A few birds, a few orchids

 Spring is definitely heading this way - perhaps the first power-failure of the season is the Mallacoota equivalent of the first cuckoo?

On 26 August I went for a bike ride to Bucklands Jetty noticing the large flock of Cormorants (75 Little Black; 4 Great; and 6 Little Pied) on the jetties at the bottom of Karbeething Ave.

On the way back home I swung in to the forest at Mullet Creek and found this nest.  I went back on 27th and saw a Striated Thornbill zipping in and out.  (The nest also fits the details for the species in Beruldsen's "Nessts and Eggs of Australian Birds.)    On the later visit I also saw a Lewins Honeyeater visit the nest and poke the bottom of the nest with its beak.  I think it was catching insects rather than attacking whatever was in the nest.

The 27th saw me ride into town.  A Royal Spoonbill posed nicely.  You can even pick out the eye below the bright yellow skin.

A couple of bin-chooks (aka Australian White Ibis) took time out from harassing the frogs in a nearby soggy paddock.

In the afternoon we went to check the orchids at the top of the powerlines track.  The Prasophyllums are developing very well although the flowers are not yet out.  The red arrow indicates the near-top of the longest spike.  From the height and dark colour this must be P. elatum.

This one is a little less certain until the flowers come out and reveal the labellum.  There are at least two prime suspects.

There were some huge patches of Caladenia catenata: well over 100 flowers in some areas.

Not a flower but I liked the firiness of the foliage on this Epacris impressa.

The 28th saw us stroll along the Casuarina Track, starting opposite the Miva building.  The first orchid seen was Pterostylis pedunculata.

Then our first sighting this season of Caladenia alata, of which there were many specimens along the track.  Some of them were a lot pinker than this one.  (Also a solitary C. catenata,)

Pterostylis nutans.

A very nice Brachyscome spathulata. 

Platylobium formosum.

This is definitely a Pimelia and I am taking a punt on P. linifolia.

I have concluded this is Stackhousia monogyna with the pink tip as the "flame" of the "candle".

Schizophyllum communale.  I had never recorded this fungus before this year but it is everywhere, usually growing on the trunk of a dead tree,  This specimen is on an exposed - and presumably dead - root.

I include this fern frond purely because they kept catching my eye as looking like greenhoods when tightly coiled like this!

Finally a battler.  Burnt, knocked over, and most roots exposed but is is still alive and sprouting!