Dainty blue “hand-shaped” flowers, appearing in late winter and early spring – this is the blue fingers orchid.
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It’s not particularly common locally, but neither is it rare. It is found in drier forests, on ridges, slopes, and sandier soils.
The accompanying photo was taken last weekend at Dereel, on the southern edge of the Enfield forest.
We had been directed to large numbers of them, growing in a loose colony in sandy soil. Several other orchid species, as well as other early wildflowers, were found in the same area.
The photo is rather enlarged – most of the plants were around 6-8cm tall and the dainty, sky blue flowers mostly less than 20mm wide.
The blue fingers orchid is one of a number of orchids of similar shape.
The best known of the group is pink fingers, yet to appear this season. Blue fingers is the first of this group to open, adding to its charm.
Most of the group were known as caladenias, after their scientific name, but many have been given different names. Some have retained the caladenia “surname”, while others have become “fingers”.
Most of them, including blue fingers, grow in loose colonies. If one is found, others will usually be discovered not far away.
There is another similar local orchid known as bluebeard orchid, or bluebeard caladenia. It’s also an attractive deep sky blue, but differs by having a hairy centre.
The largest of the “fingers” group is the purple waxlip, whose flowers are a few weeks away.
Its hairy leaves have already appeared, taking in energy from the sun to produce the attractive flowers later this month and into October.
LOVE BIRDS
A report from the early days of Creswick includes “love birds” among the birds listed. The list was general and not exhaustive – it did not include many detailed “proper” names.
The “love birds” were probably small parrots of some sort. The name was often used for budgerigars in generations past, but is rarely heard now.
But were budgerigars ever found in the district?
Certainly the wild budgie is not known at Creswick today, although it is a rare visitor to the drier forest around Clunes.
Perhaps the Creswick “love birds” were lorikeets – small screeching parrots that visit most years.
Like budgerigars, lorikeets are usually seen in small groups.
It’s possible, however, that wild budgerigars occasionally visited the plains to the west and north of Creswick 150 years ago, especially in dry years.