Excellent display of sun (and other) orchids

Today we started with a walk on the Captains Creek Fire trail hoping for some orchids.  It was an amazing display of sun orchids from here 'til breakfast!

Most of the sun orchids were Thelymitra ixioides.  In many places there were 15-20 spikes visible at once.  Wenoticed there were few in the shady gullies.

Lyperanthus suavolens (Brown Beaks) were in a few spots but greatly reduced in numbers compared to a few weeks ago.

Caladenia carnea were along the track in many places.  Note the Kennedia prosrata in the background.

There were still many Caleana major (Large Flying Duck Orchid) along the way.  It was usually the case that one flower would be spotted then looking around carefully 6 or more other flowers would be seen.

The commonest Donkey Orchid in the early part of the walk was Diuris orientis (Wallflower Orchid).  We found it in the traditional pattern (albeit somewhat battered) ...

.. and the less common all-yellow form.

Towards our turn point (just before the long downhill to the Inlet) we found a fair cluster of Diuris sulphurea.

Glossodia major was reasonably common throughout the walk, but the flowers were looking somewhat pale, as though sun bleached.

After returning to the cars we moved to the powerlines heath which was a stunning display of flowers.  We found two additional species of orchids, which I am ashamed to say I couldn't identify.  

This first one appeared much redder in the field but neither of my references mention spots on the commoner red species.  It has been identified by an expert as a hybrid of T. ixioides - presumably with T. carnea.

Another blue sun orchid but with a very large leaf (just visible in the second image below). This has been identified as T. aristata: again the books don't mention the spots!

Birds were as usual not that visible on the walk although quite a bit of song was audible.  Pallid and Fan-tailed Cuckoos were heard.  The bird highlight was a Painted Buttonquail which exploded out of the vegetation as we walked by.

A Lace Monitor trotted across the track before I could get the camera out.  Insects were represented by this grasshopper,