Hyden – the return

 

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago we’d gone to Hyden. We’ve been plenty of times before and I have written about those visits here, here and here. Wave Rock doesn’t hold much interest in itself – its just a big rock shaped like a wave. What is more interesting is the nature around the rock. When the winter rains come an incredible amount of water runs off the rock and this means there is a lot of vegetation that has become home to animals around the base. Not far from the rock and the vegetation gives out and you can see a salt plain with Lake Magic. This too is great place for observing animals and seeing wildflowers.

Unfortunately we’d had our beautiful weather on the drive down and the rain really set in – so much so that my walk along the base of Wave Rock, out to Lake Magic and then back via Wave Rock Airport and the Wildlife Park was in danger of becoming an aquatic walk. Thankfully I was dressed for the occasion and swathed in Gore Tex. My Olympus EM 1 mk ii is very well sealed against the elements as are the lenses. Despite my careful preparation the subject matter – orchids and birds – didn’t want to oblige. Regardless of the weather that the walk was really enjoyable.

 

Hairy Stemmed Snail Orchid by Paul Amyes on 500px.com

Hairy stemmed snail orchid, Pterostylis sp. ‘hairy’. Hyden, Western Australia.

 

Dark Banded Greenhood by Paul Amyes on 500px.com

Dark banded greenhood, Pterostylis sanguinea. Hyden, Western Australia.

 

Blue Fairy Orchid by Paul Amyes on 500px.com

Blue beard or blue fairy orchid (Pheladenia deformis). Hyden, Western Australia.

 

Hairy Stemmed Snail Orchid by Paul Amyes on 500px.com

Hairy stemmed snail orchid, Pterostylis sp. ‘hairy’. Hyden, Western Australia.

 

Koolbort by Paul Amyes on 500px.com

Singing Honeyeater, Gavicalis virescens. Hyden, Western Australia.

 

 

Serendipity

Went looking for these…

Blue Beard Orchid by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
Blue Beard orchid or blue fairy orchid (Pheladenia deformis), Wambyn Nature Reserve.

 

…and found one of these.

Nyingarn by Paul Amyes on 500px.com
Nyingarn is the Nyoongar name for the echidna or spiny anteater. This one can be seen digging into a termite mound. Wambyn Nature Reserve, Western Australia.

 

Short Beaked Echidnas or Nyingarn in Nyoongar are also sometimes called spiny anteaters and belong to the Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals and are not related to anteaters found in the Americas or hedgehogs. Together with the platypus, echidnas are the only surviving members of the order Monotremata and are the only living mammals that lay eggs. Now if you think a mama that lays eggs and raises its young in a pouch is weird then one of the other characteristics is even stranger. Their hind feet point rearwards! Yup that’s right, their feet are on backwards. How do echidnas have sex?

 

 

 

 

Carefully! 🙂