Small Bluebells, Long-flowered Lungwort, Trumpet Bluebells ~ Mertensia longiflora
It was still quite cold in the Spring Creek canyon today with patches of snow remaining in the heavier brush off to the sides of the trail and the wildflowers this year are blooming two to three weeks later than most years, but it was so nice to be hiking on a back-country trail again. Although I can’t hike all of this trail today, I will later and it leads into the TeePee/Spring Creek roadless area where the headwaters of the creek form on the southern slope of Big Hole Peak.
(Usually not seen at this stage of its development, or early on a cold drizzly morning, with an old black stocking cap for a background; nor photographed from a nearly prone position in very wet, tall grass…)
This afternoon while on our front deck I could hear a captivating humming sound, soft and melodious, that seemed to be drifting down on the breeze. When I looked up I could see that one of my favorite trees, a huge old Box Elder that provides summer shade across the whole front of the house is now in full bloom and the sound was coming from there. It was an Arbor Day song sung by the wings of hundreds of honey bees that were visiting the blossoms of the big old tree.
I took several pictures of one of the blossoms but was not happy with them and so tonight I tried this one in the dark.
As the weather here has warmed a bit more toward a more normal April, more species of wildflowers have begun to appear. Here are a few more species making their appearance, including one that I have not before noticed or identified; another member of the Saxifrage family (sure wish these were larger).
Oregon grape ~ Berberis aquifolium
Redstem Stork’s bill, Common Stork’s Bill ~ Erodium cicutarium
I had to laugh tonight while looking for more information about this rather odd wildflower (or herb as some sources call it). The 8th source that showed up in a Google search was this site which was my own blog post from about this same time last year.
On April 18, 2008 while hiking the Munson Creek trail in the TeePee/Spring Creek roadless area, about 2 miles from the trailhead I encountered the largest bloom of trilliums that I’ve ever seen. On April 18 of every year since, I have visited that same place to celebrate the beautiful annual bloom of trilliums. It is sad this year for me to realize that I am not up to that steep hike, not yet, and so today I had a small trillium celebration and photo session not very far up from the trail head where there are several dozen blooming near the footbridge over the creek.
Western White Trillium, Pacific Trillium ~ Trillium ovatum
