Perhaps a Margined White or another version of the Family Pieridae enjoying some time resting on a nice white wildflower. White on white…not a bad combination.
A dragonflies flight
Relentlessly buzzing and zooming while patrolling his small pond a dragonflies flight is something to behold.
This patch of pond must have been a treasure worth holding onto as anyone who dare flew into his view was quickly escorted away with a swift deliberate attack. As he flew head on into the camera we got a quick a cursory glance then he was gone.
Woodland Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedea
Earlier this summer we ran across a peculiar plant making its way up through the earth in the forest. A strange striped asparagus? No Woodland Pinedrops: Pterospora andromeda.
According to Wikipedia “Like all members of the Monotriopoidiae , Pterospora andromedea lacks chlorophyll (trace amounts have been identified, but not enough to provide energy for the plant or to color it. Plants exist for most of their life as a mass of brittle, but fleshy, roots. They live in a parasitic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, in which plants derive all their carbon from their associated fungus, but the relationship is not yet well understood.”
This makes it similar to several of the orchids we have encountered along the trail.
Now that summer has passed and fall is in the air the plant looks like this.
Somewhat like a small tree full of small pumpkins decorating the autumn forest.
Passing Storm
With the rain came a quietness that only rain can bring. Looking out into the big Pacific Ocean off the NW coast of Vancouver Island.
Aristocrat.
This Yellow Headed Blackbird saw us out taking photos one afternoon and asked for a portrait to hang above the family nest. I was glad to oblige his request.
A Summer Tail
Until just a few weeks ago Swallowtails filled the air floating by often gliding up into the canopy and out of sight just as quickly as they appeared making photographs initially hard to come by.
However as days went on and with the butterfly bush calling the swallowtails in we got ample time to sit and observe at least three species of swallowtails in depth.
One one afternoons drive on a dusty old dirt road our path was even block by a congregation of Swallowtails which looked to include several species including the Pale Swallowtail, Western Tiger Swallowtail, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail and the Old-World Swallowtail.
Swallowtails block the way along an old dirt road.
A Western Tiger and Pale Swallowtail getting acquainted.
Antelope hill
Americas fastest land mammal enjoying a quiet moment at a place we called antelope hill.
