Leaving Esperance at just after 7am we are finally on our way. This year I will be listing the orchids found at each stop on our journey. I will group the photos of a particular orchid together rather than post them in chronological order. If needed a little narrative about the trip may be added to a location based on anything that occurred on the way to it, during the visit itself or is planned after. Please provide me any feedback on this structure as I am open to suggestions how I can improve the blog or spice it up a bit… Thanks!!
Springdale Nature Reserve
This Nature Reserve was burnt out last summer and has proven this season to be successful in providing excellent orchid finds. Today is no exception.
Pink bunny orchid (Eriochilus scaber subsp. scaber)
Green Range donkey orchid
(Diuris littoralis)
Blue beard , Blue fairy orchid
(Pheladenia deformis)
Little pink fairy, Dwarf pink fairy
(Caladenia reptans subsp. reptans)
Reaching spider orchid
(Caladenia arrecta)
Mills Road verge
Turning into Mills road off the South Coast Hwy, west of Munglinup, we stop at one of our regular road verge stops. To our dismay the area had been graded so the usual orchid habitat was destroyed. Luckily some orchids seem to like disturbed ground, whilst other areas had missed the destruction.
Cream spider orchid
(Caladenia horistes)
Green Range donkey orchid
(Diuris littoralis)
Mallee banded greenhood
(Pterostylis arbuscula)
Overshot Hill Nature Reserve
Parking at the free overnight camping area we venture into the creekline to look for the orchids we had found here previously. Again we were not disappointed. Of particular interest were the dual flowered and green coloured Dwarf shell orchids.
Dwarf shell orchid
(Pterostylis brevichila)
Midget greenhood
(Pterostylis mutica)
Pallarup Nature Reserve
Another of our favourite spots, which always seems to have some orchids in flower.
Hairy-stemmed snail orchid
(Pterostylis setulosa
Blue beard
(Pheladenia deformis)
Pink candy orchid
(Caladenia hirta subsp. rosea)
Sugar orchid
(Ericksonella saccharata)
Jug orchid, Bull orchid, Antelope orchid, Recurved shell orchid
(Pterostylis recurva)
Western wheatbelt donkey orchid
(Diuris brachyscapa)
Mallee banded greenhood
(Pterostylis arbuscula)
Varley
This is only our 2nd visit to this location and I’m glad we made the effort. So many spider orchids with some others thrown in for good measure.
Sugar orchid
(Ericksonela saccharata)
Midget greenhood
(Pterostylis mutica)
Blue beard
(Pheladenia deformis)
Jug orchid
(Pterostylis recurva)
Hairy-stemmed snail orchids
(Pterostylis setulosa)
Western wispy spider orchid, Small-lipped spider orchid
(Caladenia microchila)
Chameleon spider orchid
(Caladenia dimidia)
Joseph’s spider orchid
(Caladenia polychroma)
Gorge Rock Picnic Area
Leaving Varley just after 3.15pm we make tracks for Gorge Rock, 14 kms east of Corrigin, for our overnight stay. Soup and toast for dinner then a well earned rest.
17 different orchid species found today, not too shabby.
WA Orchid Adventures 