Blankets of Grevillea laurifolia in flower on the Broad Swamp today. This is a recently opened walk at the intersection of the 3 National parks - Wollemi, Gardens of Stone and Blue Mountains.

Robot floss is the best floss - unless you have a ‘sugar exception’…

The ‘Golden xanthastis’ - Systatica xanthastis

Isopogon anemonifolius

Dipodium roseum which is a leafless saprophytic Australian orchid which you only see when it flowers in early summer. The little tubers constantly move around underground favouring under large eucalypts that shed bark.

Some random seasonal flowers… the fringe lilies are especially prolific this year - Thysanotus tuberosus. The tuberosus species name refers to its crispy edible tuber.

Spotted Ground Swift Spider - Nyssus coloripes. A very attractive Australian…

Tacca chantrieri - Black bat flower first flower from a small seedling. Interesting that it is primarily self pollinating.

Tacca chantrieri aka Black Bat Flower - this small plant is flowering and unfolding for the first time and has an interesting strong green tinge to the petals and sepals.

Mass germination of Vigna subterranea aka Bambara groundnut. This species is originally from west Africa and are very similar to peanuts growing their pods underground. You can see some of the interesting range of colours and patterns in the un-named varieties. On the surface to avoid damping off.

Dendrobium x delicatum - an interesting natural orchid hybrid of Dendrobium kingianum and Dendrobium speciosum. It has a large mosquito sitting on it - my least favourite pollinator.

Diuris pardina - Leopard Double tail Orchid - where in one a spider has taken up residence and captured a pollinating insect - probably a wasp.

Thelymitra ixioides aka Spotted Sun Orchid. You can tell even though it’s not fully open because you can see the dark spots.

Thelymitra nuda aka nude Sun Orchid

Chiloglottis formicifera aka Ant Orchid

Calochilus robertsonii aka Purple Bearded Orchid.

Calochilus robertsonii aka Purple Bearded Orchid or just ‘Purple Beardie’.

Caladenia cucullata aka Hooded Caladenia. The local bushland is starting to fill out with the spring ground orchids.

Sarcochilus falcatus aka Orange Blossom Orchid. This wild one fell during a storm a few months ago from about 10m above and seems to still want to flower.

Astrophytum myriostigma aka Bishops Cap cacti in flower again - this unusual variety with a distinct red tinge.

Pterostylis bicolor - the Black Tipped Greenwood orchid growing in a road side swamp.

Diuris pardina - Leopard Double Tail Orchid - although these ones have only started to open so the bottom sepals haven't unfurled yet. This was in a very old cemetery which had just been mown so lucky to find anything.

Silene inflata aka Stridolo. Entertaining flowers for an old Roman favourite breakfast food eaten with eggs.

Helicodiceros muscivorus. Dead horse arum. You are welcome.

Todays best echidna… it’s a small juvenile that was scuttling about on the side of the road.

Dockrillia teretifolia aka Dendrobium teretifolium - ‘Pencil Orchid’. This cluster is growing on an old eucalypt railway sleeper. They smell like vanilla.

Chysis bractescens - a surprisingly hardy orchid from central America producing multiple spikes this year.

Epic George Clinton Parliament/Funkadelic performance last night at the Enmore Theatre. Many funk classics and grooves and much energy.

I spoke too soon… a flower is now forming on the ‘Dead Horse Lily’ Helicodiceros muscivorus. An odd plant that is the only species in its genus from Corsica & Sardinia islands. It has a large flower with internal surface texture like horse hair and smells reminiscent of a dead horse as it heats up.

Banksia plagiocarpa, aka Hinchinbrook Banksia or Blue Banksia seed cone looking magnificently weird.

Waratah season…

Clianthus puniceus aka kākā beak. Critically endangered in the wild NZ native. However it is actually fairly easy to grow from seed as long as you stratify the seed for a week or so in the fridge.

Isopogon cuneatus

A return to activity for the bee friends. Thankfully still no Varroa.

Hakea bucculenta

Melaleuca suberosa

Today at Illawarra Grevillea Park open day. Spectacular.

Best termite mound of the day…

We got to see the Carne wall landslide/collapse from August 1 in the Grose valley system near Blackheath. An estimated 200,000 cubic metres of rock fell off. It looks pretty big up close… and across the valley it still looks big.