 |
posted: June 3rd, 2021 |
Go To Page:
|
This page begins with May 5th and a photo taken from our porch during an evening of weird weather and weird lighting. Then we jump to May 6th and a trip up the Elliott Highway to and also beyond the Grapefruit Rocks Area in search of the elusive Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens). The next photos after that were taken at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge on May 16th and show some Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens). Also on May 16th we went up to the UAF West Ridge in search of Calypso Orchids (Calypso bulbosa var. americana). We found buds, but it was too early for flowers - we returned there on May 23rd to find the flowers. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
|
| Begin May 5th & 6th |
During the evening of May 5th we had some light rain showers and after that the evening lighting was really weird. This shot was auto-toned and then processed as a High Dynamic Range image with the details lessened and this is how it came out - a fairly accurate representation of the weirdness of the evening has been achieved.
|
 May5_01ATHDRLowDetail_Weird EveningLighting_RainingRC |
On May 6th we took a drive up the Elliott Highway to the Grapefruit Rocks area in search of Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens). The photos show that we found them. These are the earliest flowers to bloom that we know of.
|
 May06_02_Grapefruit _PasqueFlowerRC |
 May6th_005_Grapefruit Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May06_06_Grapefruit _PasqueFlowerRC |
This small hillside is as steep as a cow's face, not easy to walk around on, and even more difficult due to the rocks. The snow and puddles at this time of the year make rubber boots a necessity to get here, and those rubber boots make walking even tougher.
|
 May06_12_Grapefruit _PasqueFlowerRC |
 May06_15_Grapefruit _PasqueFlowerRC |
 May6th_013_Grapefruit Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC |
Here are two additional shots of the Pasque Flowers and then a distant shot to Wickersham Dome.
|
 May6th_020_Grapefruit Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May06_31_Grapefruit _PasqueFlowerRC |
 May06_33_Wickersham FromGrapefruitRC |
After we finished up at the Grapefruit Rocks area we decided to continue our drive up the highway just to see what we could find. The first shot in this row shows the Tatalina River and the remaining ice. Then we found an area which looked similar to the previous area where we had found Pasque Flowers. This hillside was even more steep than the previous one and we were not sure that we even wanted to climb up it, but we used binoculars and could see patches of purple on the hillside, so we went for it. We were not disappointed.
|
 May06_50_ TatalinaRiverRC |
 May6th_067_Elliott HWY_PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May6th_071_Elliott HWY_PulsatillaPatensRC |
Here are three more shots of Pasque Flowers.
|
 May06_57_ElliottHwyMP 57_PasqueFlowersRC |
 May6th_072_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May06_75_ElliottHwyMP 57_PasqueFlowersRC |
Can you find the flowers in each of these shots?
|
 May6th_095_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May6th_104_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May06_77_ElliottHwyMP 57_PasqueFlowersRC |
Here are the final Pasque Flower photos for this year - hopefully, we can show you more of them next year at this time.
|
 May06_81_ElliottHwyMP 57_PasqueFlowersRC |
 May6th_136_ElliottHWY _PulsatillaPatensRC |
 May06_89_ElliottHwyMP 57_PasqueFlowersRC |
| End May 6th, Begin May 16th |
These three photos were taken at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. The first two shots show Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens), which only visit Creamer's Field sporadically. The third shot shows Birch Hill with the light delicate green colors which are prevalent during spring green-up.
|
 May16_03_Creamers Field_SnowGeeseRC |
 May16_18_Creamers Field_SnowGeeseRC |
 May16_24__Creamers Field_BirchHill_GreenupRC |
On May 16th we also went up to the UAF (University of Alaska - Fairbanks) West Ridge area, where we know there are Calypso Orchids (Calypso bulbosa var. americana). As you can see here, we found them, but it was too early - let's return next weekend.
|
 May16th_060_UAF_ CalypsoBulbosaRC |
 May16_28_UAF_West Ridge_CalypsoOrchidRC |
| End May 16th, Begin May 23rd |
Okay, now it's "next weekend" and we are back at the UAF West Ridge area and the Calypso Orchid (Calypso bulbosa var. americana) area - as you can see here, we were exactly correct in our estimate that they would be in bloom in one more week.
|
 May23rd_002_UAF_ CalypsoBulbosaRC |
 May23_01_UAF_ CalypsoOrchidRC |
 May23rd_010_UAF_ CalypsoBulbosaRC |
Here are two shots of the Calypso Orchids and a single shot of The Kidney-Leaved Violet (Viola renifolia).
|
 May23_12_UAF_ CalypsoOrchidRC |
 May23rd_014_UAF_ CalypsoBulbosaRC |
 May23_28_UAF_ ViolaRenifoliaRC |
Here is a second, and final, shot of The Kidney-Leaved Violet (Viola renifolia) and then two more shots which show Calypso Orchids.
|
 May23_30_UAF_ ViolaRenifoliaRC |
 May23_41_UAF_Calypso Orchid_KazuyaRC |
 May23_43_UAF_ CalypsoOrchidRC |
Here are two more shots of Calypso Orchids and a shot of a Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus).
|
 May23_44_UAF_ CalypsoOrchidRC |
 May23_47_UAF_ SquirrelRC |
 May23rd_069_UAF_ CalypsoBulbosaRC |
| End Page 1, but May 23rd Continues on Page 2 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation and conclusion of this Calypso Orchid hunting adventure. |
Go To Page:
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Link to Amazon.com (new window).
We get 2% of whatever you spend if you go to Amazon from this link!! Please shop on Amazon from here.
| If you would like to donate to our hiking & traveling fund or show your appreciation for our efforts you can donate through PayPal. A single donation will entitle you to request a single full-sized photo IN THE DONATION MONTH - which you may then use as a desktop wallpaper or whatever. The copyright will be retained by us and the photo will be inconspicuously marked with the copyright symbol (©), year and photographer's name. (Donation probably not tax deductible.) |