August 20, 2015, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park
It's late summer in the Olympics. Last winter's low snowpack is long gone. The wildflower meadows are mostly brown. The views of the mountains are obscured by smoke from wildfires. There are just a few wildflowers still blooming.
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Snails, fish, insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located.
Follow me beyond the ripened seedpod to see what we found on our most recent visit.
I wrote earlier this summer about my personal project to record the blooming times of wildflowers on the Hurricane Hill trail over the last several years. Mr. Watt and I recently went up to the mountains for another day of data collection. Given the early Spring, I didn't expect a fantastic wildflower display, so I wasn't disappointed. Hiking in the mountains is always wonderful regardless.
In true Daily Bucket fashion, all photos are lightboxed.
The most common flower still blooming (and what you see in the foreground of the landscape above) is Pearly everlasting. Here's a closeup with an added attraction of a butterfly (ID assistance welcome).
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) and butterfly
Fireweed usually grows tall and straight, so it was surprising that the specimens we saw were small and hugging the ground.
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
Many of the flowers were isolated plants, small, and a bit past their prime.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Wooly daisy (Eriophyllum lanatum)
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
Here is the list of all the flowers I was able to ID on 8/20/2015:
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), Western mugwort (Artemisia ludoviciana), Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia), Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), Wooly daisy or Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum), and Sitka mountain ash berries (Sorbus sitchensis). This is in line with the number of species seen when we went on the same day in 2012.
We went for the wildflowers, but the highlight of the trip was observing the antics of a family of Sooty grouse. My usual sightings of Sooty grouse remind me of statues. They can stand really still! The adult watching over her 4 chicks was being typically statuesque. The chicks, however, were animated and fearless. They were chasing grasshoppers and ignoring all the hikers on the trail, often running right across the trail in front of people.
Ever vigilant Sooty grouse adult
Sooty grouse chick
Pounce! Caught one!
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