Lemon Cap orchids

Lemon Cap Orchid  Stegostyla cucculata

I have been out and around Black Mountain quite a bit recently, but have not found as many orchids in flower as I had hoped. The most abundant species over the past week has been the Lemon Cap Stegostyla cucculata, a small plant, about a foot high stem, with a pale white flower. 

A hoverfly approaches the flowers

These plants might be easily overlooked by we humans, but the insects can find them, no problem, probably by following the scent - a citrus one in this case. I was lying down, focusing the camera lens on this one when I saw a hoverfly come into my peripheral vision. It was quick, and precise as it touched down on the petals and took a feed of nectar from the flower. Then was off. All done, the hoverfly was fed, the plant was pollinated and I had a photograph. All happy. Wildlife in action.

And promptly lands on the petals to feed

Orchids

A cluster of Green-comb Spider Orchids

While mist-netting birds at the weekend, out at the Weddin Mountains, NSW, we found ourselves walking through  woodland understorey grassland, with numerous orchids in the sward. The first species I noticed was the Green-comb Spider Orchid Caladenia tentaculata which was growing in small groups of several flower spikes in several locations. All the flowers looked fresh and newly opened.  

A jewel in the grass

Other species which were frequent if not quite abundant included Purplish Bearded Orchid Calochilus robertsonii (Below), Blue Fingers Cyanicula caerulea, a species of greenhood and one or two species of sun orchid Thelymitra. I was too busy catching and banding birds to take enough photographs of all the species, so I grabbed what images I could on passing and sent them to Denis Wilson who kindly helped to identify them. He has some great illustrations on his own blog at  http://www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au/ .

A spectacular little flower