Helen Robertson
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helenrobertson.bsky.social
Helen Robertson
@helenrobertson.bsky.social
490 followers 380 following 340 posts
On Peerapper country - Zoologist, Fungi Enthusiast living with 2 Border Collies, 3 Jerseys & a Light Sussex flock! Bushwalking, gardening, sustainable living, mycology, photography.
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helenrobertson.bsky.social
Some lovelies from the west coast heathland of Tasmania.....
First: Prasyphyllum pulchellum
Prasyphyllum pulchellum... the pretty leek orchid. Prasyphyllum pulchellum... the pretty leek orchid. Close up front of of Prasyphyllum pulchellum... Closer side view of Prasyphyllum pulchellum.
November 30, 2025 at 8:42 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Yesterday's fabulous find made by friend on our walk in Rocky Cape National Park: Green Comb Spider Orchid (Caladenia dilatata)
Green petals with a central maroon stripe a deep maroon labellum tip and the green comb either side of the labellum. Front on shot Green petals with a central maroon stripe a deep maroon labellum tip and the green comb either side of the labellum. Side on shot Green petals with a central maroon stripe a deep maroon labellum tip and the green comb either side of the labellum. A bit closer...
November 24, 2025 at 9:16 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Peonies in the Paddock...NW Tas
Peony decoration in pale pinks and cream... A peony rainbow... A peony decorated wagon wheel A rather flowery looking Fergie tractor
November 22, 2025 at 4:17 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Went duck hunting today... got two ;)
Shiny red Large Duck Orchid. The petals and labellum of this species are shaped like a duck in flight. The Large Duch Orchid is not really all that big. Photographed here in front of my hand for size perspective
November 21, 2025 at 11:31 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
We found a different version of Caladenia transitoria yesterday in NW Tasmania... normally greenish yellow...we found a large colony containing both green-yellow ones and beautiful peachy pink ones!
A normal Caladenia transitoria with greenish yellow petals A pink Caladenia transitoria Pink Caladenia transitoria The two different coloured Caladenia transitoria on either side of a flat grey rock. Pink on the kept, greenish yellow on the right
November 15, 2025 at 7:03 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
More lovely orchids from NW Tasmania
A white Caladenia carnea - a small ground orchid. A pale pink Caladenia vulgaris A normal pink coloured Caladenia carnea or Pink Fingers Close up shot of a lovely blue Thelymitra aristata
November 15, 2025 at 6:26 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Rocky Cape National Park - Postman's Track was a lovely walk yesterday.
A beautiful red rosette of a pretty little sundew sending up a slender flower spike. White flowers of Bauera rubioides with heavy dew drops. Heading down to the shore you go past steep rocky cliffs Our lunch spot - a pretty rocky cove. The best thing was the musical noise of the pebbles shifting as each wave retreated!
November 8, 2025 at 7:55 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Arthur Pieman Conservation Area was an orchid wonderland last weekend!
The greeny yellow Caladenia transitoria The very tiny pink Caladenia pusilla Hard to see easily as it is only half open red and white Burnettia cuneata which comes after fire. Always cheerful mauve Glossodia major
November 6, 2025 at 3:52 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Arthur Pieman Conservation Area lovelies from today's outing. A very windy day!
Lovely spider orchid. Cream petals with long slender tips and a rich red labellum Two gorgeous bright yellow donkey orchids A very early leek orchid green with red-brown along the outside of the petals A really small little pink fingers....pale pink petals with a darker blush on tge tips.
October 20, 2025 at 8:59 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
This is Tasmania in mid spring lol...yesterday at Cradle Mountain
October 12, 2025 at 5:21 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Something erratic from the west of Tasmania :)
My grandsons pretending to hold up an interesting perched erratic. A boulder left on top of another larger one by the glacier that made them both... A close up look at the conglomerate all the erratics were made of. Generally reddish background rock with many lumps of red, white and grey quartz within. This towering erratic had meter wide scrape marks from the glacier that left it here. It was twisted and scoured by the ice. An extraordinary shape that looked like it should fall over. A plaque explaining how the erratic are formed
October 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Some nice fungi finds from yesterday's forest scramble in the Dip River Forest Reserve.
Gorgeous delicate white bells hanging in the green moss... Chromocyphella muscicola Pseudomerulius curtisii has a whitish upper surface but underneath these lovely orange wrinkled gills. Dark bottle green glossy bunched cups of Claussenomyces australis growing on a fallen stick. Glorious red-orange gills of the pretty fan fungus Anthracophyllum archeri - always a good find!
September 13, 2025 at 11:26 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Last season I saved seeds from my 'green dragon' broccoli and my red cabbages.
This year I have a few green dragon broccoli, a couple of red cabbages and lots of cabboli... or should that be broccages?
The chunky, pink veined, cabbage/broccoli cross. Prolific bearer and very yummy! One of the baby red cabbages...looking like it should! The green dragon broccoli plant looking as it should. Slender side shoots of broccoli.
September 8, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Reposted by Helen Robertson
christinemilne.bsky.social
Imagine having a Productivity Summit with the theme of Resilence and failing to address first up the impact on Australian life, community, landscape and infrastructure of existential twin crises of global heating and biodiversity collapse. Instead it’ll be Env is a handbrake on ‘jobs and growth’.
August 19, 2025 at 9:55 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Waterfall wetness....
Second cascade at Liffey Falls...ferns in foreground Water cascading over rocks First cascade at Liffey Falls... a bit obstructed by overhanging trees... Second cascade at Liffey Falls...looking like it's falling down a set of stairs
August 17, 2025 at 12:26 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Lazy rainy afternoon... sitting with a pot of French Earl Grey tea... perfect to settle in the 11 barrow loads of mulch I spread around the garden earlier today!
August 12, 2025 at 6:01 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Road trip to Waratah and surrounds...
The town of Waratah and in front the waterfall cascades down the rockface. A closer view of the waterfall - lots of noise needs to be imagined! A Pademelon with YAH on our way down to the waterfall. Fungi part of this pale green rock lichen fruiting in pretty pink discs
August 8, 2025 at 6:55 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
How cool is this decorated scallop I found on the beach this morning?
All perfectly normal from this angle... the beautiful pink and dark red colours of the inside of the shell... But on the outside of the shell a multi branched bright orange sponge gives the scallop a rather punk look!
July 28, 2025 at 12:01 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Here's some waterfall joy for your day :)
Dip Falls, NWTas.
The top of the falls... dark tannin stained water churning to creamy white as it plunges over the basalt columns of the ancient solidified lava flow that once set the river on fire. From further away the whole shawl of the top falls is seen cascading over the sloping columns of basalt Looking down directly over the bottom falls as the water plunges down over the vertical columns of the first lava flow. Huge tree trunks jammed at the bottom foam spraying over the river banks.
July 23, 2025 at 12:43 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Morning beach visit today...there's finally been enough rain to get the little creek started and to make the river run dark with tannins...
The little creek has started to run making a mini delta in the sand. Lovely sea hazed view of the beach at low tide and Rocky Cape in the distance. The mouth of the river showing up dark with tannins against the sand. Happy beach dogs!
July 18, 2025 at 8:51 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
This is why I post mostly about fungi or wildflowers...the natural world!
Are a few people ruining the internet for the rest of us?
Why does the online world seem so toxic compared with normal life? Our research shows that a small number of divisive accounts could be responsible – and offers a way out
www.theguardian.com
July 13, 2025 at 10:25 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
It was a Cortinarius kind of day today... found 16 different species!! These were 4 of the more spectacular ones...
The glutinous bright purple of Cortinarius archeri Glutinous bright yellow of Cortinarius sinapicolor A stunning mauve and cream coloured Cortinarius This small Cortinarius sp. had the richest red colour!
July 12, 2025 at 12:19 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Well...another day in my local Rocky Cape forest looking for fungi and we found a really odd one. It appears to be an asco on a stipe!! At first glance we though "another mauve Cortinarius.." but then we realised... no gills!! I've set a couple up for spore prints overnight.
A mirror shot showing the lovely fluted mauve cap with a very smooth underside... no gills!! Used the mirror to capture this pair from above while also getting their stipes and underside in the same shot. They look so much like a Cortinarius but there are no gills under there! The specimens I brought home sitting on microscope slides. The upturned drinking glass over the top is to keep breezes at bay and to maintain humidity while the spores fall.
July 12, 2025 at 12:13 PM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
Have been away on holidays but back home and into the forest already lol...these from Sunday
My first time finding this teeny tiny little white polypore... Favolaschia pustulosa Gorgeous serrated gills of Lentinellus pulvinulus Aren't these little furry ones special! Gymnopus 'pink furry' Always handsome Cortinarius rotundisporus with its blue cap with yellow centre and lovely mauve gills on the younger ones.
July 7, 2025 at 8:34 AM
helenrobertson.bsky.social
More fungi from Hellyer Gorge today...
The incredibly tiny white lichenised fungi called Badimiella which grows on the leaves of Mother Shield Ferns The very delicate white Clitopilus kamaka that grows on moss. Fabulous rich red brown gills of Anthracophyllum archeri Lovely big pale pink fan of Panellus longinquus with its superb fine gills
June 18, 2025 at 11:09 AM