Thirlmere Lakes visit yesterday

The Thirlmere Lakes are looking worse than ever. We found some Japanese visitors wandering around in the bush, presumably looking for the Lakes.

But Kirsten and I were looking for Orchids and we found lots of them.
We were barely in the gate on Slades Road when we spotted out first colonies of them. I had Acianthus (just about finished) and Pterostylis nutans on my side of the road, and Kirsten was getting excited about a really good colony of the tiny Trim Greenhoods (Taurantha concinna) on her side of the road. 


We saw hundreds of the Trim Greenhoods along the roadside, especially down beyond the 4th dry lake.


The Wattles were spectacular, the birds were singing, and it was a good day to be out and about.

Hardenbergia violacea

Trim Greenhoods were very common along the road
which runs the full length

of the Thirlmere Lakes National Park.

Trim Greenhood (Taurantha concinna) from rear.

Trim Greenhood - note the forked labellum. (Click to enlarge)

Grevillea arenaria subsp. arenaria (as best as I can work out)

Nodding Greenhood (Pterostylis nutans)

Gompholobium grandiflorum

Pixie Caps (a few still in flower) - Acianthus fornicatus

A roadside scene - Wattles lining the track

Sydney Blue Gum in Blue Gum Creek

 Strange but beautiful growth on a leaf of a native plant.

Deformed growth on leaf. Possibly "galls"? Very pretty, though