Spring is sprung

The bush is alive with views of blossom (and other things).  Here are some snaps from the past few days.

Pittosporum undulatum is really hitting its straps on Lakeside Drive!

 I have concluded that this is Caladenia carnea.

I am normally averse to photographing Pomaderris as for 11 months of the year they are very boring plants.  (The criteria for IDing to species level also appear to be an art rather than a science, which excites some folk, but gives me the irrits.)  However when they are in flower they are pretty good to look at such as this P. elliptica, found on the Betka River walk.

 Pultenaea daphnoides

 This caused some grief to me, but Frances quickly nailed it as Comesperma volubile.

 This one was a puzzle also with spiky leaves.  But I eventually decided it was Aotus ericoides (the leaves being a strong hint, together with Joy Greig's comment ".. many stemmed shrub ...".

The next few photos come from a slashed area along Watertrust Rd.  Although it looks awful immediately after slashing this seems to encourage a great display of low plants in the next year or two.  We noticed the flowers along here after birding at the poo pits yesterday, but my camera was acting up (aka trying to be helpful in ways that weren't).  After adjusting some settings I rode back there this morning.

Lets start with some orchids.  Glossodia major.

 A Caladenia - it looked pinker than this in the field so I think C. carnea,

 Having beaten the camera into obedience it really delivers the goods.  A close up of the labellum above

 Lots of Diuris pardina.

 I am confident this is a small tree.  Probably Eucalyptus or Corymbia.  It had been slashed so deserves points for trying.

 As the leaves aren't opposite I don't think its an Angophora.

Stackhousia monogyna

 Euphrasia collina.

When we arrived at the poo pits on 22 September another birder was there and after discussing the denizens of the ponds said that they were on their home, but en-route were calling in to the Captains Creek Trail to inspect Flying Duck orchids reported to them by yet another birder.  Clearly all concerned are more than 'just' birders!

So on 23 September we loaded the shotgun camera and went duck hunting.  We started by finding some beaks: Lyperanthus suavolens the Brown Beak orchid.

 About 5 m further down the Track were the first specimens of Caleana major the Flying Duck orchid.  Some were flying to the right ..

 .. and others to the left.

 Leucopogon ericoides

 Boronia muelleri

 Drosera auriculata

 A sticky leaf iof the sundew with some prey being digested.

 A clump of Comesperma volubile.

 I think this is Ricinocarpos pinifolius.  If so it is a male flower.

 Platylobium parviflorum (?)

 Seed pods of Acacia mucronata (?)

 Epacris obtusifolia

 Platylobium and Tetratheca

Pimelea linifolia

 My best guess, from Joy Greig's book, is Amperea xiphoclada "Broom Spurge".

 We called in at the Information Bay to see what was going on there but the only interesting plant (other than a few Diuris pardina across the road) was this lily: Looking at the books for the South Coast of NSW by Don and Betty Wood, backed up by Flora of Victoria, we now think Thelionema caespitosum!

Reptiles are also around.  The Red-bellied Black Snakes are being a bit quick to hide but the skinks are being more cooperative.