“Stay sill damn it!” Common garden snail, Cornu aspersum.
The recent orchid expeditionmade me get my macro lenses and flash out of the cupboard and consequently I’ve been playing around with it in the garden. I had this brilliant idea to improve my focus stacking technique by taking photos of snails. I mistakenly thought that they’d be a good subject as they don’t move much. I was very much mistaken. The little beggars move around quite a lot. The tentacles that their eyes are mounted on are in a constant state of motion and so my attempts at focus stacking failed. Not to be deterred I just stopped the lens down to f11 or f16 (well into diffraction territory on Micro Four Thirds) and just carried on taking picture of little critters in the garden.
Another fidgety snail.
The focus stack even failed on this. Dunno what I’m doing wrong.
Yikes! Don’t know what this was amongst the coriander.
Looks better in profile.
Oh dear! The Beloved Significant Other is not going to be happy with these aphids.
I must confess that since we got our new puppy – Bertie – I’ve been rather busy. Time just seems to have slipped away. So the other morning when I was reading the news on ABC I came across a story about how the orchid season in the Wheatbelt had kicked off early. It caught me completely unawares. Normally what I do is draw up a list of what I want to see with when and where and then see where there is an overlap so I can get the most bang for my buck. Then I get my orchid kit together and make sure that everything works and is ready to go. That hasn’t happened this year. A mad whirlwind of frenetic activity saw me pack my bag and find an old list that for some reason I didn’t enact. So quickly organised I headed out on my first orchid hunt of the season.
Eastern Curly-locks. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia. Olympus EM1 mk ii with Olympus M.40-150mm F2.8 + MC-14 teleconverter.
The target species was the Eastern Curly Locks (Thelymitra maculata). I know of two places where they occur. One location, Wandoo National Park, is easy to get to and the plants are easily found near the road. That means orchid poachers often dig them up for selling illegally.The other spot I know (I won’t divulge its location) has more flowers, but,is harder to get to and involves a lot of walking and careful searching. Wandoo National Park was chosen as this was all a bit of a last minute decision.
Dwarf Pink Fairy Orchid, Caladenia reptans subspecies reptans. Olympus EM1 mk ii with Olympus M.40-150mm F2.8 + MC-14 teleconverter.
Dwarf Pink Fairy Orchid. Olympus EM1 mk ii with Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens.
Hare Orchid, Leporella fimbriata. Olympus EM1 mk ii with Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens
Banded Greenhood, Pterostylis vittata. Olympus EM1 mk ii with Olympus 30mm f/3.5 macro lens
From the description in the ABC article I was expecting to see quite a show as the areas has other species of orchid that should be in flower as well. As I walked through the bush I saw very little orchid activity. Out of the 8 species that should be flowering I saw 3 and there were only a few of those. At one point I wished I’d had my birding kit as I managed to flush several quail as I walked around. The irony being when I’ve gone birding there I didn’t see any. I zig zagged through the bush and didn’t find any Eastern Curly Locks. Dejected I settled for photographing some Dwarf Pink Fairy Orchids (Caladenia reptans subspecies reptans) and some Banded Greenhoods (Pterostylis vittata). I’d promised my partner I’d only be a couple of hours so I packed my kit away and headed back to the car. I took a slightly different route back as I didn’t want to go back through the tangle of sheaoak that had slowed me down while on the outward journey. I stopped to look at some carnivorous Red Ink Sundews (Drosera erythrorhiza) when out of the corner of my eye I spied 2 Eastern Curly Locks. So I had ticked the first orchid off of this years list.
Eastern Curly-locks aka Spotted Curly-locks, Thelymitra maculata. Olympus EM1 mk ii with Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens
Willian Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act 2, Scene 2)
“Run Harry! Run!”
I must say at the outset that I don’t like spiders very much. The bloody great hairy jobs in the Hobbit, Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter movies didn’t help much either. Coming to Australia has meant that the chances of coming into contact with some horrible large spider with a venomous bite have increased. However, of late that maybe changing. That could be because I’ve seen some rather cute jumping spiders and the rather spectacular looking Jewel Spiders. It maybe that I’ve just become desensitised by seeing so many, referred to as “flooding” in psychotherapy. Nah! Got to be honest the large hairy ones still give me the heebie-jeebies.
Shaggy Red-headed House Hopper (Hypoblemum villosum) sitting on the flex of our iron in the laundry. They grow between 4-8mm long.
A different view of the Shaggy Red-headed House Hopper (Hypoblemum villosum). They grow between 4-8mm long.
A male jumping spider (Sandalodes superbus), another species of Jumping Spider, found in the garden. I like the way they look up at you.
I think it was the jumping spiders that made me more comfortable about spiders as they are sort of cute with that turret head and the way that they look at you. I was particularly enamoured with the Shaggy Red-headed House Hopper (Hypoblemum villosum) I found in the laundry. He was tiny, no bigger than 5mm. Since then I’ve seen other varieties around the garden – they’re a bit bigger but I can tolerate them.
Jewel spiders (Austracantha minax) are often called Christmas spiders as they are commonly found during December and January. Oyster Bay, Western Australia.
Christmas spiders or jewel spiders (Austracantha minax) can be readily found in the usndergrowth surrounding Thomsons lake in Western Australia.
The Christmas Spider or jewel spider (Austracantha minax) is associated with the comming of Christmas in Western Australia.
The jewel spiders are also quite attractive to look at. They come out around Christmas time, hence their more common name of Christmas Spider. What they and the jumping spider have in common is that they are not large nor are they poisonous.
The Golden orb weaving spider, Nephila edulis., is so called because of its web that takes on a golden sheen. York Western Australia.
A female Golden Orb-weaving Spider (Nephila edulis) in our front garden. That messy tangled bit hanging down is the larder.
Male Nephila edulis or Golden Orb Web Spider. He’s only 6mm in length while his mate can be up to 4cm. Let’s hope he doesn’t end up in the larder after the deed is done. Oswaild Sargent Reserve, York, Western Australia.
The next spider I’ve become reasonably tolerant to is the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila edulis). Now these are big – well the females are at 4cm in body length, the males don’t get much bigger than 6mm. Thankfully they are very reluctant to bite and when they do according to the Australian Museum “Symptoms are usually negligible or mild local pain, numbness and swelling. Occasionally nausea and dizziness can occur after a bite. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist.”. Re-reading that I now don’t feel reassured. The webs are what attracts me to them. They are magnificent creations at over 1 metre in diameter and the golden silk that they are made from shimmers spectacularly in the early morning light. I can’t walk past one without stopping to take a photo. So it’s very convenient that I’ve got one just outside the front door.
The huntsman spider (Delena cancerides) can grow to the size of the palm of your hand and is often found in peoples homes. You don’t need a macro lens to photograph these. As far as I’m concerned a long telephoto helps keep the distance between me and it.
So far it sounds like I’m fairly tolerant to spiders. Well let me tell you there is one species that can induce a full on panic reaction that is the Huntsman Spider. It’s not that they are big – they are flippin’ big and have a leg span of 15cm and a large hairy body to boot. It’s the way they move and the speed of them as they run across the walls and disappear behind the sofa. They are the stuff of scary movies. If you should try and swat one with a rolled up newspaper or magazine they’re just as likely to snatch it off you and give you a good walloping. I don’t care how beneficial they are to have in the garden or that they are relatively harmless. “Relatively harmless” – who decides these things? That’s like saying Donald Trump is relatively harmless unless you live in the Middle East. Sorry I’ve gone off piste. Huntsman Spiders – well I don’t like having them in the house. They make me do the spider dance – it’s where you manically hop from leg to leg while swating the imaginary spiders on your body and screaming like an adolescent girl in a slasher B movie. Thankfully we have our resident house geckos and spider wasps to keep them away.
My saviour! Bibdjool or Marbled Gecko, aka house gecko (Christinus marmoratus) on our back window at a previous house. York, Western Australia.
It’s Christmas Eve and I’m looking back photographically on the last 12 months. I started the year with all these ideas and intentions, and to be honest they quickly evaporated. It’s been a year where I have had a great deal of difficulty being motivated to take photos. Nevertheless I plodded on regardless and although I didn’t make any great photos I made some that I enjoyed. They’re not technically perfect, but the actual process was enjoyable and I think that is important. If it is not enjoyable then why do it?
Koordji-koordji or Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis subspecies gouldi). Lake Leschenaultia, Western Australia.
Mardiyet or Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides). Woodman Point, Western Australia.
Djer-djer or Splendid Fairy-wren (Malarus splendens subs splendens). Woodman Point, Western Australia.
Karak or Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii subs samueli) feeding on Cape Lilac AKA White Cedar (Melia azedarch). York, Western Australia.
Kwirlam or Purple Swamp Hen (Porphyrio porphyrio). Lake Leschenaultia, Western Australia.
Kadar, Musk Duck (Biziura lobata). Lake Leschenaultia, Western Australia.
Juvenile Delyip or Red-capped Parrot (Platycercus spurius). Albany Windfarm.
Djoolar or Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis). Albany Windfarm.
Bidilmidang or Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis). Torbay.
Kaaka-baaka or Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes).
Ngowonan or Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa).
Talbot’s Spider Orchid, Caladenia pendens subsp talbotii. Kweda, Western Australia.
Early Wheatbelt Spider Orchid, Caladenia sp. ‘early wheatbelt’. Kweda, Western Australia.
Kanamit or Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxxena). York, Western Australia.
Koordji-koordji or Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis subspecies gouldi). Lake Leschenaultia, Western Australia.
Juvenile Djindjokoor or Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta). York, Western Australia.
Custard Orchid, Thelymitra villosa. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Kanyinak or Azure Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus). Northam, Western Australia.
Djoowi or Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides). Narrogin Railway Dam, Western Australia.
Ngoolyak or Carnaby’s Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus latirostris). Old Mill Dam, Dryandra.
Camera nerdy bit. The most used camera was the Olympus EM1x. Only two of the photos were taken with a sensor bigger than Micro Four Thirds.
I hope all of you had a good 2025 and that 2026 brings happiness and health to you all. Happy New Year.
Events at home over the last few weeks have meant that I haven’t had the opportunity to do very much photography. Most of the blog entries are written a few weeks before they are published because of the vagaries of finding wildlife so that backlog came in handy for when I couldn’t get out and about. But now the well has run dry.
Crusader bug (Mictis profana) instar nymph.
What little photography I have done recently has been in our back garden. Thankfully we have quite a lot of wildlife visit that I can point a camera at. Most of it has been of the usual suspects, the more common species that can be found in gardens in this part of the world, but there have been a couple of unexpected visitors which was very nice. For the best part of a year we had a problem with stray cats killing a lot of the birds and reptiles. But one of our neighbours has taken the main culprit in and the wildlife numbers are climbing back to what they were.
Wall Skink or Fence Skink (Cryptoblepharus buchananii) cooling off in the bird bath.
Yoorn or Bobtailed Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa)
Kanyinak orSacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) on our TV aerial with a freshly caught Bombay Runner (Periplaneta americana).
Bambon or Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris). It is a joy to hear this bird sing every morning.
Nye-nye or Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) looking for food on the back lawn
Djida or Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa).
Cabbage White Butterfly, Pieris rapae.
Giant grasshopper or hedge grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) resting on the garden fence.
The garden provided a great deal of solace over a difficult time and it always amazes me how restorative being in nature can be. Hopefully, over the coming weeks we’ll be able to get out and about more.
…of sorts. I wrote recently about my attempt to abandon my Olympus cameras and move to Sony and how it was an unhappy experience. Well last weekend I went out orchid hunting in Wandoo National Park and I took my Olympus kit with me and it made for a far happier experience.
Pink Enamel Orchid, Elythranthera emarginata. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Close up of a pink enamel orchid.
The main reason was weight. Looking for orchids in the Wandoo National Park is a matter of walking lots. It is a big park – 463.68 square Km – and while you can drive in on numerous gravel roads and 4WD tracks it only gets you so far and then you have to walk over quite varied terrain to find anything. Humping heavy photographic equipment, water, food, extra layers, first aid kit etc gets old really fast. So anything that can reduce the load is most welcome.
Little Laughing Leek Orchid, Prasophyllum gracile. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Pouched Leek Orchid, Prasophyllum cyphochilum. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
The second reason was the rear LCD panel. Having one I could actually see in bright sunlight again was in a word fantastic. Add to that it was of the flippy flappy variety which meant I could twist it to see it irrespective of the camera position meant that I didn’t have to contort myself into impossible positions. It’s amazing how such small things can make life so much easier and more pleasurable.
Custard Orchid, Thelymitra villosa. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
Close up of a custard orchid.
The orchids were scarce this year. Where there would be literally a carpet of custard orchids there were just one or two specimens. But, although the numbers were down there were plenty of different species to look at and photograph. I went primarily to photograph leopard orchids and I only found them after about 5 hours of looking. It was like the day’s grande finale.
Leopard Orchid, Thelymitra benthamiana. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
All in all I was a very happy boy when I got home.
Purple Enamel Orchid, Elythranthera brunonis. Wandoo National Park, Western Australia.
From my last visit to Harrismith in 20212. It all looks a bit apocolyptic.
Harrismith is a very small town (population 52)260km east of Perth in the Wheatbelt. Now we went there some thirteen years ago looking for orchids and we didn’t find any as it was too late. I did get the photo of the animal skull on pig face on a dried lake. So this year I’ve been looking for the Western Wispy Spider Orchid (Caladenia microchila) and the Yellow Granite Donkey Orchid and that search took me Harrismith as my last chance.
When I got there it was very apparent I wasn’t going to find much – the bush was very, very dry. Walking through it sounded like walking over Cornflakes – it was so crisp. What I did find was really on it’s last legs. There had been a substantial wildflower display, but it was basically all over. I’d have been better off going at least two weeks earlier. Still it was an enjoyable walk, there was plenty of bird activity and I left feeling I’d of got better photos if I’d taken my bird kit.
Sugar Orchid, Ericksonella saccharata. Harrismith, Western Australia.
There’s always a Green Spider Orchid (Caladenia falcata).
Purple Enamel Orchid, Elythranthera brunonis.
Yellow Granite Donkey Orchid, Diuris hazeliae.
The Western Wispy continues to evade me. I’ll have to wait to early next spring to resume the search.
Mid August. Get the orchid books out. Find the maps. Load the coordinates into the GPS. Dust off the macro lens. Kweda here I come!!!
It was a hair raising journey. After our heavy winter rains the dirt roads resembled cold lumpy gritty porridge and for the last 10km the car fish tailed along the road the tyres struggling to get a grip at times. It was a relief to stop and park up by the mobile phone tower which was the only bit of hard ground. Considering the conditions I was amazed that there were any orchids out as most species don’t like getting their feet wet at all.
Fringed Mantis Orchid or Green Spider Orchid (Caladenia falcata). Kweda, Western Australia.
Talbot＇s Spider Orchid, Caladenia pendens subsp talbotii. Kweda, Western Australia.
Winter Donkey Orchid, Diuris brumalis. Kweda, Western Australia.
Blue Fairy Orchid or Blue Beard (Pheladenia deformis). Kweda, Western Australia.
Early Wheatbelt Spider Orchid, Caladenia sp.’early wheatbelt’. Kweda, Western Australia.
I must say I’m really, really liking using the Olympus m.Zuiko 40-150mm f2.8 with the Olympus 1.4 Teleconverter MC-14 for focus stacking. It is a beautiful lens, probably the best one I’ve got.
…pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck”.
While attacking a wayward plant with the whipper snipper the other day I found a coin. I couldn’t tell what it was as it was in such bad condition. I soaked it in Coke overnight and all the dirt and corrosion had dissolved and I could see that I had found an Australian penny piece minted in 1957. Now Australia went decimal on 14th February 1966 so it has probably been lost for at least 59 years. Hardly worthy of Time Team, but interesting all the same.
Will this 1957 Australian penny bring good luck?
Australia was a very different country in 1957. Robert Menzies was prime minister. Aboriginal people didn’t have the vote and the White Australia policy was in full swing and married women weren’t allowed to work in the Public Service, and Australia’s Wallabies had lost the Bledisloe Cup to New Zealand’s All Blacks – somethings never change.
In case you are wondering inflation has meant that 1d from 1957 would be now worth 96c.
Behind the scenes showing the camera and lights used to photograph the penny.
To photograph the coin I got out my 12 year old Olympus EM1 and matched it with the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens. The camera has a focus stacking function where it can take lots of images of the subject while the lens is wide open and combine them in camera to produce an in image where the whole subject is in focus. For the lighting I used three flash guns fired by a wireless radio trigger. I’d not used flash like this for ages as I’d gone over to using LED lights as I can use them to shoot both stills and video. With no video to shoot I could use speedlights. When it came to editing the photos I found that the in camera focus stacking had had a hard job with the coin and there were lots of artefacts. It seems that the texture of the coin was causing it to have problems. So I had to resort to stacking the image in Photoshop.
Did my penny bring me good luck? Well let’s say I’m still waiting.
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