Northern Green Orchid / Platanthera hyperborea

Griffith Woods 1

"Griffith Woods Park lies along the banks of the Elbow River in the southwest part of the city. The park was created in 2000 and named after Wilbur Griffith who, with his wife Betty, donated a portion of their estate to The City of Calgary to be set aside as a nature preserve. Griffith Woods is classified as a Special Protection Natural Environment Park because of its overall environmental sensiti…  (read more)

15 Jul 2007

165 visits

White Admiral

Saw this closed White Admiral at Griffith Woods, along Highway 8.

02 Aug 2007

169 visits

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk

It's just about the end of the dragonfly season, but I know many of us have thoroughly enjoyed capturing so many of these with our cameras. This is a female of the species.

02 Aug 2007

182 visits

Yellow Rattle

Yellow Rattle is a member of the Figwort family. The common name refers to the seeds that rattle in the capsule and papery calyx when shaken. There are two species of Rhinanthus in the world and only this species grows in Alberta.

14 Jun 2008

229 visits

Teeny beauty of Early Coralroot

This tiny, wild Orchid surprised me when I cropped my photo and enlarged it. I had never seen the tiny spots on a white flower before. The average person would never notice the plant, but what beauty is seen if one is able to see an individual flower up close.

04 Aug 2007

193 visits

Maybe a Parnassian smintheus caterpillar

Haven't yet tried to identify this caterpillar that was seen on a recent walk in Griffith Woods. Hmmm .... I wonder what it is going to turn into. Note later: the closest I can get to identifying this is a Parnassian smintheus - but, of course, I could easily be wrong!

14 Jun 2008

243 visits

Sweet Coltsfoot seedhead

A friend and I spent this afternoon exploring the west end of Griffith Woods. We saw quite a lot of this Sweet Coltsfoot, now in seed. Always enjoy coming across this wildflower.

03 Aug 2008

191 visits

Jazzy eyes

I believe this is a Deer Fly, seen on a walk in Griffith Woods this afternoon. Don't you just love their amazing eyes? I must admit I was a little nervous taking macros of this guy just an inch or two from my face, as these flies give a very painful bite : )

28 Mar 2008

177 visits

Lesser Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid

I was thrilled to get to see several plants of the Lesser Rattlesnake Plantain last year. It's rare in Calgary - this one was growing out at Griffith Woods. This tiny wild Orchid grows in damp woods. The common name may refer to the native tradition of using the plant to heal Rattlesnake bites. The very small flowers are white or greenish.

15 Jul 2007

167 visits

A final treat

At the end of my walk this morning, I came across this green moth flattened out on the washroom door at the entrance of the park. I'm not sure, but I think this might be a Pale Beauty or some other kind of geometer. They are also called "inchworm moths" because it is their caterpillars that do the familiar inching along when they travel. There are at least 250 species of geometers in Alberta, but only a few are pale green. "Many Geometrids have slender abdomens and broad wings which are usually held flat with the hindwings visible. As such they appear rather butterfly-like but in most respects they are typical moths: the majority fly at night, they possess a frenulum to link the wings and the antennae of the males are often feathered. They tend to blend in to the background, often with intricate, wavy patterns on their wings. Most are of moderate size, about 3 cm across but a range of sizes occur." From Wikipedia website.
128 items in total