You never know what you will find hidden in the willows is what this guy was probably thinking when he noticed we were peeking in from the edge of his terrain. It always amazes me just how easy a creature the size of the moose can disappear from your sight with a simple step or two into the willows. Photographed near Cottonwood pass in Colorado.
The flies were abundant that afternoon and so were the flycatchers.
This little flycatcher took a second to rest and pose with his catch. Good work as there were families to feed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Americas fastest land mammal enjoying a quiet moment at a place we called antelope hill.
Not John, Paul, George and Ringo but a handsome looking group of Beetles nonetheless.
Various encounters with members of the order Coleoptera we photographed over the last couple of months.
Diverse adapted and ready for whatever is thrown their way. Beetle species number over 400,000 and a large number are probable still to be discovered.
Beetlemaina…catch it.
This little guy surprised us by flying down and landing right in front of us while we were walking in a dimly lit forest. We are not sure if it is a Western or Eastern Screech Owl as both are commonly seen in our area and we only got a couple of photos before he flew off further into the woods. A nice little surprise on a summer afternoon.
Missouri Headwaters State Park, MT is where the three major tributaries of the Missouri river; the Gallatin, the Jefferson and the Madison come together and form the Missouri river proper. The Missouri Headwaters area is a geographical focal point and was important to early Native Americans trappers, traders and settlers. Coveting the regions bountiful resources, the Flathead, Bannock and Shoshoni Indians competed for control of this area, as did the trappers and settlers who followed.
Lewis and Clark passed by the Missouri headwaters on both ways of their voyage of discovery in 1805 and then again in 1806. In his journal documenting the expedition Meriwether Lewis wrote the country opens suddenly to extensive and beautiful plains and meadows that appear to be surrounded in every direction with distant and lofty mountains.
From the wet river bottom to the dry bluffs above each slightly different ecosystem was bursting with life the day we visited.
A fine way to spend a summers morning.
nature has no boss 
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