Seeking Out Australian Native Orchids #74 - Ku-Ring-Gai Chase NP, NSW

Photo work for today's walk from home started in the garden with the first flowers emerging for one of my tame orchids. This orchid is native to Australia and is normally found north of the Hunter River (well north of here) - and in my garden.

Pink Rock Orchid Dendrobium kingianum or Thelychiton kingianus

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Dendrobium~kingianum

Today's walk was to explore a side track from my normal walk I found a few days back that crosses the creek. Before I could make the creek crossing I found these mayfly orchids growing in the leaf litter on the side of the track.

Mayfly Orchid- Acianthus caudatus

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acianthus~caudatus

Disappointing to find yet another warning about the potential of sewage overflows in the national park. There is a sewage line that runs all the way along the fire trail. It seems that the pipe does not have sufficient capacity to cope with heavy rainfall - maybe the orchids like this stuff that overflows.

Photo work for the mayfly orchid is a different challenge - the central part of the flower is the size of two match heads but the sepals are about 3 cms long (one inch). I try to get the whole flower into the frame - every attempt I have made to focus in on the central section just does not work.

I made my way across the footbridge across the creek - the bridge is built on top of a water pipe that goes that way and shows nicely how the creek tumbles away down the hill.

No joy in finding any flowering orchids on this section - it is quite overgrown. I did find this bottlebrush flower

and this little pea flower - early signs of Spring.

I met a couple of ladies walking along the track as I was photographing another stand of mayfly orchids - first time I had spotted them on this side of the creek. (Photos were not good enough to share here). I told them I was hoping to find some sun orchids in flower. I looked like a hero when I found this one just opening up. I can see spots on the inside which gives me identification information

Spotted Sun Orchid- Thelymitra ixioides

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Thelymitra~ixioides

I did have to do some cheating to get the flower to open a little more so I could see inside the flower. Cheating works by breathing on the flower so it thinks the sun is shining warmly. The ladies went on their way and a little further on I found a few plants fully open. I called the ladies back

Spotted Sun Orchid- Thelymitra ixioides

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Thelymitra~ixioides

This flower does not have spots - this is part of the challenge of identifying orchids. I can tell from the shape of the column (black and yellow on top of a white fringed element) that this is also a spotted sun orchid (without spots).

Orchids are optimised to attract specific pollinators. The mayfly orchids had attracted this fly who was happy to stay still enough for me to get a photo - but not long enough for me to get a photo properly in focus.

Taken at f/8, 1/30 sec, ISO-800

I did want to spend some time getting better pictures of the maroonhoods I had found last week. This is also a challenge - the plants are at ground level, mostly in the sun and with leeches around.

I am happy with the results - always a challenge to get the full flower in the frame

Coastal Maroonhood - Pterostylis oblonga

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pterostylis~oblonga

Taken at f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO-800

Photos taken with Canon Powershot G16 on August 11, 2017.