Field of Russell Lupines in New Zealand's Fiordland

Russell Lupines (Lupinus polyphyllus)

Location: Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand

Recently I unearthed this image from a 2007 journey to New Zealand.  It was springtime there (December) and the countryside was richly blanketed with wildflowers.  Among our favorites were these Russell Lupines.

Here is a close-up photo of Russell Lupines from that same trip to New Zealand.

Yarrow (Achillea lanulosa)

Yarrow (Achillea lanulosa)

Location:  Blue River, Colorado, USA

This wildflower is very common in the United States.  I photographed this specimen along a roadside in the small town of Blue River, in the Colorado high country.

Yarrow is a member of the Sunflower family (Asteraceae).  The website SWColoradoWildflowers.com has this to say about the plant's taxonomic name:

The Achillea genus was named by Linnaeus in 1753 when he also named this species "Achillea millefolium" from specimens collected in Europe.  Thomas Nuttall named this species "Achillea lanulosa" in 1834 from specimens collected by Meriwether Lewis in Idaho in about 1806. Weber states that A. lanulosa and A. millefolium are "very closely related" but different species.

The plant is said to have some wound-healing properties.

Cardinal in flight

Male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Location: Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

I keep thinking that one day I'll master the art of photographing birds in flight.   To that end, I keep trying. Here is one of my latest attempts.

Rocky Mountain High: The Long's Peak Massif

Mount Meeker, Long's Peak and Mount Lady Washington

Location: Colorado, USA

These are the three most prominent peaks in the Long's Peak Massif.  From left to right, Mount Meeker, elevation 13,911 feet (4,240 meters); Long's Peak, elevation 14,255 feet (4,345 meters); and Mount Lady Washington 13,281 feet (4,048meters).  These mountains form a part of Colorado's Front Range.

This view of the Long's Peak Massif was photographed from an overlook on Colorado Highway 7, just north of Meeker Park.  That stretch of of Route 7 is a part of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, a system of roads traversing the foothills of the Front Range from Estes Park in the north, to Interstate 70 in the south.

Young Male Elk with 'Antler Buds'

Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Last month I snapped this photo of a young male elk in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park.  Note that he still has some of his shaggy winter coat.  Also, what will eventually become antlers are just beginning to grow from the animal's skull.

Here is a link to a photo of a slightly older male elk, whose antlers are beginning to look like antlers instead of like velvet-covered bumps!

Field of golden wildflowers in Colorado

Location: Grand County, Colorado, USA

Last time, I posted a close-up photo of an American wildflower called Golden Smoke (Corydalis aurea), which I photographed in a rural Colorado meadow.  Here is that meadow.

Golden Smoke (Corydalis aurea)

Golden Smoke (Corydalis aurea)

Location:  Grand County, Colorado, USA

The brightly colored wildflower is widely distributed across the continental United States.  The plant is a member of the Fumariaceae (Fumitory) family.  I photographed this example in a meadow in Grand County, Colorado.

According to the botanical reference website eFloras.org:

The Navaho used Corydalis aurea medicinally for a variety of ailments, including rheumatism, diarrhea, sores on the hands, stomachaches, menstrual problems, and sore throats, and as a general disinfectant (D. E. Moerman 1986, no subspecies cited).

Turkey in a tree

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

Here's another photo of Bertha, the wild turkey who graced us with her presence for a period of several months.  In my previous post about Bertha, I mentioned that she dominated the ground feeder in our garden during her stay.  Here is proof that she also tried her best to take over a small bird feeder in one of our trees.  We saw her in the tree like this on a number of occasions.  She would contort this way and that, trying to get at the seeds in the feeder, but because of her size and bulky shape she ultimately would lose her footing and need to return to the ground -- much to the relief of the local finches and sparrows.

Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Sprague Lake

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

This lake is situated near the eastern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  Sprague Lake lies at an elevation of more than 8,000 feet.  It once was a part of a privately owned resort, prior to the establishment of the national park.  Today there is a picnic area near where the resort's lodge used to be.  There is a well-maintained walking trail around the perimeter of the lake.  This photo, a view facing west across the lake, was taken from that trail.

The mountains in the background of this photo form a part of the Continental Divide.  The pointy-topped mountain in the far left of the photo is Taylor Peak, elevation 13,158 feet.  To its right is Otis Peak, elevation  12,486 feet.  Next is Hallett Peak, elevation  12,713 feet.  To the right of that is Flattop Mountain, elevation  12,324 feet.  Finally, in the far right of the photo, is Notchtop Mountain, elevation 12,129 feet.

Butterfly: Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)

Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)

Location: Lookout Mountain, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA

This butterfly species can be found throughout most of western North America, according to the entry for S. hesperis on Butterflies and Moths of North America.  This individual was photographed just outside of Denver, Colorado.  The species belongs to the Nymphalidae family, the members of which are characterized by small forelegs.

Conifer Tree Rings

Cross-section of Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta latifolia)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

This is the top of the stump of a Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta latifolia) that had just been cut down by staff members in Rocky Mountain National Park. The tree's annual growth rings are clearly visible.  I thought the variations in coloration were interesting.

Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens multifida)

Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens multifida)

Location:  Grand County, Colorado, USA

This pretty wildflower is a member of the Buttercup family.  The flower is approximately one inch wide, so it's a bit larger than a common buttercup.  I'm told this is the state flower of South Dakota, but I found this specimen in a meadow in rural Grand County, Colorado.

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Female Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

This Wild Turkey hen was a daily visitor to the garden of our house in Hawaii for several months.  From time to time, flocks of wild turkeys wander through our property.  Usually they simply pass through, but for some reason, this individual decided to stay awhile.  My husband named her Big Bertha.

During the time that Bertha hung out at our place, she dominated the ground feeder:  All the other birds deferred to her.  (She also scared the bejeezus out of our poor cat!)  She left as abruptly as she arrived.  One day she failed to show up at the feeder, and then we never saw her again.

In case you are wondering, this species was intentionally introduced into  the Hawaiian Islands as a game bird.  Most source material on the subject says the first turkeys were brought to the islands in the late 18th century.  Here is a reliable reference about Wild Turkey population in Hawaii, from the Bishop Museum (2-page PDF).