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Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Monday 24 September 2018

Down in the woods - hunting for wild orchids - Western Australia

Down in the woods over the weekend we went hunting for wild orchids. Though in Western Australia we call it the "bush" not the "woods". 

September is the perfect time to find wild orchids in our bushland, particularly in the wheatbelt, midwest and southwest. 
I've blogged about hunting for wild orchids before here - Hunting for wild orchids in Western Australia's mid-west

 Specifically I went to find the Queen of Sheba orchid - Thelymitra variegata


 It has been a couple of years since we had seen this beautiful orchid in banksia-jarrah bushland about fifteen minutes drive from our home. Difficult to find, but instantly recognizable, there are at least three different forms of this rare species, with scattered populations from Dongara to Esperance and flowering late June in the north to September in the south.

Unfortunately on this particular bush-walk we didn't find the Queen. We did however see other orchids. 

And I asked two kangaroos who peered at me through the scrubland if they had seen the Queen. They just blinked at me and then bounded away. Perhaps they had seen her. I've read that they love snacking on the petals of the Queen of Sheba.


Below are some of the orchids we saw - (please note I am not a botanist, so I can't absolutely identify the exact species, just family names).
 Clockwise from top left -
Reaching spider orchid - Caladenia arrecta, White spider orchid, Donkey orchid, Blue Lady Orchid - Thelymitra crinita, Pink Fairy orchid, Leak orchid, Scented Sun orchid, Enamel orchid, and in the centre one of the Cowslip orchids.  

 I was very happy to see the Reaching spider orchid, as this is a new one to me. 
The Leak orchid was enjoying growing in an area of burnt out bushland which they favour. 


 There are many species of sun orchids, which as the name implies rely on the sun to open, as in this case, the beautiful Blue Lady Orchid - Thelymitra crinita.


 During our recent trip up to the mid-west, wheatbelt, and goldfields, which I started blogging about last week - (please click here if you missed it - Wildflower hunting and taking time out) - I enjoyed hunting over the granite rocks for orchids. Granite rocks in particular in our wheatbelt area, are havens for orchids, which gather in the rock gardens or under bushes on the rocks, like these Lemon Scented Sun Orchids at Karalee Rock, just north of the Great Eastern Highway, east of Southern Cross. 
You have to look carefully to find orchids, as they are quite often very small, and hidden under bushes or overhanging branches.




Here are some of the other orchids we saw at Karalee Rock. 
Starting top left - Snail orchid, Clown orchid (I love his stripey pants) , and Scented Sun orchid
from bottom left - Lemon Scented sun orchid, Silky Blue orchid, and Donkey orchids. 



Of course there were lots of other wildflowers too, not just orchids, but I will be back next week with some more pics from our trip. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. Do you have a favourite place for looking for wildflowers? Perhaps you would like to share in your comments. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 

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16 comments:

  1. Oh, these are such gorgeous little treasures. You have to be very alert to find them. Wikipedia told that there are 33 different wild orchids in Finland of which I have only seen two in the wild. The most common is Dactylorhiza maculata, in case you want to google. Happy MM!

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  2. What a splendid sharing. Luv orchids

    Happy Mosaic Monday

    much love...

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  3. I think of orchids in pots indoors on sunny sills or in hot houses, not as wildflowers so I shook my head to let that concept sink in. Also unfamiliar is the idea of orchids in the Australian bush rather than in tropical jungles. Thanks for sharing your hunt of wild orchids. I've never seen blue orchids.
    Since I don't go out much to where wildflowers are, I toss wildflower seeds into the yard. :-)

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  4. Wow - Wild orchids! How beautiful your country is. And the kangaroo -- cute too!

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  5. Jesh - All Seasons25 September 2018 at 08:24

    Hello Jill,
    Your hunt for orchids was amazing! Am envious, as they are my second favorite flower (after roses)! Was so impressed that I called hubby to see your post, because he like to photograph flowers.
    Unfortunately flowers in the forest are a meal for the deer, so am not seeing much of flowers throughout the year (they seem to stay away from bulbs). Thank you for sharing this super interesting post with All Seasons, Jill! Enjoy your week, Jesh/Junieper

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  6. Oh, Jill, this makes our few Montana orchids blush with embarrassment … or maybe it's just that I am not looking hard enough! We do tend to hike quickly (we have a destination in mind!), so maybe I need to start walking just to look under bushes and around rocks!

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  7. A multitude of beautiful wild orchids.

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  8. Thank you for sharing this captures of rare orchids - it’s interesting to read about.

    It’s a pleasure again to visit each.... happy Mosaic Monday

    Heidrun xxx

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  9. Oh, I love Australian wild life and all native flowers!!
    I've been twice in Australia and hiked a lot in forests too.
    Those wild orchids are so beautiful.

    It was nice to find your lovely blog via Riitta's Floral Passions-blog.

    Have a wonderful spring season!
    Susanna

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  10. How fun that would be to find such beauty in the woods/bush. I think I like it called bush rather than woods. Bush! More fun to say. :) Anyway, we have wild flowers but I've never seen the like in my area of Ohio.

    Peabea from Peabea Scribbles

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  11. the blue lady orchid is just beautiful. Thanks for sharing these gems.

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  12. Stunning orchids, so exotic. The only orchids I see are the white ones in pots on mt table! Lucky you to have such amazing specimens to discover.

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  13. You've cobbled up an attractive mosaic of wild flowers. Love your collection!

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  14. So beautiful! I love the blue lady orchids the best.

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I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I read and very much appreciate every comment and love hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return.