Orchid Time

Springtime is here. When I'm out in Kalamunda National park looking for nesting birds to video, with the warmer weather I'm now hearing the movements of skinks in the leaf litter and it's usually then that I notice the newly opened spring orchids. Having done some work at the state herbarium, I always enjoy seeing interesting plants like orchids.

Here are a few of the orchids found growing near our home in the hills and some from the coastal plain.





These are one of the more common orchids found in the hills area at this time of year, the Cowslip Orchids.





Another common orchid is the Donkey Orchid, found growing in many areas at this time of year.






This is the Bird Orchid, due to it's colour and small size, amazingly hard to see under trees on the forest floor.








A small beautiful orchid found only in certain open areas amongst the forest, the Autumn Leek Orchid.

Another common orchid of the Jarrah forest and coastal plain, the Pink Fairy Orchid.

One of the many, many Spider Orchids belonging to the Caladenia genus.

A wonderful plastic-looking orchid, the Pink Enamel Orchid.

Another Caladenia species, possibly the White Spider Orchid. You really need a Caladenia book and a hand lens to often tell which species it is, and there seem to be new species all the time.

This one looks like the proper White Spider Orchid.

This one always looks like an angry triffid or the plant from the movie Little Shop of Horrors. A small but wonderful Rabbit Orchid.

And yet another species of Caladenia, the Leaping Spider Orchid.

And to finish, a nice Purple Enamel Orchid.