The hot weather has me totally shut down. I feel uninspired and have stuck close to home this weekend.
Saturday I slept in way late ( for me) so visited the Hazel Wolf Preserve, which is a close by wetlands area. I was enchanted by tons of damselflies and dragonflies at the marsh
The woods were pretty quiet but I did have an interesting encounter with a pair of Piliated Woodpeckers. One was tucked inside this hole. I neither saw nor heard evidence of young birds.
A Douglas Squirrel harvesting a cone.
This morning I got up early and went to see some Broad-leaved Helleborine. My friend Ron Hanko ( http://www.ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/ ) reported this sighting in his blog. I knew I would be able to find the flowers and did so without too much difficultly. Gaye is another blogger from New York ( http://www.livingretiredinwesternnewyorkstate.blogspot.com/ )and earlier this season she found some Helleborine on one of her favorite rambles. Through some discussion we found that she had some on her property too. How nice to have an orchid blooming in your own yard.
At the park, what a bounty! The spot I found near a drainage ditch was filled with invasive English Ivy. I have to wonder if the orchids rode in with the ivy plants. There were at least 25 plants in varied state of bloom. Some were quite purple, others mostly green with a blush of pink. Some so heavy with flowers, they appear to have toppled.
I was happy to see and experience these new plants. I am getting ready for a trip in 10 days and hope to see these and other orchids in their native habitat. Having a feel for their size and how they fit and blend in the environment, I hope I will be able to spot them on my rambles.
Gaye, I hope your plants continue to thrive. Ron, thanks my friend for the great tip.
