Parrot and orchid hunting

(10 photos) – I’m trying to go to bed earlier, which is impacting my late night 2am editing and blogging routine. My shift has changed at work – did I tell you I’m a van driving postie? Less breaks which means less time for taking photos.

I’ve also bought a “new” mountain bike after both front and rear shocks “exploded” on my 2009 vintage Trek Fuel EX 5.5. I could tell you I pushed it way too hard at Maydena, but more likely perished seals due to sitting idle for too long, but now finding time to: pedal more + get fit = earlier mornings – late nights 🙂

Spotted this elusive shy bird out the kitchen window having a good feed and for a change, he stayed until I’d grabbed my camera!

This Orchid comes from my wife’s side of the family and two large pots of them live on our deck. I almost lost my Grand-mother’s Orchid’s last year which is similar but yellower and browner. I repotted them and they are recovering well now but haven’t flowered this year.

A neighbour gave me this small orchid only a few months ago and it surprised me with a flower last week!

The neighbour who gifted me the pink orchid put me onto keeping an eye out for this one – which began this orchid hunting adventure.
“Widespread in Northern, Central, Eastern and South Eastern areas of Tasmania and found in shaded, sheltered moist areas often among low vegetation. Images below are from more sheltered and moist gullies and hillsides around the foothills of Mt Wellington including the upper Waterworks and Ridgeway.
Flowers from late August and commonly September and October” – Source

I’ve never seen one of these before – but then, I’ve probably never really looked!!
“The Purple bearded orchid is a commonly occurring species of the Calochilus genus found in open bushland, heath and grasslands around much of Tasmania. Flowering in November and December, it features from one to 9 flowers per stem with green to reddish stripe and purple or bronze hairs covering the labellum.” – source.

I may have misidentified this one as it wasn’t fully nodding – but perhaps this is a fresh specimen. Another orchid I’ve never seen before! It wasn’t easy to spot amongst the undergrowth.

“Pterostylis nutans (Nodding Greenhood) is widespread in the South, East, North and Northwest of Tasmania. Images here were taken at South Arm near Cape Deslacs, Waterworks and foothills of Mt Wellington in dry Eucalyptus forest and heathy scrub. Easily recognised by its strongly ‘nodding’ habit, flowers are born singly on one stem and it tends to form colonies. The Nodding Greenhood is one of 34 different species of Pterostylis (Greenhood)., found in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Native Orchid Facebook page is a great place to keep track of observations of this and other orchids
Nutans flowers over much of the year except in the warmest months with a peak through June to August.” – source