I was happily surprised as I got north of Everett to see that the skies were getting a bit lighter and before I got to Mt Vernon, there was actually sun in the sky.
Even though I was walking in the woods, it is good to be out in as good a sunlight as the day can muster.
I headed to my favorite place, Washington Park, near Anacortes to do my first good wildflower walk of the year. There were few disappointments save for my camera work.
The Calypso Orchids are out. This seems to be a good year, though not a great year. Numbers look down a bit, and some of the flowers have already started to go to seed. I was up one month ago and saw no buds breaking, so they came and went pretty fast.
First of the year
A happy trio
Fawn Lily are doing well. Here too , many which were just starting to show buds are past.
The trail most of these are on is just magic. A solid carpet of all kinds of mosses and lichens with dainty flowers and solitude.
I even saw a fair number of Coralroot Orchids starting to spike, looking like red asparagus.
The south facing slope was starting to show off its special delights.
Small Flower Blue Eyed Mary is truly small flowered.
Early Saxifrage, Prairie Star, Meadow Chickweed and Death Camas are doing well.
The Common Camas were not breaking their bud yet.
I skirted into the woods to seek out some rare and elusive things. In the woods there was plenty of birdsong and all over wrens, chickadees and kinglets were courting and squabbling. I watched one wren check out multiple holes in a dead tree. It was shopping in a condo block. A chickadee patiently waited to do its inspections.
There was a lot of new fungus coming up through the mosses. This fallen Madrone tree was really covered with tails
Out on the rock-face the wet area is just getting started with Monkeyflower
I paused to take in the view. Clouds are starting to set in.
It was here I heard something missing for some time.
"I'm a pretty little bird-e" The call of the White-crowned Sparrows, back from their winter in the South. I didn't think this zoomed in photo would work, but you can see him in the top of that Juniper
Barely. I looked in my archives for a nice picture of this bird but have none in my computer, they are all on backup discs.
What a nice walk. Many people were out and everyone seemed in joyous spirits. Our region needs these fine days and any break in the weather to help the workers up at Oso is welcome.
This was a nice refresher course of spring meadow/rock flowers.
ReplyDeleteI wish sometimes that I could walk in a forest full of moss and lichen, damp and fertile with beautiful flowers, and streams running through it.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Marti. We went Monday and checked to see if you had been there before leaving and found your post. We were surprised at how far along the Calypsos were but had a great day. The Fawn Lilies were wonderful and the weather was glorious.
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