After the late arrival of warm weather, the wildflowers in this part of Western Montana have been hurrying to catch up with spring. Here are more that have started blooming in May:
After a nearly unsuccessful attempt to photograph Calypso Orchids in a place where I’m sure to find them every year (mostly what I got was wet; very wet) I ran across some in bloom about three miles up the Munson Creek trail and was able to get a few representative shots of them. They are usually difficult photography subjects because they are small, they grow close to the ground under the brushy cover of other plants and they are very fragile and cannot be handled or touched without damaging or killing them. These are of the same species as the white one of which I posted photos a few days ago but they are the pink color that is most usual for them.
Over the last few days I’ve encountered about a dozen new wildflowers that have started to bloom and I will post photos of them in the coming days, but just before dark this evening on walk in the rain on the Spring Creek trail I found a pleasant surprise and it kind of moved to the front of the line; this white Fairyslipper. I greatly look forward to seeing these shy little orchids bloom each May but I have never before come across a white one.
