Butterfly watching on Christmas hill

Lilium columbianum

Holodiscus discolor

Brodiaea coronaria

 Yesterday was one of those endless blue sky days that we have been waiting for here in Vic. June-ueary finally ended and we headed up to Christmas hill to look for butterflies. Spotted a few swallow tails and something I was not at all expecting to see;   Lilium Columbianum, it's actually quite wide spread through out the park. This park is a real gem in the middle of the city (read; not a lot of broom) and if you have an afternoon  that needs a few butterfly's and flowers I highly recommend it.

Foliage that makes me want to wet my plants

Delphiums and Orchids at Bear hill

Delphinium menziesii

Corallorhiza maculata

Delphinium meziesii

Achillea millefolium

 Friday we did a 40K bike ride along the lochside trail to Bear hill, eating salmon berries and smelling the roses along the way. Bear hill is like Mt. Doug without all of the people. A great park to visit with lots of healthy beautiful flora.

More chocolate!

Frittilaria lanceolata (syn. affins)

Roaming Mt. Doug Part 1

 Mt. Doug was exactly where I wanted to be today. Hiking and plant hunting. Under the cedar/fir canopy at the base of the hill it was serene and quiet. All of the different leaf shapes of the Amlanchier, Symphoricarpus, Mahonia, and Polystichum made me remember that in a perfect garden (i.e. nature) sometimes all you need is foliage. Once the trail started to head upward everything turned into shady meadows under young garry oaks with camas and Achillea. I was on the south side and it was hot. Continuing up the ground got steeper and turned into rock faces with blooming Sedum and Eriophyllum, I almost thought I was in Central Oregon again hiking the high desert. When I reached the top, I skirted the look out and ended up heading down the East side, which was an excellent chance decision. I saw three Fritillaria, a batch of barely blooming Rosa nootka, and some Corallorhiza just coming up. Unfortunately my camera died after I reached the top (worst excuse ever), so I as soon as I have another day off, you know where I'll be.

Eriophyllum lanatum, also called Oregon sunshine (what a great plant name!)

Achillea millefolium. According to my lone pine guide,
 "Taxonomically this is one of the most complex species in our flora", cool?

Sedum spathulifolim.

Camassia leichtlinii, I think because the tepals are twisting.

Tiarella trifoliata.

Things you may find in beacon hill park on a sunny day...

•  Garry oaks with hummingbirds sitting in them
•  Fields of camas
•  Erythronium seed pods
•  Deadly white camas
• Beautiful ocean and mountains views
• A chocolate lily or two if your lucky
• and a few naked old men sun tanning, which I especially didn't want to be seen stumbling upon with a camera in my hands (to be honest though, I'll suffer through the peripheral view of wrinkly old man scrotum for the site of a Fritillaria).

No naked people in this one, just camas and butter cups.

Fritillaria lanceolata

Moving in for the money shot.

Zygadenus venenosus with a ripening Camassia quamash

I heard this little guys call and was lucky to spot him in a Garry Oak.

How many crabs can you spot?

Someday I vow to take a marine biology coarse. All of the plants and animals I see in the ocean are so foreign its like some sort of crazy sci fi alien water world, So much so that every time I sit and watch a tidal zone I think "Mean while, in the ocean....". I wouldn't be surprised if there really were mermaids hiding somewhere out there in the great wide open with giant squid and singing schools of rainbow fish.

What do people do in the park?

Sitting in Beacon Hill park yesterday enjoying the camas, when some guy jumped up out of nowhere, 

"Sorry, didn't see you guys there!" he said.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked as he hurried away.

What were you doing strange surprise apology man? Masturbating? Reading Twilight? Taking pictures of yourself on your iPhone?All equally embarrassing but I guess we'll never know. At least you apologized.

Camassia quamash

mmmm...Macrolichen on a garry oak

I have no idea what this is...anyone? anyone? Bueller?
Plantago lanceolata

 More Plants! after the break...