Alexander Bay was our magnificent destination for Saturday afternoon, with friends and family. We enjoyed a wonderful morning on the beach then decided to try our luck at catching some squid at the Westen end of the bay. We parked up on the rocks and whilst the fisher people tried their luck I went for a wander around the vicinity.
Amazingly I actually came across some orchids in flower. Given the location and habitat I found them in I believe them to be the Granite bunny orchid (Eriochilus pulchellus), which is recorded as flowering during the months of April and May between Northcliffe and Bremer Bay then Esperance and Balladonia. Alexander Bay is located in the later range. However, the later reference book (The Complete Orchids of Western Australia) has separated the eastern range into its own subspecies of E. dilatatus. Applied name is E. dilatatus subsp. ‘eastern granites’. Another distinguishing feature is the small smooth margined leaf when compared to E. dilatatus subsp. dilatatus and E. dilatatus subsp. undulatus which are both recorded as occurring this far East.
I have an RDO, and the grandkids are enjoying the last few days of school holidays, so why not give mum a break and spend the day with Grandad and Nana. So, we take them off on an afternoon orchid hunt of sorts. First up it’s time to play on the blue metal mounds in our first location, a bit north up the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway.
No orchids seen on the drive into and out of this location, so we move on to Mount Burdett where we take the kids on a mountain climb. Well calling this casual bush bash and granite rock ramble a mountain climb is a bit of a stretch, but it was a good workout, nonetheless. Plus, the bonus was finding some orchids.
Actually, the first orchid blew my mind, as it was a bunny orchid with 16 flowers in its inflorescence. For this location, the White bunny orchid (Eriochilus dilatatus subsp. dilatatus) or the Granite bunny orchid (Eriochilus pulchellus) are the most likely species to be encountered. Neither are listed with 16 flowers; however, the Granite bunny is listed as having up to 10, whilst the White bunny has up to 7 and in rare cases 10. I have posted pics onto iNaturalist Australia site for assistance in identifying the probable species.
At and near the summit of the hill we come across some other bunny orchids in flower. These orchids are growing on the granite, have fewer flowers and a thick stem, which leads me to name these one’s the Granite bunny orchid.
Before leaving the rock, we grab a couple of pics then head back down to the Triton where we have afternoon tea before for the drive home. On a roadside stop we find another bunny orchid, which I will not attempt to ID as I did not grab a photo of its leaf.
What better way to spend my RDO than in the company of my beautiful partner in crime Debbie and 2 of our gorgeous grandchildren, exploring for early season orchids. The amazing warm, sunny weather was the icing on the cake.
Earlier this season (June) we checked out the burnt area north of Gibson and found greenhoods but nothing else. Now that we are at the other end of the season, we pop out there again to record what is now flowering. After nearly 3hrs searching the area, we were pleased to find so many orchids flowering. I hope you enjoy the photos below, that record what species we found.
Common mignonette orchid (Microtis media subsp. media)
Season: Sept to Jan
Distribution: Shark Bay to Eyre
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Red beaks (Pyrorchis nigricans)
Season: Aug to Oct
Distribution: Shark Bay to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands. Usually only flower the season following a summer fire.
Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis)
Purple enamel orchid (Elythranthera brunonis)
Season: Aug to early Nov
Distribution: Kalbarri to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Zebra orchid (Caladenia cairnsiana)
Zebra orchid (Caladenia cairnsiana)
Season: Aug to early Nov
Distribution: Lancelin to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Little pink fairy (Caladenia reptans subsp. reptans)
Little pink fairy (Caladenia reptans subsp. reptans)
Season: July to early Oct
Distribution: Northampton to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Cowslip orchid (Caladenia flava subsp. flava)
Cowslip orchid (Caladenia flava subsp. flava)
Season: July to early Dec
Distribution: Northampton to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Little pink fan orchid (Caladenia nana subsp. nana)
Little pink fan orchid (Caladenia nana subsp. nana)
Season: Late Sept to Oct
Distribution: Perth to Bremer Bay. ( 250kms to the West )
Habitat: Sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests and woodlands. Best in the season following a summer fire.
White fairy orchid (Caladenia marginata)
White fairy orchid (Caladenia marginata)
Season: Late Sept to Nov
Distribution: Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in seasonally wet flats and runoff areas on granite outcrops. Flowers best in season following a summer fire.
Blue china orchid (Cyanicula gemmata)
Blue china orchid (Cyanicula gemmata)
Season: Aug to early Nov
Distribution: Kalbarri to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Granite china orchid (Cyanicula nikulinskyae)
Granite china orchid (Cyanicula nikulinskyae)
Season: Sept to early Nov
Distribution: Fitzgerald River National Park and Israelite Bay
Habitat: Shallow soil pockets on granite outcrops. The recently integrated Condingup china orchid (C. sp ‘Esperance”) was listed as growing in shrublands and woodlands.
Heberle’s spider orchid (Caladenia heberleana)
Heberle’s spider orchid (Caladenia heberleana)
Season: Sept to Oct
Distribution: Augusta to Cape Arid
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
Esperance king spider orchid (Caladenia decora)
Esperance king spider orchid (Caladenia decora)
Season: Mid Aug to Oct
Distribution: Bremer Bay to Cape Arid
Habitat: Sandy-clay and clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Small mantis orchid (Caladenia attingens subsp. gracillima)
Small mantis orchid (Caladenia attingens subsp. gracillima)
Season: Aug to early Oct
Distribution: Jerramungup to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy and sandy-clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Dancing spider orchid (Caladenia discoidea)
Season: Aug to early Oct
Distribution: Kalbarri to Israelite Bay
Habitat: Sandy soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Dancing spider orchid (Caladenia discoidea)
White mignonette orchid (Microtis alba)
White mignonette orchid (Microtis alba)
Season: Oct to Jan
Distribution: Dongara to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in forests, woodlands and seasonally wet flats. Most common in the season following a summer fire.
Bee orchid (Diuris laxiflora)
Bee orchid (Diuris laxiflora)
Season: Sept to early Nov
Distribution: Gingin to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy-clay and clay soils in seasonally wet areas.
Twisted sun orchid (Thelymitra flexuosa)
Twisted sun orchid (Thelymitra flexuosa)
Season: Sept to Oct
Distribution: Kalbarri and Israelite Bay
Habitat: Seasonally-wet flats and shallow soil pockets on granite outcrops.
Swamp mignonette orchid (Microtis atrata)
Swamp mignonette orchid (Microtis atrata)
Season: Sept – Nov
Distribution: Jurien Bay to Israelite Bay. Also found in SA, Vic and Tas.
Habitat: Sandy-clay and clay soils in seasonally-wet flats.
Hybrid orchid (Caladenia x sp.)
Hybrid orchid (Caladenia flava x reptans)
Season: July to early Dec
Distribution: Northampton to Esperance
Habitat: Sandy, sandy-clay, lateritic and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands.
18 species and 1 hybrid found in just over 2 and a half hours of searching in the 1 location. A SUPER SUNDAY!!!!!
Father’s Day breakfast enjoyed at my son’s home with his little family. After stuffing ourselves, we all venture up to Dempster Head to walk off the excess joules. 🙂 It is during our walk that we encounter the following orchids.
Often crossed lateral sepals
Spectacled donkey orchid(Diuris conspicillata)
Distribution & Habitat: Restricted to the Esperance area, growing in shallow soil pockets on coastal granite outcrops.
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Albany & Israelite Bay, growing in shallow soil pockets on granite outcrops.
Thickened lateral sepals.
Very long sepals
White spider orchid ??(Caladenia sp.)
Unknown species of spider orchid.
Greenish tones to petals and sepals
Up to 3 flowers per orchid
Esperance white spider orchid(Caladenia crassa)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Bremer Bay and Israelite Bay, growing in clay and sandy-clay soils in seasonally moist woodlands and shrublands. Flowers best in the season following summer fire.
Flowers are 80-140mm across
Standing 50-150mm in height
Western tiny blue orchid(Cyanicula aperta)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Dumbleyung and Mt Ragged, growing in sandy, sandy-clay and lateritic soils in woodlands and scrublands.
Bluish-mauve flowers
Short spreading petals and sepals
Pink fairies(Caladenia latifolia)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy and sandy-clay soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands. In inland areas the species grows on low rises beside salt lakes and occasionally on granite outcrops. Also found in SA, VIC and TAS.
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Walpole and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy soils in coastal woodlands and shrublands.
Green and burgundy blotched flower
Broad labellum
Mosquito orchid (Cyrtostylis robusta)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Perth and Israelite Bay, growing in sandy, sandy-clay and granitic soils in forests, woodlands and shrublands. Northeast of Esperance the species occupies shallow soil pockets on granite outcrops.
Ground hugging leaf, 10-30mm round
Stands 250-500mm in height.
Esperance king spider orchid (Caladenia decora)
Distribution & Habitat: Found between Bremer Bay and Cape Arid, growing in sandy-clay and clay soils in woodlands and shrublands.
Four of more rows of calli
Saying goodbye to the kids, grandkids and Deb C, we head north for our next location. Here we check out the burnt patch north of Gibson.
We wake up to a fine, sunny but cold morning. As we are in no rush today, we have breakfast then go exploring the area for orchids, whilst our campers dry out in the sunshine. As we venture toward the granite rock, we discover a large number of Hairy-stemmed snail orchids (Pterostylis setulosa) growing under the sheoaks. Further snail orchids are found later on as well.
Also, at the base of the rock we find a Blue beard (Pheladenia deformis) which stands out in its vibrant blue colouring. Others are found later in the bush surrounding the rock.
From our previous visit to this location, we are aware most of the orchids are found in the bush surrounding the rock however we always have a bit of a climb just in case, plus the views are always amazing from atop these isolated granite outcrops. Usually growing on the rock as well as along the base are the bright yellow donkey orchids. Only a few were located this time round, so the Yellow granite donkey orchid (Diuris hazeliae) is recorded for posterity.
Back on ground level we wander throughout the bush surrounding the rock and immediately come across numerous Drooping spider orchids (Caladenia radialis). These particular spider orchids are so called due to their usually drooping petals and sepals, including the dorsal sepals. They occur between Northampton and Jerramungup and are known to occur in clumps.
Another orchid found in good numbers was the Ant orchid (Caladenia roei)which is a common, widespread orchid. The labellum can range in colour from nearly all green to nearly all red. Their petals and sepals are said to be positioned in a crucifix shape.
Other random orchids were also found growing in the bushland. The common Jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva)and a fertilised ?? Greenhood (Pterostylis sp.) represent their Genus whilst a lone Sugar orchid (Ericksonella saccharata)and a newly unfurled spider orchid (Caladenia sp.) are the representatives for their Genuses. EDIT iNaturalist members have named my spider orchid the Chameleon spider orchid (Caladenia dimidia)
P. recurvaPterostylis sp.E. saccharataC. dimidia
We get back to camp and decide to have an early lunch before packing up the campers. Then Richard pulls out the mini-Magnums as a reward for surviving the adventurous road trip. We then head south and say goodbye at the Mount Walker Road intersection. It is now just Deb and me for the rest of the trip back to Esperance.
Knock up lunch including leftovers from Narembeen Cafe.Mini-Magnum Reward
We venture further south, making a left turn into Calzoni Road and drive slowly along looking for access to a granite rock I had discovered searching Google Maps. The access road is signposted Twine Reserve. We make our way down and park up to investigate. The rock is covered in pools of water and very thick damp patches of moss. It is growing in this moss that we find our first orchids. The Little laughing leek orchid (Prasophyllum gracile) can grow up to 200mm in height and can have as many as 40 inverted flowers per plant.
We venture back into the vegetation/bush surrounding the rock and come across some more spider orchids. Now for the hard task of identifying them. However, after considering the location and the stance of the orchids they are most likely more Chameleon spider orchids (Caladenia dimida). Please correct me though if I am wrong.
One however did not meet the above criteria due to the size of the leaf and the overall yellow colouring. Please help me to name this one.
Similarly, to Roe Dam, other orchids are found, though usually only a single specimen, so I will record them together again. First up we have a Donkey orchid, then the Jug orchid, Sugar orchid, Greenhood, Ant orchid and Snail orchid are found.
D. hazeliaeP. recurvaE. saccharataP. sanguineaC. roeiP. setulosa
Moving back to Calzoni Road we head east to another chosen location. Gibb Rock is surrounded by farmland and has the obligatory water tank at its base. We park up at the tank and head into the bush at the base. Nothing to be found in the 10 mins of searching so we decide to push on. However, just before reaching the Triton Deb spies a lone Chameleon spider orchid growing in a patch of resurrection bush surrounding a pool of water. Whilst getting photos of this a Little laughing leek orchid also comes into view.
C. dimidiaP. gracileGibb Rock tank
Leaving Gibb Rock, we head south and call into Mulka’s Cave for a look. The handprints were visible which was great, however did not bother with looking for orchids as it was so weedy.
Turnoff to the cave and The Humps walk trailOpening at the back of the caveHand prints
We pass through Hyden and keep heading south, where we finally pull over at Lake Hurlstone Nature Reserve. First up we head across the road to the west and then venture towards the gully. First up we find some colourful donkey orchids. Now using the location as a guide, I feel these orchids are one of two possible species. However, the bright yellow colouring leads me to name them the Yellow granite donkey orchid as they are also found along drainage lines below rocky breakaways, which feels like the habitat we are currently in. The other option, Western wheatbelt donkey orchid, is listed as being pale yellow.
Further along we find some still flowering Dark banded greenhoods (Pterostylis sanguinea) which I am confident to name now, which I was not so with the greenhoods found earlier in the day. They start to flower in June and are recorded as flowering into September.
A couple of Sugar orchid are found, followed by 2 decent Jug orchids. Not many for what can be very common orchids. On the other side of the gully, I stumble across some small spider orchids. Possible two different species found. First up some look like the familiar Chameleon spider orchid and the other orchid may be the Ironcaps spider orchid (Caladenia paradoxa) which is described as having wispy, often pendulous petals and lateral sepals with a white, red striped labellum.
A final small orchid is found over both sides of the road. The Little frog greenhood (Pterostylis occulta)was only named in 2021. It differs to the Frog greenhood by the shape of the horn like structures on the labellum. This was a great little find to end our day.
It is now past 4pm so we grab one last view over the woodland to the lake then jump into the Triton and head down to Varley, where we set up camp in the so-called Chicken Ranch.
View toward Lake HurlstoneVarley’s chicken ranch – Free overnight campingBird watching during sunset
We are packed up and ready to leave by 10am on a beautiful sunny day. The Westonia Caravan Park is an awesome place to spend a few nights as the area around has so much to offer. Travelling south to the Great Eastern Highway, we turn west and make our way to Merredin. We decide to check out the reserve around Merredin Peak as this could be a great spot for some orchids. We were not disappointed.
We parked up at the RV Parking area closest to the rock as that was our main focus. However, to ensure we checked out a variety of habitat we venture along the Bush Trail first. (Due to time constraints, we only walked the trail I have highlighted in RED on the above map snip). Excitedly the first orchids found are some spider orchids. A trio of small clumps are found, with all appearing to be the Chameleon spider orchid (Caladenia dimidia), which is a common inland orchid of variable colourings; yellow, cream or pink-red flowers with white or pale-yellow labellum with red markings. Now you can see why these smaller spider orchids are so hard to positively identify.
Nearby we also find a little group of Ant orchids (Caladenia roei) growing. These are cheerful looking orchids, so are also commonly known as Clown orchids. They are a common widespread orchid, being found from Eurardy Station to Ravensthorpe.
Soon enough another spider orchid is found. These have a smooth-edged labellum with dense bands of calli plus the dorsal sepal is drooping. From these features it is the Drooping spider orchid (Caladenia radialis) which is also a common orchid across inland locations, from Northampton to Jerramungup.
Donkey orchids are found at the base of the granite rock growing in the wet areas. The Yellow granite donkey orchid (Diuris hazeliae) is a common inland orchid growing between Paynes Find and Salmon Gums. It is possible some may be a different species. Please let me if you think so.
Up on the rock in the mossy area we luckily find a few small Little laughing leek orchids (Prasophyllum gracile) growing. Not the best photos taken but still a record of their location. These small orchids are very widespread, growing between Shark Bay and Eyre. They grow on granite inland but in scrublands, woodlands and swamps nearer the coast.
Now we did come across many more spider orchids on the track, but I am struggling to identify them confidently. They range in colour, stance and size of both flower and leaf. For that reason, I will post the best pictures taken and will for now just call them Caladenia sp. Any ideas on the actual species please let me know and I will post an edit. EDIT 2 iNaturalist members have agreed they are all colour variations of the Chameleon spider orchid.
We move on as it’s now after 12 and lunch is calling as is the need to get some kilometres driven. Prior to leaving Merredin though we have to grab a look at and take a photo of the painted silos.
Leaving Merredin, we head west along the highway to Hines Hill where we turn south, down Hines Hill Road. It is at the intersection of Jura West Road that we pull over and check out a patch of vegetation. We all head off in different directions and my first orchid found is the common Hairy-stemmed snail orchid (Pterostylis setulosa). Not common here today but some others were found later in the search. Another Pterostylis orchid is found but has already been fertilised and has closed up. The Mallee banded greenhood (Pterostylis arbuscula)is a recently named species which as the name suggests is restricted to mallee regions. It is listed occurring from Dalwallinu to the Eyre Bird Observatory.
P. setulosaP. setulosaP. setulosaP. setulosaP. arbuscula
Deb as usual has the more exciting find. She comes across some small spider orchids. However, after the initial excitement it appears they are all Chameleon spider orchids. Nice to find, but a new species would have been great.
Chameleon spider orchids in the breeze
And to end the search of the area, a record of the one and only Western tiny blue orchid (Cyanicula aperta)is still to be posted, so here it is. It was found in the middle of all the spider orchids. As the common name suggests, these little guys only grow to 15omm in height and the flowers are 20 – 25 mm across.
C. aperta
Past lunch time and we need something to eat, so off we head into Bruce Rock. Unable to secure a counter meal at the local pub, we venture down to the local cafe, Bruce Rock Cafe (Love that Food) where we were surprised with the choices available. We sat outside to eat as the weather was mild. Well fed, we then move on.
With no real direction planned we head into Narembeen, so that Richard can change his tyre, on a solid flat surface, as the spinout north of Bullfinch seems to have caused the tyre to wear very badly. Narembeen has a great overnight campsite in the town, but we decide to head out to Roe Dam for our last joint overnight camp of the trip. We don’t have the site to ourselves, but we set up as best we can, light a campfire and enjoy the wonderful evening.
We have booked for 2 nights at the Westonia Caravan Park, so today we plan on checking out some nearby locations for possible orchids. The morning is very cold, in fact, ice has formed on the tonneau cover of Richard’s Triton. We again use the kitchen facilities and enjoy bacon and eggs on avo toast with hollandaise sauce. The sun is shining so we lay out all our wet belongings from yesterday to dry. We head into town first to check out with the shire if their local roads are open. They are all open, so we are able to follow our plan. We next call into a cafe to pick up takeaway lunch for later and a coffee for now, plus some gifts for the grandkids.
Leaving town, we head north to Geelakin Rock, where we find the usual large water tank which is filled by runoff from the granite rock.
Geelakin Tank
In the first patch of bush, we immediately find orchids. First up we find the beautiful Drooping spider orchid (Caladenia radialis)which has a widespread distribution from Northampton to Fitgerald National Park. They are a distinct spider orchid, with usually dropping petals and sepals and a labellum with smooth edges or with a few short fringe elements.
A different species then pops into view. The bright cheerful Blue beard (Pheladenia deformis), is a common widespread orchid which ranges from Kalbarri down to Israelite Bay then eastwards into SA and beyond. It is easy to see where the common name came from, with the many labellum calli.
Amazingly only one snail orchid was found in our search of this rock. The Hairy-stemmed snail orchid (Pterostylis setulosa) is a common inland orchid. Common maybe but my one and only photo is not real good, but I had to record its discovery.
Luckily the next orchid stood out in the grasses however this does not equate to easy identification, especially with these smaller spider orchid species. However, using both Florabase and the Atlas of Living Australia as references, I will be naming theses first spider orchids the Chameleon spider orchid (Caladenia dimidia), which is a common, variable inland species.
C. dimidiaC. dimidia leaves with reddish stems.C. dimidia
Another small spider orchid appears to be the Common spider orchid (Caladenia varians) due to its whiter colouring and pendulous petals and sepals. As the name suggests they are a common orchid which grows between Kalbarri and Esperance.
C. variansC. varians hairy thin leavesC. varians
Then one of the unique types of spider orchids is found. The small Ant orchid (Caladenia roei) is found growing next to one of the Drooping spider orchids. They can grow as high as 300mm however this specimen and others found were much shorter.
C. roei and C. radialisC. roeiC. roei
After a good 45 mins exploring this rock and surrounds, we decide to move onto our next planned stop, Warrachuppin Rock. At the intersection of the Koorda – Bullfinch Road we pull over at the Warralakin Hall for a photo as it is a rustic corrugated iron building. Warrachuppin Rock unfortunately is behind a fence so we could not reach it and after a quick search around the scrub I only located some Hairy-stemmed snail orchids.
So onwards to our final planned stop of the day, Baladjie Rock. At least this spot is set up for visitors. As expected, the first orchids found are more snail orchids. Some had shorter lateral sepals and less hairy stems, but the location leads me to name them all Hairy-stemmed snail orchids.
After 20 minutes of nothing but the occasional snail orchid I finally find another species for the day growing on the rock. The small Dainty blue orchid (Cyanicula amplexans) is growing in a sheltered nook on the eastern side of the rock. These beautiful little orchids grow between Kalbarri and Norseman during the months of August through October.
Back down on level ground I come across a couple of Ant orchids (C. roei) growing in the cleared patches of the scrub.
Then a trio of spider orchids is discovered, standing in isolation, as no others are found. I am struggling to place a definate ID to these ones. They are most likely more Chameleon spider orchid; however, any ideas would be greatly accepted.
Then another blue orchid comes into view. This lone specimen is a Blue Beard which is a monotypic species. Not great shots taken of this orchid, but I will post 2 images just for the record.
The final species found was the bright yellow donkey orchid. The species found at this location should be the Yellow Granite Donkey Orchid (Diuris hazeliae), so that is what I am identifying these ones as. These are a common inland orchid found from Paynes Find to Salmon Gums.
It’s after 3pm when we finally decide to head back to Westonia. The views from the top of the rock were amazing. This picnic area and rock are not a part of the adjacent Nature Reserve which I find interesting. We enjoy another night at the amazing Westonia Caravan Park.
Another sunny winters day so what better thing to do than to look for orchids. However, this time I am accompanied on my wander by my latest grandchild, Bonnie and her mum of course. Not too much was found however I will list those found below with pics to confirm the sightings.
Mosquito orchid (Cyrtostylis robusta) is a species found between Perth and Israelite Bay. They flower June to August and can rise to 300mm in height. It has the largest labellum out of the 4 species found in WA.
Curled-tongue shell orchid (Pterostylis rogersii) is a species found between Binningup and Esperance. They flower June to August and can rise to 200mm in height. It is one of the 7 species found in WA.
Eastern granite snail orchid (Pterostylis voigtii) is a species with a restricted range between Esperance and Israelite Bay. They flower July to early September and only rise to 50mm in height. This species was only named in 2015.