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AdamsWife — Flying Duck Orchid
Published: 2006-10-11 09:21:42 +0000 UTC; Views: 4534; Favourites: 84; Downloads: 85
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Description
Paracaleana nigrita - Flying Duck OrchidSome of my watchers will have already seen this orchid, taken by husband. I'm thrilled to have photographed one myself.
The native flora in Western Australia is very special and I find that this orchid is the most unlower-like species.
Like the King-in-his-carriage, it is pollinated by the male Thynnid wasps, who try's to mate with the labellum, that emits a odour similar to the female wasp. As he lands on the labellum, the aroused visitor is flipped over into the area where the pollen is.
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Comments: 108
Absolutely beautiful. Perfect photo. I'm so jealous of your amazing western orchids. I've been working with Colin Bower a pollinator expert on our threatened orchids and have been lucky enough to witness the process you describe first hand,it's so amazing it blows my mind!!!!
How do the orchids KNOW what the female wasps smell and look like to mimic them in the first place? How do they know??!!
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Our orchids never stop amazing us, every new season is thrilling, even after all these years. Thank you so much for the two
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I know what you mean, I can look forward to a lifetime of surprises and inspiration. Orchids are the perfect addiction for me, I will never see them all but will also never stop wanting to
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My favourite Australian orchid.
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Thank you very much for your lovely comment and for adding this to your favourites
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Wonderful capture of this unusual looking orchid!!!
Great lighting and DOF!!! Another 
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Thank you Rettie, I've been enjoying the orchid photography. On little flowers like this, you don't see all the detail until you look at it large on the screen. Thank you for the 
I'm trying to look at all the September submissions of my friends and I've got just 4 of yours still to comment on. Then I will start at the top of the list again and go through the October ones. I will get around to your latest eventually. I have dropped out of a lot of clubs as I just cant keep up
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I think I'll have to do the same with my clubs! And I'm getting so many submissions to comment on!! I love to look at them, but lack of time.....
Please don't feel bad about it when you are behind with commenting!!!
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I think I have caught up with yours now
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love this...certainly can see the flapping of wings...love the background with it too.
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Thank you very much, I was pleased with the out-of-focus background too. Thank you for the
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Do you have print account yet? You need one! This is top drawer as we say.
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No I don't have a print account. Several months ago I asked in my journal who had an account and what they thought of it and most said it's a waste of time. So I really don't need anything else to complicate my life just now
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Thank you for your lovely comment and for adding this to your favourites. Both are very much appreciated
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Great picture Eve, and I like the way you are adding information about the plants and animals you photograph.
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Thank you very much. It's easier for me to find out the information first than answer lots of questions from people who are fascinated by Australian flora
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Thank you very much, when this one opened, I had to wait a couple of days for the sun to shine and the wind to stop blowing
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Well it was worth the wait Good job! How's Charlie doing? I saw his photo on my favs the other day and thought I would ask next time I talked to you.
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I'm afraid the news is not good for Charlie; he has done the same thing to his other hind leg and goes in for more surgery tomorrow. He is one sad looking little boy.
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Oh my gosh! Poor little fella and poor you! You must be tired from rehabilitating through his first injury and now another!!!! How did he do this one? Good luck tomorrow, keep me posted! Give Charlie a
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oh my God! thats really a duck! o.o
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I was also amazed the first time I saw one of these
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You got such an amazing flora over there.
This is a magnificient flower and a great pic
Thanks for sharing with us !
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Thank you very much for adding this to your favourites. It would have to be one of my favourite orchids. I never cease to be amazed at its strangeness every time I see it.
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Great subject and DOF! Watch the dreaded purple fringing though. May I ask what lens you used?
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What is purple fringing. The lens I used is a Tamron70-300 zoom lens set on macro on a Nikon D50 camera
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See the 2 highlights in the photo, and how there is a purple halo around each one. It is usually a characteristic of the lens and appears around bright highlights in an image.
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Thank you for explaining. I wonder why it hasn't happened with any other shot I've taken with this lens.
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That I can't explain. I had a look back through your gallery and couldn't find another instance, I'm not sure why it would appear now. Keep an eye on it in the future. There are methods to reduce/remove it from your images. If it keeps happening you might have an excuse to buy a flashy new lens.
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That lens is less than 6 months old, so will have to put up with whatever it gives 
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I'll stop noticing then.
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What a unique flower, thank you for sharing the information. It truly is a beautiful find, and so well photographed
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Thank you very much. Yes our flora is unique and I have yet to see many of the orchids that grow here.
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You sure can find the most unusual orchids by you. I've never seen anything like these! Great pics.
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Thank you. I have been in awe of the orchids that grow in Australia since we came to live here over 30 years ago. The many species never cease to amaze me.
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DO you see these in the wild or in a conservatory somewhere? They are totally amazing and beautiful.
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Yes these grown in the wild, but they are so small, they are quite difficult to find.
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