Shortly after the snow melts and the boggy grassy areas are still wet the Elephant Head Lousewort Flowers (Pedicularis Groenlandica) come into full bloom. Their blooms always seem short lived but this year we were lucky enough to stumble across fields full of them in their prime on a recent hike in the Colorado high country.
Elephants on Parade in the Mt Zirkel Wilderness, CO.
Mom makes the best guidance counselor.
A common Merganser chick catches the 2:00pm ferry across Leigh lake in Grand Teton National Park.
It’s mid-July and the forest near my home has quieted down. On our daily walk we begin to pay more attention to those things that define a July day. Most are simple and I often overlook them.
Like the fascinating home of a spittle worm.
or a Dragonfly resting on a branch.
And how many times I walk right past a dandelion going to seed without stopping to take its photo. A true disservice to that dandelion which has put a lifetime into become such a beautiful thing.
Sometimes it is the simple things that make you say it’s simply summer today.
For the last few weeks the yarrow has been attracting quite a large variety of insects. This week was no exception and a new visitor we noticed was this small Hoverfly (Eristialis Anthophorina). They have a very bee like appearance that screams don’t mess with me or I will sting you. Mimicry at it’s best.
A White Crowned Sparrow sits and observes the field beyond. Perhaps looking for a meal or perhaps just enjoying the view.
Denver, CO.
A Little Orange Skipper sampling the summer buffet of flowers. First on the clover and then on the milkweed as the late afternoon sun begins to turn the clock on another beautiful day.
With a slight breeze blowing her feathers a Snow Egret relaxes on a log while her partner hunts in the background. This was quite an unusual day on our morning walk as we saw a total of eight Egrets on the small lake we frequent. On a typical day we see no more than a pair and even that is an infrequent event. Anyway these two were the stars of the show that morning and the only ones which let us get into nice photo range.
Wheat Ridge, CO.
and the living is easy…
Yellow flowers, green grass, water and a blue sky with happy clouds floating freely. Looking out at the channel that connects Lewis lake to Shoshone lake in Yellowstone National Park.
Looking rather dapper dressed in their finest “I look like a leaf” attire a Katydid relaxes on a summer afternoon on a lichen covered rock.
Denver, CO.
nature has no boss 
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