First bearded orchids back in Sydney : September 21 2023

Busy day lining up. Looking after our friend's puppy. Heading back to Sydney. Big tidy up to do there ahead of open house this weekend.

Dog needed a few walks. Neighbour is talking about using weed killer on the lawn between his place and mine. The lawn is non-existent - strip will be our local beach in a hurry. So I spent two hours pulling all the weeds. I suggested to him the best weed killer is to water the grass and let it do the work. That might work now. Left a little after 12 for the drive back so my wife can baby sit.

Gave me time to walk the local track ahead of the garden work. Walked the south side of Lovers Jump Creek.

Kind of disappointed to see this greenhood has seeded. Missed it this year. Good news is it did not flower last year - pterostylis oblonga in a know spot and the only one I have seen Sydney-side

Quite a few mini flannel flowers open. Always a popular shot - flower is the size of a US penny

Another upside flower photo chance without lieing on the ground

Leptospermum squarrosum with a difference - green and white with no other colours

Pea flower cluster

First bearded orchid of the season - red bearded orchid

How to ID? The tape coming out the labellum and lack of basal glands - calochilus paludosus

Budding bearded orchid - bracts up the spike are a clue

Two budding either side the spiky bush and a bonnet orchid lead in front

Budding red bearded orchid - tape showing first

Found a few onion orchids in a known spot - half a dozen plants with one showing well - slender onion orchid - microtis parviflora

Close up. Flower is the size of a matchhead - hard to get focus right

Found a budding sun orchid below the track. Guessing it is not ixioides as there season seems to be over. Tidied up the creature showing. Going to guess it ears orchid flowers when they arrive

More red bearded orchids - fully open. Decided to walk an exte soon of the track in the hope of finding orchids triggered by fire

There is often a reason for snap choices. This is one such. Maybe the best orchid photo of the year with a grasshopper in matching colours - size 8 mm long

First corea of the season

A few bearded orchids on the way back - stages of opening

Fully open. Always thought orchids flowered from the bottom flower

Here's the lie - 2nd flower from bottom is fully open and one below not

Close up

Hibbertia

More normal sequence for this calochilus paludosus

A tester from buds only. Thelymitra vs Calochilus.

Flower a few plants across - bearded orchid taking shape. Now we all know what to look for - the bracts are a clue

Sap running from the eucalyptus trees are a sign of stress - too much rain or not enough rain. What we know is the tree is not happy.

Always good to get a walk in that is offering new season orchids.

That was not the end of the day. Raked the back lawn. Watered the front lawn which got smashed by a few 34C days. Going to take a while to get the lawn recovered.

Dinner: Beef with black bean space and garlic and green beans.

Was along day for a huge count of steps.

 <br/> _This report was published via Actifit app ([Android](https://bit.ly/actifit-app) | [iOS](https://bit.ly/actifit-ios)). Check out the original version [here on actifit.io](https://actifit.io/@carrinm/actifit-carrinm-20230922t133523877z)_ <br/> <br><img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXv9QWiAYiLCSr3sKxVzUJVrgin3ZZWM2CExEo3fd5GUS/sep3.png"><br><table>    <tr>        <img src="https://actifit.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ACTIVITYDATE.png"> </tr>   <tr>        <div class="text-center"><b>21/09/2023</b></div>    </tr></table><table>    <tr>        <img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRgAoqi4vUVymaro8hXdRraNX6LHkXhMRBZxEo5vVWXDN/ACTIVITYCOUNT.png"> </tr>   <tr>        <div class="text-center"><b>23931</b></div> </tr></table><table>    <tr>        <img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZ6ZT8VaEpaDzB16qZzK8omffbWUpEpe4BkJkMXmN3xrF/ACTIVITYTYPE.png">  </tr>   <tr>        <div class="text-center"><pre><b>Daily Activity, Gardening, House Chores, Photowalking</b></div></pre></div>    </tr></table><div class="text-center"><img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNp6YwAm2qwquALZw8PdcovDorwaBSFuxQ38TrYziGT6b/A-20.png"><a href="https://bit.ly/actifit-app"><img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQqfpSmcQtfrHAtzfBtVccXwUL9vKNgZJ2j93m8WNjizw/l5.png"></a><a href="https://bit.ly/actifit-ios"><img src="https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbWy8KzKT1UvCvznUTaFPw6wBUcyLtBT5XL9wdbB7Hfmn/l6.png"></a></div>