Today we have finally decided to tackle the Great Ocean Trail. It is a walk/cycle trail from Pink Lake to Twilight Beach, being around 4.7 kms in length one-way.
As we did not start until after 2pm we only achieved the approximate halfway point before turning back. We plan to walk from the other end another day to enable us to record this trail as completed.
Signage at an intersection
The trail wound around the stabilized sand dunes, so was hilly in patches. It was also very weedy in certain sections which impacted the number of orchids found. I will list the orchids found below, with details of their recorded range and flowering season.
Numerous snail orchids were found along the way. The appearance of the flowers and rosettes varies greatly so positive ID is difficult. Please share your thoughts on possible IDs.
A beautiful Sunday afternoon in Esperance so what better way to spend it than looking for orchids. Where to go today though? Let’s hit some coastal and near coastal locations to see what we find.
First stop is a coastal Esperance location10
Walking around the marked trail from the car park Deb spies some Snail orchids growing in the scrub. These small orchids appear to be the Southern thick-sepaled snail orchid (Pterostylis meridionalis). They are found in coastal locations between Stokes Inlet and Cape Arid. Flowering from July to September in coastal woodlands and shrublands. If my ID is correct this is only the 2nd time, we have found these, which is exciting.
20-100mm in heightBloated appearanceSlightly apically thickened lateral sepalsGreen and white flowers4-6 basal rosette leaves and 3-4 cauline leavesBroadly flared petals
We now head down the dirt track to toward the granite headland. In the scrubby raised edges to the path, we are pleased to find some helmet orchids. These ones appear to be the Sand hill helmet orchid (Corysanthes despectans)which is found between Bunbury and Israelite Bay. They flower from July to early-September and grow in sandy soils in coastal woodlands and shrublands. They also occur in SA, Vic and Tas.
Now this is a newly discovered species for us so really excited.
Dorsal sepal does not form a hood over labellumLarge, incurved labellumSide on perspectiveBirdseye viewSimilar colouring to Crystal Helmet Orchid (C. limpida)Stand 9-15mm in height when floweringMany leaves but few flowersGreen, rounded, ground hugging leaf
Further down the track we come across more rounded leaves. These leaves, however, end up belonging to the Mosquito orchid (Cyrtostylis robusta). This is a widespread orchid which occurs between Perth and Israelite Bay. These flower earlier so are nearing the end of their season, being June to August.
Thin spreading petalsGreen ground hugging leafUp to 8 flowers per plantFull plant shot
At the end of the track/s before reaching the granite another species of snail orchid is found. This one is likely to be the Eastern granite snail orchid (Pterostylis voigtii) which flowers from July to September. It occurs between Stokes Inlet and Cape Arid, growing in shallow soil pockets over granite.
20-100mm in heightShortish lateral sepals1 or 2 cauline leavesFlared petalsNice hood of snailsRosette of 4 to 6 leaves
Moving onto another coastal location 11 . Here we first find some more snail orchids. Some had the slight clubbing to the lateral sepals whilst others did not. I believe the former are Southern thick-sepaled snail orchids whilst the later are Eastern granite snail orchids. Pics of both recorded.
Deb is excited to find a shell orchid. From the location of the orchid, I believe it to be the Curled-tongue shell orchid (Pterostylis rogersii). These orchids flower from June to August between Binningup and Esperance in coastal woodlands and shrublands. Another one is found nearby which is greener in colour but appears to be the same species.
Stands only 70-100mm in heightThe more common brown coloured formThe rarer green coloured formProminent hairy curved labellumWhite striped flowersObvious “Common name”
An orchid found in various shades was the Pink fairies (Caladenia latifolia). A common orchid found between Kalbarri and Israelite Bay, flowering during the months August to December.
Can grow up to 450mm in height50 Shades of pink: Pale to ….50 Shades of pink: … to BrightCommon name alludes to the winged labellum and column resembling a fairySide view showing upright dorsal sepal
Another 3 species of orchid are also found. 1 of which have been found previously today: The Mosquito orchid. Newly found are the rosette of a Bird orchid and the Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata). Pictures taken for future reference.
Bird orchid emergingBanded greenhoodMosquito orchid – Up to 8 flowers per plantLeaf size. 20 -50 mm wide, 30-60mm longHeight indication 90mm – Can grow to 300mmBroad, elongated labellum
Moving onto our third location for the day.12 Here a quick inspection turns up some more Curled-tongue shell orchids.
Labellum protrudes giving the common nameLong thin upright lateral sepalsBrown or green and white striped flowers
Last location of the day provides wonderful views over Pink Lake. 13 Here we are amazed to find the Beautiful donkey orchid (Diuris pulchella) growing so close to the coast. I believed it was an inland orchid as it’s range is listed as being between Salmon Gums and Israelite Bay. These stunning orchids flower from July to September.
Broadly-oval to rounded petalsNarrow, often crossed lateral sepalsSide view. Lateral sepals not crossed this timeRelatively short mid lobe to labellumBright yellow and mauve flowers
Another less colourful donkey orchid is also found. Due to our location, I believe this to be the Green Range donkey orchid (Diuris littoralis). Florabase’s map indicates they can occur in coastal locations. Also, their range is listed in my orchid books as being between Denmark and Esperance. The flowering season is July to early-September so it all fits.
Narrow, often crossed lateral sepals. though not is this case.Yellow, brown and mauve flowersOblong to elliptic petalsBroad dorsal sepalRange in height from 180 – 300mmTri-lobed labellumUp to six flowers per orchid
Further along the track we come across some more Pink fairies. These ones seem to be pink and white striped which is interesting. Also found a lone Snail orchid, ID unknown. Pics take for recording purposes.
Bloated appearance, thin lateral sepals and 2 cauline leavesRosette of unknown snail orchidInteresting pink and white striped appearanceSide view highlighting the coloured stripesSmaller flower, same interesting colouringUp to 4 flowers per orchidTwo converging rows of yellow lamina calli
The final orchids found for the day were the large white spider orchids. I now need to decide if they are all the Esperance white spider orchid (Caladenia longicauda subsp. crassa) or maybe different species. What are your thoughts?
We spend several hours exploring our coastal and near coastal locations. Then, we return home happy as we have located so many different types of orchids.
The Sand hill helmet orchid being the find of the day.
I’ll finish this post with one of the beautiful scenes we enjoyed today…
Debbie is working this afternoon. I am now retired, so I decided to explore two locations close to Esperance solo. Helms Arboretum and Myrup.9 Not much to report so I will just list the orchids found.
?? Snail orchid (Pterostylis sp.)
Found at Helms and is un-named. Have posted numerous pics of orchid flower, full plant and the rosettes to assist identification.
These orchids vary in their appearance. This can make positive ID difficult as the co-occurring (C. heberleana), also flowers during September and October. They also hybridise with (C. longicauda subsp. crassa) producing various coloured flowers. This also confuses identification
Well, it has been quite a while since we went orchid hunting. A holiday to celebrate my 60th Birthday was enjoyed from mid-July to yesterday. No orchids included LOL.
So, what better place to see how the season is progressing than to pop out to Helms. We were not disappointed!!
Today we go on our planned quest to find the elusive Queen of Sheba orchid which has been recorded from Gull Rock National Park by many people in the Western Australian Native Orchids Facebook group. We may be too early however as the one around Albany is recorded as flowering from August, so fingers crossed. First off, we head down Ledge Beach Rd and check out the beach. From here we walk around the parking area, and it is here we find our first orchids for the day. Just for a change, NOT, our first orchid found is the Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata).
Ledge BeachBanded greenhood
Then some other Pterostylis orchids are found. These small snail orchids could be the Coastal short-eared snail orchid (Pterostylis actites) given the short backswept lateral sepals. They are recorded as occurring from Capel to Duke of Orleans Bay and flower from July to September. The rosette has 4 to 7 leaves, and they stand up to 100mm in height.
Another exciting find here was a further patch of the Common helmet orchid (Corysanthes recurva) hiding under an overhanging shrub. Harder to get a clear shot but tried my best. These orchids are found between Mandurah and Albany and flower from June to September.
We now decide to head off on the Mount Martin walk trail which starts from the Ledge beach carpark which is in the National Park however the majority of the walk trail is in the Mount Martin Botanical Reserve. We do not do the entire trail, so I have attached a snip showing approximately where we walked. Arrows show direction and X marks turnaround spots. First orchids found on the walk were further Banded greenhoodstogether with Slipper orchid leaves and a Redbeak leaf.
Then we nearly step on those things we have come to find. We find very small spiral leaved orchids in bud. A few patches found however none were in flower. Oh well they may be the Queens or possibly just some Curly Locks. We now know to come early August for a better chance of finding them in bloom. Pics taken as proof of the find.
Orchids may be few and far between however the coastal views and other wildflowers make up for it.
We are heading down toward Coal Basket Bay when at a patch of granite, we find some Autumn Leek orchids (Prasophyllum parvifolium)in flower. These orchids flower over the winter months, so the common name seems a bit off.
It is here we turn around as the track is getting rather steep and as orchids are so rare we decide we need to get back to check out other areas of the National Park. At another granite location possibly called Mount Eileen Lookout we find more Banded greenhoods and a nice patch of spent Mosquito orchids.
At the next little patch of granite crossed we are excited to find the Pink bunny orchid (Eriochilus scaber subsp. scaber) flowering. These small orchids are found during the months of July to September and are usually found the season after a summer bushfire. Without a summer fire they are flowering much more rarely.
Upon arriving back at the carpark, we make tracks for Ledge Point Road and checked out Gull Rock Beach carpark. Seemed more peppermint trees around with no picnic table so we again had a tailgate lunch. A quick check whilst eating turned up some snail orchids. These ones however have long thin lateral sepals so are a different species to those found earlier today. Possible ID – Brittle snail orchid (Pterostylis timothyi) or Slender snail orchid (Pterostylis crispula). Both have long lateral sepals, flared petals and flower from July. P.timothyi though is not recorded as being found in the Albany shire, however it is the shorter of the two and has fewer cauline leaves, so I am confused. Any help in the ID would be appreciated.
Now to check out some other spots in the National Park. We pull over at a gate off of Gull Rock Road and go for a hike up the track. The track goes through some differing habitats but unfortunately, we only find a few Banded greenhoods flowering.
Further along the road we get excited to actually find a common orchid but one we had not seen so far today. The Jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva) is recorded as flowering from August, so we were lucky to find an early twin. Another single specimen was found together with another beautiful Scarlet banksia surrounded by blue flowers.
It was at this sole Jug orchid where we took a very overgrown track into the bush as it provided a much easier pathway off the road. We arrived at a sort of clearing with quite large boulders and pushed up mounds of dirt. It is around this disturbance that we find a few Autumn leek orchids in flower.
Well, that is the last of our orchid finds for today! Back in Albany we have the hard task of where to go for dinner. We decide to try out Little Italy in York Street and enjoy some beautiful pasta.
Our planned adventure commences today as this is our first full day in Albany, our original holiday destination, that is until we decided to head to Perth for the Lightscape in Kings Park. So where to first? After weighing up the many options we choose to head out to the Torndirrup National Park.
First up though we check out the Albany Windfarm. There is a great walk trail that winds around the turbines and goes down to the coast for some spectacular views.
Now have a guess as to what the first orchid found is. Not surprisingly it is the Banded greenhood (Pterostylis vittata) which is a common wide-ranging orchid that flowers from late April to early September. the first specimen was over 300mm in height and had more than 10 flowers open, whilst those found later in the walk were smaller, under 200mm in height and with only 3 flowers.
However, our luck was about to change as I discovered a small patch of Common helmet orchids (Corysanthes recurva) flowering on an open slope in the surrounding heavily vegetated dunes. These small orchids reach 30mm in height and have a ground hugging leaf 10-30mm in diameter. The Latin name alludes to the way the flower is arched backwards to expose the labellum. They are found flowering in forests, woodlands and shrublands between Mandurah and Albany. Prior to 2002 the orchids were included in the Corybas genus.
Next, we head into the National Park and make tracks for the location that includes both The Gap and Natural Bridge, which are both famous landmarks. Beautiful blue skies add to the views, but it is chilly as it is very windy.
Driving back along The Gap Road we pull into the track leading to the Cave Point Lighthouse and Cable Beach. We pull up at the gate and walk up to the lighthouse looking for orchids along the way. We find what we believe to be Mosquito orchid leaves, spent bunny orchids and some Pterostylis rosettes and buds. No photos taken though. On the way back we check out the rocks above the wooden steps down to Cable beach. Here we find sun orchid leaves all over the place.
Time for a bite to eat, so we head off to Goode Beach where we enjoy a picnic lunch. So now where to go? Back to the National Park and first stop is the lookout over Salmon Holes a popular beach fishing location. However, we need to find some orchids, so we move on to the Bald Head carpark and start the walk trail. We are definitely not walking the whole trail as it will take 5 or more hours. We decide to walk to Isthmus Hill for starters then see how much further we go. The walk trail is very steep in places with overhanging branches, shrubs etc, so glad we are only going a short distance. Looking at the map of the trail it seems we make it to about the 1km mark, so not too shabby.
Now to record the orchids found on our trek. First up we found some snail orchids, which are hard to ID as they are not fully formed. The long lateral sepals rule out quite a few options, however the rosettes are quite different between the orchids found at the lower section of the track compared to those found higher up in the moss of the granite. So possibly two species found.
Now an unexpected find up on the hill was the Scented Autumn leek orchid (Prasophyllum sp. ‘early’)which is found flowering from April to July between Bunbury and Israelite Bay. The related Autumn leek orchid (Prasophyllum parvifolium) is also found during July over a larger region, including Albany. They are distinguished by their colouring with the latter being more coloured. Both may actually be found in my pics.. Thoughts??
Leaves of other orchids were found, so I will post pics of them just for the record. Leaves from the Thelymitra, Caladenia, Pyrorchis, Diuris and Cryptostylis genus were found. So, a return later in the orchid season should produce results.
We trek back to the Triton and move on to the Albany Historic Whaling Station where we enjoy afternoon tea and buy some gifts for the grandies. Next up we head out to Stony Hill which was the location during World War II of a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Signal Station (1939 – 1943) and a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Warning Radar Station (1943 – 1945). Just foundations on the granite rock remain.
Afternoon tea viewsRAN Stony Hill Signal Station plaque.RAAF Air Warning Radar Station No. 35 – PlaqueStony Hill view
Orchids were found in the scrub surrounding Stony Hill. The Mosquito orchid (Cyrtostylis robusta) was found hiding on the edges of the track under the overhanging foliage of the coastal scrub. These orchids have a near circular ground hugging leaf and a very unique flower with thin sepals and petals with a very broad labellum in comparison.
As with Isthmus Hill there are also leaves and buds of other orchids found. This time it is some Diuris, Cryptostylis, Prasophyllum and Pterostylis orchids.
Another spot close by is Peak Head carpark. We trek along the trail a bit and make tracks for some more granite rocks. More Mosquito orchids found plus some greenhood orchids and finally some snail orchids that are fully formed. These little guys appear to be the Fawn snail orchid (Pterostylis parva) which flower from June to early August. They occur from Albany eastwards to Eyre, so we find these back in Esperance as well.
It is now after 5pm so we make tracks back to our B&B. We decide to walk to a nearby fish’n’chip shop for dinner. So glad we made this choice as the Buttermilk chicken salad we had was amazing. Would highly recommend Ocean and Paddock on Middleton Beach Road.
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.
Running solo again today as Deb has an afternoon shift. I decide to go back to the Wind Farm to see if the Bird orchids have flowered yet. I discovered many rosettes back on the 11/07/2021, so it’s been 4 weeks.
After parking up, I start at the left of the parking lot and find some snail orchids in flower. Very difficult to name snail orchids. The size of the rosette and it’s leaves, length of lateral sepals and plant height varied greatly so there may actually be at least 2 species. Possible options are the Coastal snail orchid (Pterostylis sp. “coastal snail”), Ravensthorpe snail orchid (Pterostylis grossa)or Thick-sepalled snail orchid (Pterostylis meridionalis).
Rosette
Size comparison
Rosette
I then started up the walking track and ran into a fellow orchid hunter, Kathy M. She was interested in the ID of a snail orchid she had found that had fawnish tones to it as well as one that seemed to have different rosette to others she had found. ID proves difficult and the species may be one of the previously listed options.
We spent quite a while checking out the Mosquito orchids (Cyrtostylis robusta) and the intermingled Bird orchid (Pterostylis sp.) rosettes, which unfortunately have yet to flower.
Broad, elongated labellum
Up to 8 flowers per orchid
Thin sepals and petals
Kathy was going to check further down the road towards the coast, whilst I went into the scrub looking for the Pink fairy orchids (Caladenia latifolia) which Kathy had mentioned she had found. Three beautiful flowers found in full bloom. They were a very pale shade of pink, almost white in patches.
Palest of pink
Leaf up to 150mm in length
Upright dorsal sepal
Common name is apparent
Tri-lobed labellum
Stiffly spreading peals and sepals
Flowering near the Pink fairies are some Curled tongue shell orchids (Pterostylis rogersii), which are a coastal shell orchid found from Binningup to Esperance.
Reddish-brown and white orchid
Common name apparent
Dep ‘V’ shaped sinus
3 – 5 stem leaves
Hairy edged labellum
I spend a few more minutes checking the area and come across further mosquito and shell orchids. I walk back to the car and head back towards the coast. A little ways down the track Kathy had parked up and was fossicking in the roadside scrub. I enquired if she had located much, to which she replied – there are some helmet orchids flowering. I pull over and take some photos of the small Crystal helmet orchid (Corybas limpidus) which flower during the period July to early September over a coastal range between Walpole and Esperance.
Smooth, green, rounded leaf
Burgundy blotched flower
Dorsal sepal still growing
Large , incurved labellum
Other snail orchids found, which all have different features, which makes the task of identification very difficult. I have posted a flower and rosette shot for each distinct orchid and if you can provide any ideas on the likely identification, please do not hesitate to comment.
Light fawnish colouringSmall rosetteFawn tip to the hoodPointed leaves to rosetteUniform green colouringLarge uniformly shaped rosette
Now I head off to discover a new location to explore. Another orchid hunter Geoff R advised me of this location on Twilight Beach Road near Observatory Point. Pulling over onto the limestone I jump out and at once start exploring the low wind-swept coastal scrub. Firstly, had to watch my step as there are so many mosquito orchid leaves. Luckily I find one in flower as these orchids flower from June to August, so it is getting towards the end of their season.
Birdseye view
Broad, dark labellum
Lateral sepals just visible under labellum
Further into the scrub I come across some beautiful little snail orchids with dark sepals, both lateral and dorsal. Still can’t name these confusing little orchids. Moving back towards the car I find 3 Caladenia sp. orchids tempting me with there buds.
Small rosette
Fawn lateral and dorsal sepals
Side and rear views
Unknown orchid
Just too early
Along the vehicle track into the scrub, I come across many more snail orchids which only add to the confusion of ID.
Walking back however, I also discover some Banded greenhoods (Pterostylis vittata) still in flower. Closer to the Triton I push back into the scrub and are rewarded with a couple of Curled-tongue shell orchids, mosquito orchids and a Caladenia sp. orchid in bud.
Banded greenhood
Curled-tongue shell orchid
Mosquito orchid
Caladenia sp. leaf
3.47 pm so time to move on. Plan was to pop up to Dempster Head and see if the Spectacled donkey orchid was flowering, however I change my mind and pull into Chapmans Point instead. Nothing found on the lookout walk so just made my way down towards the point and checked out underneath shrubs and around the granite rocks.
Have a guess what I found first. That’s right, some more confusing snail orchids. Also found other mosquito orchids in flower. It was an amazing warm sunny winters afternoon, so finding the orchids that I have, just made the day even better. Now time for home.
On my planned RDO I revisit Dempster Head (Mud Map SE 34), this time in the company of my dearest Deb, who only has the morning free, due to her night shift roster. We head off in the direction of the helmet orchids and like my last visit the snail orchids are first orchids found. ID again up in the air.
Then Deb finally gets to see the little Crystal helmet orchids (Corybas limpidus) in flower at Dempster Head. We visit two of my three known locations and capture some more photos of theses small orchids.
Also found were Mosquito orchids (Cyrtostylis robusta) in various locations along the track. I used a nearby rock once to assist with focusing, as the overcast day made focusing on these small orchids rather difficult.
Deb then finds some shell orchids in flower… So Happy as it has been a few years since we last found them on Dempster Head. The Curled-tongue shell orchid (Pterostylis rogerii) is a southern coastal shell orchid found between Binningup and Esperance. The rosettes of unflowering orchids are commonly found with only a few orchids flowering usually located. Oddly enough flowering shell orchids lack that same rosette.
A small patch of yellow catches our eye and we are rewarded with finding the Spectacled donkey orchid (Diuris conspicillata) which is geographically restricted to coastal granite outcrops near Esperance. The dark markings on the labellum lateral lobes are said to give the orchid the impression it is wearing spectacles.
After nearly 2 hours searching for orchids it time to head home so Deb can have a rest before her shift starts at 2pm.
To get the most out of my RDO, after Deb heads off to work, I decide to go check out another location close to town. We refer to this spot as our Myrup location. Parking up just after 3pm I am shocked to find that someone had decided to dump a large amount of household rubbish in the bush, rather than pay at the Shire refuse site. Some people make you shake your head in their total disrespect for the environment. To add to this horror the Shire has also graded the road verges and widened the road so a lot of gravel and destroyed vegetation has just been pushed onto the vegetated verge.
It is right on the edge of this devastation that I come across some beautiful Esperance king spider orchids (Caladenia decora)flowering in various colours. Some may actually be hybrids with the Esperance white spider orchids or similar.
Across the road I come across many more in flower, with more still to come, given they are recorded as flowering from mid-August to October.
In the middle of these large bright king orchids I come across some small white spider orchids. The Common spider orchid (Caladenia varians) is a widespread orchid occurring between Kalbarri and Esperance. These little guys were definitely dwarfed by the large Esperance king spider orchids.
A successful RDO spent searching for orchids now comes to an end. Work tomorrow 🙁
