Walden Ponds

Hazy air from fires in MT and elsewhere in the west made it hard to see birds in the distance. So as usual, I photographed the flowers. I found some species in wetlands areas that I’ve never seen before: jewelweed and false floxglove, pictured below. These weren’t in any of my go-to local flower guides.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, Balsaminaceae (Balsam) Walden ponds 09052017

false foxglove, Agalinis sp., Orobanchaceae (broomrape), Walden ponds 09052017

Can’t wait to go back to look for birds again. Here is the snowy egret, a blue heron, an unknown-to-me flicker, and a downy woodpecker. Obviously, I am new to birding. I just got a Nikon Coolpix L340 20.2 MP Compact Digital Camera. Nothing super fancy, but it lets me get a photo of a bird with enough detail to attempt ID.

Here are other flowers found at Walden and Sawhill ponds. Click for slideshow and to see captions.

 

Scenery

painted lady butterfly

Brainard lake wildflowers

Elephant’s head, Pedicularis groenlandica, Scrophulariaceae (Figwort).  The individual spurred flowers in the spike look like elephant heads. Many of the flowers I saw on the Long lake trail were starting to dry up.

Indian paintbrush, Castilleja sp., Probably C. rhexiifolia (Rose Paintbrush), Orobanchaceae (Broomrape), Long lake trail

Globeflower, Trollius albiflorus, Ranunculaceae (Buttercup), Long lake trail. Next to a smaller buttercup.

Parry’s Primrose, Primula parryi, Primulaceae (Primrose), Long lake trail

Monument Plant, Frasera speciosa, Gentianaceae (Gentian), Red Rock lake

Yellow Stonecrop, Sedum lanceolatum, Crassulaceae (Stonecrop), Brainard Lake

Bistort, Bistorta bistortoides, Polygonaceae (buckwheat), Long lake trail. First picture with elephant heads, second picture with shooting stars.

Whipple’s Penstemon, Penstemon whippleanus, Scrophulariaceae (Figwort), Brainard Lake 07072017. Purple and white flowers.

Draba sp., maybe D. crassifolia (Snowbed Draba) Brassicaceae (mustard), Long lake trail. This is a TINY flower next to a full size pocket knife.

female flowers on a willow. Salix sp. Long lake trail

Golden banner, Thermopsis divaricarpa, Fabaceae (Pea), Red rock lake

Goldenrod, Solidago sp., probably S. simplex, Asteraceae (Sunflower) Brainard lake

Jacob’s ladder, Polemonium pulcherrimum, Polemoniaceae (Phlox), Long Lake.

purple aster, Brainard lake

Mountain Parsley, Pseudocymopterus montanus, Apiaceae (Parsley) Brainard lake

Hookedspur Violet, Viola adunca, Violaceae (Violet), Brainard lake

Pussytoes, Antennaria sp., First two photos look like A. rosea or A. marginata, Asteraceae (Sunflower) Brainard lake 07072017

Mountain gooseberry, Ribes montigenum, Grossulariaceae (Gooseberry)

Marsh marigold, Psychrophila leptosepala, Ranunculaceae (Buttercup), Brainard Lake 07072017

Monkshood, Aconitum columbianum, Helleboraceae (Hellebore)

Pygmy Bitterroot, Lewisia pygmaea, Portulacaceae (Purslane)

unknown Ericaceae (Heath) Brainard lake 07072017

butterfly – Fritillary family, Speyeria sp., Brainard lake 07072017

 

Arapaho Pass trail, Indian Peaks wilderness area

This place takes my breath away. We couldn’t get to Arapaho pass or Diamond lake with out going through bogs and snowfields, but still found all these wildflowers. Seems like it is still early in wildflowers season at 10,000 to 11,000 feet.

Shooting star, Dodecatheon pulchellum, Primulaceae (Primrose) family

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Eritrichium aretioides, Boraginaceae (Borage)

Globeflower, Trollius albiflorus, Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)

Marsh marigold, Psychrophila leptosepala, Ranunculaceae (Buttercup). USDA puts this in buttercup family, but other references call this a hellebore. This looks similar to the globeflower and both are growing abundantly along the streams.

Glacier Lily, Erythronium grandiflorum, Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Purple Fringe, Phacelia sericea, Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf)

Parry’s Primrose, Primula parryi, Primulaceae (Primrose). Just budding.

Indian paintbrush, Castilleja sp., Orobanchaceae (Broomrape Family)

Valeriana acutiloba, Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle)

Jacob’s ladder, Polemonium pulcherrimum, Polemoniaceae (Phlox)

Sky Pilot, Polemonium viscosum, Polemoniaceae (Phlox)

Pygmy Bitterroot, Lewisia pygmaea, Portulacaceae (Purslane)

Probably about to bloom Rose crown, Rhodiola rhodantha, Crassulaceae (Stonecrop)

Snowball Saxifrage, Micranthes rhomboidea, Saxifragaceae (Saxifrage)

Blueberry, Vaccinium myrtillus,  Ericaceae (Heath). I’ll have to verify this one. I know this is a Heath, but am not positive it is a blueberry because I haven’t seen fruit. Huckleberry has similar flowers and could also be at this location. But, I am eliminating huckleberry based on the toothed leaves.

butterfly

Nuttall’s Violet, Viola nuttalli, Violaceae (Violet)

Wallflower

scenery