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.

 

 

 

 

 

The Western Wispy continues to evade me. I’ll have to wait to early next spring to resume the search.