More Monitoring

We monitored at a corridor site we call Gentian meadow this morning.  The park system has been working on clearing out buckthorn and we stopped by to see how the Fringed Gentian is faring.  The answer is very well, thank you.  We counted well over a hundred on less than two acres.  

This was the only plant in full bloom. My guess is the rest will bloom by Labor Day.  I'm hoping to return and record the show. 

Paul is our self described butterfly nut and amateur photographer.  This is how he spends most of his time.

Here is a pollinator caught in the act.  You can just see the bumble bee's back legs coated in pollen. 

Across the road is the corridor site known as Bumpus.  We spent the remainder of our morning there.

Denise verified that this is the aptly named Tall (or Giant) Sunflower.

Close up of Tall Sunflower

Common Chicory - not native, but I can't resist that beautiful blue color

There were at least one hundred of these small orchids (Spiranthes species) in bloom around the Bumpus pond.  

Back to Monitoring

I was happy to get back out in the fields and monitor this past Friday.  We concentrated on Scaly blazing star.  It is a relative of the domesticated Dense blazing star, known also as Gay Feather, but is much smaller and the flowers are "interrupted" in comparison. 

Rough blazing star is starting to bud, but has not bloomed, so our timing was perfect.  They can be difficult to tell apart. 

  The population is booming.  If it continues to do as well next year, we may need to estimate the numbers.

Another of my favorites was blooming as well - Flowering spurge.  The flowers are delicate and seem to float among the grasses.

Near the woods we came upon these funny fellows - Milkweed tussock moths.  They were less than an inch long.

I've never seen so many together.

The adult moth has dull gray wings and isn't much to look at.  A peak below the wings, however, reveals a similarly brightly colored body.

Portland Wedding

My nephew Andrew was married last Saturday in Portland, Oregon.

We flew out a week earlier and visited Seattle for a few days.

 Pike Street Market

Fresh Fish!

                             Chihuly exhibit at the Botanical Garden

Snuggly, sleepy sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium

Wine touring in the Willamette Valley with Deb and Dan

Multnomah Falls (along the Columbia River)

Mossy trees in forest surrounding the falls

Lunch overlooking the Columbia River in Hood River, OR

Pittsburgh McRury Clan at Cannon Beach 

View of the Pacific - on our way to Tillamook

The Event

Best wishes to Maya and Andrew for a healthy, happy future!