ANPS ascends the Eastern face of Yanununbeyan

Today the ANPS WW group entered Yanununununun ... sorry, keyboard got stuck ... beyan National Park from the Captains Flat Road side thanks to the kindness of a local landholder who had previously hosted us on her property.

I'll begin with a couple of general shots.  This first one shows the fire trail we drove up: it was in very good nick and I suspect I didn't need to engage 4WD (but did so "because it was there").

 This is the situation on the top of the ridge (off the Camelot Fire Trail).

 We stopped part way up the trail to check out some orchids.  This is where most of the following images were taken, although a few came later as indicated below).

This is Stegosytyla moshcata.  (Thanks Jean for the correction.)

So is this!

 If I have this image correctly in sequence it was a strongly scented specimen which we decided was S. moschata (agreed)

 On top of the ridge we found quite a number of these very green  backed 'cap orchids".  Given that colour and the limited teeth on the labellum we ended up rating these as S. cucullata.

There were large numbers of Diuris sulphurea on the lower part of the country we covered  today, but only a few buds were noted up the top.  As there was about 300m elevation change such a difference in timing is not surprising.

Quite a few members walked past this Beardie before it was spotted and then photographed within a millimetre of 'going over'!  Calochilus platychilus - the Purple Beard Orchid.

A large number of Thelymitra sp, were seen during the outing, but due to low temperatures and high winds none of them were open.

 One particularly broad-leaved specimen may have been T. megacalyptra but that is purely speculation!

Also just in bud was a Gastrodia sp most likely G. sesamoides the bent over stem while in bud is typical of that species.

 OK.  We will move into dicots.  This is Dianella revoluta.  There were many clumps, but most of them were still buds.

 Stackhousia monogyna was common.

 Olearia erubescens

At the lunch spot in the higher part of the trip a lot of O. lirata was flowering.  Some of the bushes were close to 2m high.

A nearly in focus detail of O. lirata.

 Leucopogon lanceolata:  yet again this species defeated me.  I thought "Gee that looks beardie.  What is it?"

 Quite a few of the Eucalyptus dives were in flower.

 Near the lunch spot the Necklace ferns (Asplenium flabellifolium) were lurking near a lichen encrusted rock.

 Hear is a pretty Craspedia variabilis.  Useful word that 'variabilis'.

 Some flowering Lomandra multiflora was encountered.  This is a dioecious specious so we have girls ...

 ... and boys.

 Comespermum ericinum is always nice to see.

Choretrum pauciflorum is quite an intriguing plant, especially once one gets past it looking somewhat like Exocarpos! There was a large amount of this in the highest parts of the site.

 There were violets (Viola hederacea) all over the place.

 We are wondering whether October is the month of peas.  These are Dillwynnia sericea ...

 .. and Daviesia leptophylla.

 Now we get on to the invertebrates.  A spider had wrapped up a hoverfly.

 This Hoverfly was having a happier time on a Craspedia flower,

 So was a spider!

 This is, I hope, a native bee cruising around a Brachyscome spathulata.

My particular enjoyment today was the way the Pajero handled the slopes and rocks.