Wildflower season

It is very busy at work at the moment with flora surveys, monitoring and mammal monitoring/trapping. Thought we’d share a few of our photos.

This one is pretty common, but nevertheless very pretty, and can be any colour from white to deep mauve. Glossodia major or the Wax-lip Orchid.

We had a survey for Philotheca difformis subsp. difformis or small-leaf wax-flower in the northern end of the park near Flat rock and Hollow Mountain and although we found a few plants of one species of Philotheca I’m not sure it was the right one. A tiny piece has gone off to the botanical gardens to be checked. This was the largest plant we could find.

On the same walk we saw quite a few of these sun-orchids. They are Thelymitra antennifera or Rabbit Ears.

This next one is one of my favourites, Diuris pardina or the Leopoard Orchid.

Now for a few of the spider orchids, which are very difficult to identify. I think this one might be a Red-cross Spider-orchid.

All the photos above were taken by Frank, now just a few of mine. First of all another Duiris, Diuris orientis or the Wallflower orchid.

More spider orchids…

The Grampians spider orchid (Caladenia sp. aff. patersonii 2)

Last of all Caladenia filamentosa or Red Daddy Long-legs. Not the best photo but they can be hard to get when the wind is blowing.

I know this isn’t a wildflower but I couldn’t resist adding this photo Frank took early the other morning of a female red-necked wallaby with very young (no fur yet) pouch young.