Waxflower (Jamesia americana)

Waxflower (Jamesia americana var. americana)

Location:  Lookout Mountain, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA

This perennial shrub is a member of the Hydrangea family. In some regions, the plant is called Fivepetal Cliffbush.  It is drought tolerant and the fragrant flowers attract birds, bees, and butterflies.

According to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Jamesia americana var. americana is native to several states in the western United States, including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.  It can be found growing wild in drier areas, but it is also becoming a popular xeriscaping plant in the southwestern US.

European Starling in non-breeding plumage

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Location:  Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

Here is a little factoid about this very common bird that I'll bet you didn't know.  According to the entry for the European Starling on WhatBird.com's Field Guide to Birds of North America:

All of the 200 million European Starlings found in North America today are descendants of approximately 100 birds released in New York City's Central Park in the early 1890s by an industrialist who wanted to establish, in the U.S., all birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.

Who knew??

Scenic Endovalley, Rocky Mountain National Park

The meadow at Endovalley

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

This is a view of an area of Rocky Mountain National Park known as Endovalley.   Large animals like elk and Bighorn sheep are often seen grazing in this meadow.  The photo was taken near the base of the Old Fall River Road.  At the back of the valley, that's Sundance Mountain (summit elevation 12,466 ft) on the left, and Mount Chapin (summit elevation 12,454 ft) on the right.  Endovalley is popular with hikers and rock climbers.

Elk portrait

Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Here is a female Rocky Mountain Elk.  Although elk are members of the deer family (Cervidae), the female is called a cow, not a doe.  This elk was photographed in early June, thus she is still sporting her shaggy winter coat.

Needles and Cone of the Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)

Location:  Jackson, Wyoming, USA

The Lodgepole Pine is native to North America and is  abundant in the Rocky Mountains, from the Yukon in the north, to Colorado in the south.  The trees are ecologically suited to higher elevations, above 6,000 feet.  The trees typically have single, very straight trunks.  In earlier times, American Indians used the younger trees of this species for erecting tepee lodges, hence the common name.   Today the timber is used for construction and pulp.

Yellow Salsify - A North American Wildflower

Yellow Salsify (Tragopogon dubius)

Location:  Lyons, Colorado, USA

I photographed this pretty yellow wildflower along a roadside, just outside the town of Lyons, in Boulder County, Colorado.  The flower, known in some places as Yellow Goat's Beard, is common throughout most of North America.  It belongs to the family Asteracea.  Other members of that family include asters, sunflowers, and daisies.

Canada Goose in Profile

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Location:  Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

We saw a large flock of Canada Geese on a grassy patch next to a marsh near the edge of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Most of the geese seemed skittish and shy, but this individual let me get close enough for this portrait.

Mayflower II - Replica of the historic ship that brought the Pilgrims to America

Mayflower II

Location:  Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

This wooden vessel is a replica of the Mayflower, the sailing ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620.  The Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction, was built in Devon, England.  According to an on-line FAQ about the vessel:

Mayflower II is a square-rigged vessel that is about 25 feet wide and 106 feet long, displacing 236 tons of water.  She has four masts, including a mainmast, foremast, mizzen and sprit, with a total of six sails.

The ship sailed across the Atlantic in 1957.  Today, the Mayflower II is moored at a pier in Plymouth, Massachusetts, within sight of Plymouth Rock.  It is open to the public.  If you are a history buff, or have a penchant for all things nautical, the Mayflower II is well worth a visit.

Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)

Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

This little critter's common name reflects its status as the smallest of all chipmunks. They are found throughout the western United States, especially in mountainous regions. They eat berries, seeds, and certain insects such as beetles and grasshoppers.

Western Blue Flag Iris (Iris missouriensis)

Western Blue Flag Iris (Iris missouriensis)

Location: Lookout Mountain, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA

This wild iris is reported to occur throughout the western half of the United States, as well as British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. I photographed this specimen in Colorado, at the edge of a wooded area on Lookout Mountain, just outside Denver.

More information about this wildflower:  Western Blue Flag Iris - US Forest Service

I'm not a canary, I'm a Saffron Finch

Male Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

The Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola) is quite common in Hawaii.  Many people -- especially visitors -- mistake them for canaries, presumably because of the bright yellow feathers sported by the males. (The female Saffron Finch is less brightly colored.)

Please, the Saffron Finch wants you to remember: Not all small, bright yellow birds are canaries!

Sailboats at Frisco Bay Marina, Lake Dillon, Colorado

Frisco Bay Marina, Lake Dillon

Location:  Frisco, Colorado, USA

Lake Dillon, a man-made reservoir, is located in Colorado's Summit County.  It supplies water to Denver.

According to the Denver Water website:

The [Dillon] dam was built to divert water from the Blue River Basin through the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel under the Continental Divide into the South Platte River Basin. Dillon Dam is an earth-fill dam, 5,888 feet long by 231 feet above the Blue River stream bed. Dillon Reservoir's surface area of 3,233 acres and 26.8 miles of shoreline support many recreational activities.

Recreational uses of Lake Dillon include boating, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, and fishing.  Frisco Bay Marina, pictured here, is one of two marinas on Lake Dillon.

Here's looking at you, Ms. Elk

Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Earlier this summer I posted photos of young male elk from Rocky Mountain National Park (here and here). Here is a portrait of a young female elk from the same herd.  Don't you love her eyelashes?