have guests coming for an evening BBQ. Lorraine is shopping for prawns and oysters.

I went on the bike to walk a local track - up high and down to the rain forest. It is cross over season for orchids. Leptospermum and ant action

Fab blue sky for the big trees

The yellow of the St Andrews Cross spider stands out

Banksia flower just forming

A delight in miniature

Part of the mission was to find midge orchids. This one was under the tree canopy off track in an unexpected place

Corunastylis fimbriata

Side on

Did find one seeded further along - good to find as I have not seen them this side of the track

Dropped down to Lovers Jump Creek - cooler here

The view down to the join with Cowan Creek. Crossed the creek to look for chiloglottis orchids

Two leaves opposed on the ground and the promise

Chiloglottis seminuda - I had seen the leaves before but this is first time flowering for me

Colours vary a bit - turtle orchid is the English name - seen side on

Seminuda as calli go only half way down the labellum - the landing petal

Found another colony before the track junction. I walked down to here last week from the other side

Tracking back focused on the other side of the track

Stages of opening shows the turtle orchid shape

Stopped to share orchid info with a couple at the creek. Their food hss attracted the golden skink happy to pose

Up the hill

Surprised to find these still flowering. It grows from a succulent base

Fungi on a step in the track

Banksia side on

And top down. Was a good ride and walk - hot and.humid. Felt hotter than the 24C the GPS shows

We had friends come over for drinks and snacks. Last time we went there we got dinner. So chef pulled off classic tapas style snacks event - cheese plate, oysters and sashimi, butterflied lemon and garlic prawns, Chinese dumplings, spring rolls and samoosas, smoked sausages. No photos- was yum. We also explored some alternate ways to cook oysters..

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Cycling, Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking