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
And a selection of other interesting finds...
An unusual dark pink form of the lizard orchid or Burnettia cuneata. We saw thousands of these on a recently burned area. The very sweet yellow- green Caladenia transitoria. This robust bud probably belongs to Thelymitra aristata. We could not find any of these large black Prasyphyllum buds open as yet.
November 30, 2025 at 8:59 AM
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This one is called the bleak orchid... Thelymitra aggericola.
The bleak orchid is a pale blue...sometimes very pale like this one. Bleak orchid looking pale and bleak lol
November 30, 2025 at 8:53 AM
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Prasyphyllum brevilabre - but different. A very dark, almost black, form...
So dark...and covered in soil from the downpour from the day before! Closer up view of the dark form of Prasyphyllum brevilabre Closer side on view of Prasyphyllum brevilabre Prasyphyllum brevilabre
November 30, 2025 at 8:50 AM
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Next Prasyphyllum brevilabre...
Prasyphyllum brevilabre - such a pretty leek orchid with its pretty white ruffles Prasyphyllum brevilabre Prasyphyllum brevilabre bit closer - such a neat species! A closer view of Prasyphyllum brevilabre
November 30, 2025 at 8:47 AM
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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
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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
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A few more because they are so beautiful 😍
Pale pink outer petals with a deep pink centre... huge dinner plate sized blooms! Cream delight A mid pink one...again huge blooms This clear vibrant pinky orange one was a stunner!
November 22, 2025 at 4:24 AM
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Stunning blossoms in every direction!
A wonderful dark red herbaceous peony called Old Faithful Loved this pale apricot double peony A different peony... a single row of dark pink petals with a mass of pale pink shredded petals within This gorgeous bright pink caught my eye....
November 22, 2025 at 4:21 AM
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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And lots of different sun orchids!!
Thelymitra aristata the biggest of the sun orchids. Many were standing tall above the rest of the coastal heath plants. Thelymitra flexuosa yellow with a twisted stem which gives it its name. Thelymitra rubra held between my fingers because very strong wind blowing! Blue with spots is Thelymitra ixioides
November 6, 2025 at 4:05 AM
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We found a couple of lovely spider orchids too...
Close shot of Caladenia patersonii with its maroon labelled and long cream coloured petals A paler Caladenia patersonii. They vary quite a bit in colour Another Caladenia patersonii this one with fine red stripes on the petals.
November 6, 2025 at 3:58 AM
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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
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And some of the heath flowers....
The very beautiful pink swamp heath (Sprengelia incarnata). Each small branch of this heath is topped with bunches of dark and pale pink flowers. Mauve fluffy flowers of Melaleuca squamea. A very pretty paperbark of tge swampy heath. The Leptospermums were particularly beautiful covered in these gorgeous white flowers. The bright yellow flowers of Hibbertia
October 20, 2025 at 9:11 AM
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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
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This is Tasmania in mid spring lol...yesterday at Cradle Mountain
October 12, 2025 at 5:21 AM
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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
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We also found some nice slime moulds - apologies...I do not yet have a slime mould book to be able to ID them
This one's common name is salmon spawn... and with its bright orange globes it's easy to see why! This dark pink one had several stages along a log. It starts white, then orange, then this dark pink and lastly a dark brown as it matures! Clusters of yellow blobs on stalks make this an interesting slime mould. Lots of delicate white stalks of a commonly found slime mould starting to mature
September 13, 2025 at 11:39 AM
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...and some more:
More lovely fibe, white gills on this fresh new Hohenbuehelia atrocoerulea Two perfect pink Mycena vinacea (they smell like cucumber!) Perfect in pink... a lovely Clitocybe Little pins ... fresh Vibrissea dura. The caps will turn light brown as they age.
September 13, 2025 at 11:32 AM
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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
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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
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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