Now I know we have all been out working hard and enjoying our gardens but I'm sure a lot of you must be just itching to get away from home. And, like me, are obeying the rules and avoiding non essential travel but I think I've found a solution for those "wanting to get away". My mother lives literally in the middle of nowhere; 45 minutes from the nearest town on 10 acres. She is starting to enjoy the season (there are still patches of snow in the shaded areas but it's slowly disappearing) so I asked her to start sending me photos of what she is seeing on her property and during their walks. I'm not sure on all the flora so if you know what it is, give a shout out (all the plants are native to the Cariboo region). Hope you enjoy your walk......
These are great photos of flora and fauna - really gives you a feel of what the place is like. I sure hope that cat isn't a hunter though. Top row, right - Chimaphila umbellata (Prince's Pine or Pipsissewa) Second row, centre - Cornus nuttallii (Pacific Dogwood) Third row, right - (I think) is a yellow violet, maybe Viola glabella Fourth row, centre - Amelanchier alnifolia Fifth row - Maianthemum racemosum (False Solomon's Seal) I'm very curious to know what the blue flower in the third row may be.
The cat is lynx rufus aka a bobcat. These cats not often seen but are often around and after my mother's birds (turkeys, chicken, ducks). Unfortunately either this animal or one like it was shot and killed a few days after the photo was taken when my mother opened the backdoor and found it sitting on her porch with one of her cayuga ducks. And as the cat showed no fear and didn't leave they had no choice.
@pmurphy, I do love the Tiger lily, we have Iris growing wild near our river banks here in Hampshire, they do stand out like your Lilly. Re the cat, I presume they are a problem as we have in the UK with foxes. Although more and more very large cats have been seen and photographed by people roaming wild here in England. I myself saw one 20 years ago, which shocked me and my crew mate during the night. It was large and black with a very long tail. We stayed in our car LOL. The next morning a professional cast was taken of the paw print it left in the soft mud. It was later confirmed as a Panther by the local zoo that housed big cats. Several large deer carcasses were also found close by. I have no photos unfortunately. Anyway back to the Iris. These two along the river Itchen in Hampshire England.
It sounds like the 'cat' you and your mate encountered 20 years ago was not the same as our bobcat. Here in BC we have 3 types of wild cats - cougar, lynx and bobcats. That panther you came across is the same the animal we call a cougar . . . definitely to be respected and feared. It's also known as a mountain lion or puma.
Hi Margot, it created a lot of paper work for us as usual, especially after several members of the public reported seeing it the next day near residential properties. We suspected it escaped from an illegal private collection. After a lot of enquiries and placing of cameras though, it was never seen again. D
Good morning, our walk along the river Itchen in Hampshire England this morning was rather hot, the scent was so heady from the wild Honeysuckle it was almost over powering.. I managed to get a few photos of flora, fauna and some wildlife ( including Alpacas) that are alongside the river. I've included some winter casualties where one or two are doing their best to survive and some are not. My wife and I love taking photos of dead or decaying trees they are so interesting, so there are a couple of photos of these. A photo I've included shows how dry everything is and the ground is cracking on June 1st. My last photo is a strange one, I think its Lords and Ladies??
The "wild" honeysuckle is Japanese honeysuckle native to China, Japan and Korea. And notorious for its rampant growth, particularly in eastern North America. Otherwise I see Rugosa rose, California poppy, Sweet William, Carex pendula...
My mother sent me a few more photos this morning...... Update, the first photo is of Amelanchier alnifolia, saskatoon berry
Hi @pmurphy, it's great to have the family involved on the forum. I've just done the same on the cheering ourselves up with maples thread with my daughter and son in laws maples. Hope your mum continues, 'they're lovely'. D
The "Lords and Ladies" is instead something like an Orobanche. After the Amelanchier is Prosartes Actaea Berberis Maianthemum and what looks to have features of Viola adunca
No berberis on the property but lots of low growing oregon grape, I just don't remember which one. Like a lot of plants growing on the property they can be rather small and stunted due to the growing conditions: clay under a very thin layer of soil, short growing season and as low as -45C in the winter.
Depending on which taxonomists you believe, the local Mahonia are now Berberis. Although, there was a more recent paper disagreeing with that assertion.
No berberis on the property but lots of low growing oregon grape, I just don't remember which one Plant shown here is Berberis aquifolium.
Our walk along the Itchen in Hampshire England this morning started with a lovely blue Malva sylvestris, shortly after this we were watched by a Roe deer. Today the BlackBerry bushes were in full flower, the best we have seen them in years. I can taste the apple and blackBerry pie already. Further along the Honeysuckle is so rampant now after several days of above 25°. The scent is incredible. More Alpacas, this time taking a drink. A very pretty Dandelion that I had to photograph. Minature white Rose's line parts of the path, they are in full bloom now. A gate in an English Summer meadow by the water. Lytchen engulfing a fallen tree. A rotten stump that is gradually breaking down through the forces of nature. A quiet place to stand and just watch the small Trout fry. And a taste of the end of our walk, showing how parched everywhere is right now. But still a few meadow flowers to look at. Its rain tomorrow and a 10° drop in temperature, everything needs some water. After the Winter we have just had with record rainfall, I cannot believe I'm saying this. Lol.
My mother sent me more photos from their walks - no flora this time but lots of fauna...... I couldn't help but throw in the sunset taken from the front porch (to give you an idea of how far back the house is located, the treeline at the bottom center of the image is where her driveway meets the gravel logging road that runs past her property)
We couldn't get out today due to waiting for a maple delivery again, lol. But just a short evening walk along the country lane 200 yards from our house, we saw this Dandelion Taraxacum officinale. I thought it needed a photo to share on this thread. I believe it has a real beauty, even though it is called a weed. Some one once said, "a weed is any plant in the wrong place". So this one was in the right place, so not a weed IMO.
Good evening @pmurphy, WOW. Now that is taking a walk on the wild side. The sunset is stunning. 'WONDERFUL'. All I could provide today was a Dandelion, lol. D
