Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • A red belt conk (a type of shelf polypore mushroom) grows at the base of a dead tree in Montana's Glacier National Park on a wet summer morning. These very common mushrooms in forests can be found around the northern hemisphere mostly on dead conifers, and very occasionally deciduous or even sometimes on live trees. These mushrooms do play a vital role in breaking down old wood and helping recycle those nutrients for the forest to reuse.
    Red Belt Conk
  • Leopard slugs are an introduced species native to Southern Europe and have made their way around the world due to commercial shipping combined with their ability to thrive in multiple types of habitat. With a scientific name (Limax maximus) that literally means "biggest slug", it is one of the longest slugs (but not the biggest) and can live up to three years and reach a length of 6 to 8 inches. This one was found on a type of polypore mushroom called a red belt conk in deep in a forest Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Leopard Slug
  • Leopard slugs are an introduced species native to Southern Europe and have made their way around the world due to commercial shipping combined with their ability to thrive in multiple types of habitat. With a scientific name (Limax maximus) that literally means "biggest slug", it is one of the longest slugs (but not the biggest) and can live up to three years and reach a length of 6 to 8 inches. This one was found on a type of polypore mushroom called a red belt conk in deep in a forest Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Leopard Slug
  • The thimbleberry is one of those often overlooked, highly under-appreciated wild berries that deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Found in all of the western states, and Canadian provinces and all around the Great Lakes, both in the United States and Canada the humble thimbleberry is considered by many to be superior than any raspberry. It is easily recognized in the wild by its large, papery maple-shaped leaves and completely thornless stalks. The tart, intensely fruity, high in Vitamin C berries are used to make some of the best jellies, and are often added to other berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to kick up the sweetness and flavor. This perfectly rip one was found (and eaten) above Lake McDonald in Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Thimbleberry
  • The thimbleberry is one of those often overlooked, highly under-appreciated wild berries that deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Found in all of the western states, and Canadian provinces and all around the Great Lakes, both in the United States and Canada the humble thimbleberry is considered by many to be superior than any raspberry. It is easily recognized in the wild by its large, papery maple-shaped leaves and completely thornless stalks. The tart, intensely fruity, high in Vitamin C berries are used to make some of the best jellies, and are often added to other berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to kick up the sweetness and flavor. These were found growing above Lake McDonald in Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Thimbleberries
  • The thimbleberry is one of those often overlooked, highly under-appreciated wild berries that deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Found in all of the western states, and Canadian provinces and all around the Great Lakes, both in the United States and Canada the humble thimbleberry is considered by many to be superior than any raspberry. It is easily recognized in the wild by its large, papery maple-shaped leaves and completely thornless stalks. The tart, intensely fruity, high in Vitamin C berries are used to make some of the best jellies, and are often added to other berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to kick up the sweetness and flavor. These were found growing above Lake McDonald in Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Thimbleberries
  • The thimbleberry is one of those often overlooked, highly under-appreciated wild berries that deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Found in all of the western states, and Canadian provinces and all around the Great Lakes, both in the United States and Canada the humble thimbleberry is considered by many to be superior than any raspberry. It is easily recognized in the wild by its large, papery maple-shaped leaves and completely thornless stalks. The tart, intensely fruity, high in Vitamin C berries are used to make some of the best jellies, and are often added to other berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to kick up the sweetness and flavor. These were found growing above Lake McDonald in Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Thimbleberries
  • Saskatoons, or western serviceberries (or “pomes” in botanical terms) are apple-like fruits that look very similar to salal berries  and are one of my favorite foraged berries in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Distantly related to apples, they taste like an beautiful mix of blueberry, salal, crabapple and Oregon grape. You can eat them fresh (my favorite!), dehydrate them like raisins, make them into jelly, jam or wine, or bake them into pancakes, pies and pastries. These perfectly ripe beauties were found growing in Montana's Glacier National Park in midsummer.
    Ripe Saskatoons
  • Saskatoons, or western serviceberries (or “pomes” in botanical terms) are apple-like fruits that look very similar to salal berries  and are one of my favorite foraged berries in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Distantly related to apples, they taste like an beautiful mix of blueberry, salal, crabapple and Oregon grape. You can eat them fresh (my favorite!), dehydrate them like raisins, make them into jelly, jam or wine, or bake them into pancakes, pies and pastries. These perfectly ripe beauties were found growing in Montana's Glacier National Park in midsummer.
    Ripe Saskatoons
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • Despite the unusual name, the western rattlesnake plantain orchid has nothing to do with rattlesnakes other than that some of the leaves of orchids in the Goodyera genus can sometimes have such elaborate white-veined patterns on their dark green leaves, especially around mid-rib that they appear to resemble snake skin. As in many naming cases, once an old common or folk name gets established, then is often here to stay. These immature plants in Northern Montana will most likely put out their first flower stalks in the next year or two.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • Despite the unusual name, the western rattlesnake plantain orchid has nothing to do with rattlesnakes other than that some of the leaves of orchids in the Goodyera genus can sometimes have such elaborate white-veined patterns on their dark green leaves, especially around mid-rib that they appear to resemble snake skin. As in many naming cases, once an old common or folk name gets established, then is often here to stay. These immature plants in Northern Montana will most likely put out their first flower stalks in the next year or two.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • Thanks to busy the bumblebees in the Rocky Mountain summertime, this western rattlesnake orchid's flowers have been fertilized and have gone to fruit. In later months, these will dry and crack open, releasing millions of microscopic spores ensuring the spread of another generation of these beautiful wild orchids among the forest floor. This one was found in a sunny patch of deep forest where a fallen tree has opened a bit of the overhead canopy, letting direct sunlight reach the forest floor in Glacier National Park in northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • A blooming sticky purple geranium opens its first blossom on a warm summer day in rural Montana at the edge of a mountain forest. This plant is a natural astringent, and has a long history of being used by Native American tribes for various medicinal uses.
    Sticky Purple Geranium
  • This non-native, naturalized beautiful member of the borage family can be near water throughout most of the states and provinces of North America. These blue forget-me-nots were photographed in Central Montana.
    True Forget-Me-Not
  • Leopard slugs are an introduced species native to Southern Europe and have made their way around the world due to commercial shipping combined with their ability to thrive in multiple types of habitat. With a scientific name (Limax maximus) that literally means "biggest slug", it is one of the longest slugs (but not the biggest) and can live up to three years and reach a length of 6 to 8 inches. This one was found on a type of polypore mushroom called a red belt conk in deep in a forest Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Leopard Slug
  • The thimbleberry is one of those often overlooked, highly under-appreciated wild berries that deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Found in all of the western states, and Canadian provinces and all around the Great Lakes, both in the United States and Canada the humble thimbleberry is considered by many to be superior than any raspberry. It is easily recognized in the wild by its large, papery maple-shaped leaves and completely thornless stalks. The tart, intensely fruity, high in Vitamin C berries are used to make some of the best jellies, and are often added to other berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries to kick up the sweetness and flavor. These were found growing above Lake McDonald in Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Thimbleberries
  • Saskatoons, or western serviceberries (or “pomes” in botanical terms) are apple-like fruits that look very similar to salal berries  and are one of my favorite foraged berries in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Distantly related to apples, they taste like an beautiful mix of blueberry, salal, crabapple and Oregon grape. You can eat them fresh (my favorite!), dehydrate them like raisins, make them into jelly, jam or wine, or bake them into pancakes, pies and pastries. These perfectly ripe beauties were found growing in Montana's Glacier National Park in midsummer.
    Ripe Saskatoons
  • Saskatoons, or western serviceberries (or “pomes” in botanical terms) are apple-like fruits that look very similar to salal berries  and are one of my favorite foraged berries in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Distantly related to apples, they taste like an beautiful mix of blueberry, salal, crabapple and Oregon grape. You can eat them fresh (my favorite!), dehydrate them like raisins, make them into jelly, jam or wine, or bake them into pancakes, pies and pastries. These perfectly ripe beauties were found growing in Montana's Glacier National Park in midsummer.
    Ripe Saskatoons
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The flowers of the western rattlesnake plantain orchid are quite nondescript for an orchid, but up close they are quite beautiful. Unlike other Goodyera orchid species that all look somewhat similar to each other, Goodyera oblongifolia's flowers all tend to face the same direction on the flowering stalk, which appears about mid to late summer, depending on the longitude, altitude and local climate. Each tiny flower is hermaphroditic, meaning they have both female and male parts and most often pollinated by bumble bees. These were found and photographed in Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • The western rattlesnake plantain orchid is a very common and often overlooked beautiful orchid found across all of the western provinces and states on North America (excluding Nevada) and is found natively in all of the eastern Canadian provinces and  reaches south into both Michigan and Maine that is generally associated with conifer forests and mountains that have abundant, deep leaf litter or moss. This one was found growing among many thousands of others blooming in northern Montana's Glacier National Park.
    Western Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid
  • These strikingly beautiful songbirds are favorite among just about every birdwatcher in North America, and the world. Not only are they fun to watch enormous numbers of them attack fruit-laden trees at peak ripeness, they are also one of the few North American species of birds that specialize in eating only fruit. This one was found in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana.
    Cedar Waxwing
  • This strikingly beautiful member of the tyrant flycatcher bird family was seen protecting its territory and small family group of four individuals in a tree overlooking a pond in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana. Eastern kingbirds are known for their aggression towards other birds and other animals and will often dive-bomb intruders, like this one did to me while getting this photograph.
    Eastern Kingbird-2
  • This strikingly beautiful member of the tyrant flycatcher bird family was seen protecting its territory and small family group of four individuals in a tree overlooking a pond in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana. Eastern kingbirds are known for their aggression towards other birds and other animals and will often dive-bomb intruders, like this one did to me while getting this photograph.
    Eastern Kingbird-1
  • Extremely common throughout North America and easily overlooked, this native lily with small nondescript white flowers can be found mostly around mountain forests up to around 9000 feet in elevation. While the berries may be considered edible, some people complain of an upset stomach after eating them. The local Blackfeet Indians have been known to use a powder made of the roots of this plant to treat wounds. These ripe berries were found above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a rocky mountain slope.
    Common False Solomon's Seal Berries
  • One of the most delicious wild mountain berries of the Western United States and Canada, these serviceberries (also called the saskatoons) are slightly past their prime - probably as they were just out of reach of the local herd of bighorn sheep that regularly roam this rural mountain slope of Mineral County, Montana. Bad news for the hungry wildlife, but good news for the future serviceberry seedlings!
    Serviceberries aka Saskatoons
  • This edible and harmless but mostly tasteless pretty bright red fruit with a velvety texture is the end result of a nondescript native forest lily with tiny white flowers after undergoing natural pollination. It can be found in all of the western states (excluding California) and all of the western Canadian provinces including Ontario. This one was found growing next to a small mountain stream in rural Southwestern Montana in Mineral County.
    Rough-fruited Fairybell Berry
  • Extremely common throughout North America and easily overlooked, this native lily with small nondescript white flowers can be found mostly around mountain forests up to around 9000 feet in elevation. While the berries may be considered edible, some people complain of an upset stomach after eating them. The local Blackfeet Indians have been known to use a powder made of the roots of this plant to treat wounds. These ripe berries were found above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a rocky mountain slope.
    Common False Solomon's Seal Berries
  • Extremely common throughout North America and easily overlooked, this native lily with small nondescript white flowers can be found mostly around mountain forests up to around 9000 feet in elevation. While the berries may be considered edible, some people complain of an upset stomach after eating them. The local Blackfeet Indians have been known to use a powder made of the roots of this plant to treat wounds. These ripe berries were found above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a rocky mountain slope.
    Common False Solomon's Seal Berries
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing on the side of a rocky mountain slope just above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-2
  • A devious ground squirrel in Saltese, Montana poses for me as its sneaky mates search my camera bag for food. These clever and collaborative tricksters live in large colonies and will work together to provide food for all members of their group.
    Columbian Ground Squirrel
  • The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a beautiful shrub or small tree found throughout most of North America except for the southeastern states. While the small beautiful cherries are inedible when ripe (mostly because of the dangerously toxic hydrocyanic acid inside the pits of the ripe berries), the cooked or dried berries are perfectly safe for consumption, and are fantastic for making delicious jams, jellies, syrup, sauces or even beer! These were found growing on the side of a rocky mountain slope just above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a warm summer day.
    Chokecherries-1
  • A devious ground squirrel in Saltese, Montana poses for me as its sneaky mates search my camera bag for food. These clever and collaborative tricksters live in large colonies and will work together to provide food for all members of their group.
    Columbian Ground Squirrel
  • This stunning native to western North America  is the only species of it is found natively east of the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, it often forms dense, large patches in low spots in pastures, where the tough leaves are avoided by cattle. This one and many others was found growing next to Umtanum Creek between Yakima and Ellensburg, Washington.
    Western Blue Flag Iris
  • With intricately lines purplish-blue lines on the three lower petals with a touch of yellow, this native iris is found across the entirety of the American West, even reaching into Minnesota near creeks, rivers, or any other wetland at mid elevations. This one was found and photographed just north of Ellensburg, Washington deep in a canyon where the surrounding desert was bone-dry.
    Western Blue Flag Iris
  • One of many gorgeous native western flag irises found growing in the L.T. Murray State Wildlife Recreation Area in Kittitas County, Washington. Historically important to many of the Western Native American tribes, this native iris was used to treat a number of ailments such as toothache or a boost to infant vitality via a poultice.
    Western Blue Flag Iris
  • Somewhat rare and found primarily in the wet conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest and limited parts of Idaho and Montana, this intricate coral lichen is found at medium to low elevations. This one was found in a forest just outside of Yelm, Washington on a cold, wet late winter morning.
    Tuckerman's Coral Lichen
  • I've spent over a decade telling everyone I know that this beautiful member of the Balsaminaceae of plants was an invasive, exotic species from Asia and I was completely wrong. I recently discovered that it is natively found near wetlands and streams in all over North America except the arid American Southwest, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska.<br />
<br />
What I wasn't wrong about is it's natural characteristic as a cure for poison ivy (which I suffer greatly from every time I come into contact with it). Sap from the crushed leaves and stems if applied soon after contact can negate or greatly reduce the rash from contact with poison ivy. Just be wary of the berries produced after the flowers are pollinated as they can be quite toxic to humans, especially children.<br />
<br />
This one was one of thousands found growing on the edges of Soos Creek in Southern King County, in Kent, Washington.
    Jewelweed
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and one of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • Given its somewhat similar appearance and fragrance to an orange blossom (besides the four petals vs. the orange's five) the mock-orange is the State Flower of Idaho and is native to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia and Alberta. First collected by Meriwether Lewis himself on the famous Lewis and CLark expedition to find an overland route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, it was later named after him in his honor. This one was found growing halfway up a steep arroyo above the Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Mock-Orange
  • Closeup of the densely packed flowers of the elegant piperia orchid. Looking very similar to ladies-tresses orchids, these distant relatives are found in very scattered locations from British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California. This one was found in early summer in Washington's Klickitat County.
    Elegant Piperia (Piperia elegans)
  • Also known as the seaside gentian, the catchfly prairie gentian is a particularly pretty gentian that is found in moist somewhat alkaline soils and has a high tolerance for salt in the soil or windblown salt. Found around the Southern United States, most of Mexico and across most of the Caribbean Islands, it has also been found growing in the center of the continent as far north as Montana. This one was growing next to La Sal del Rey, one of the largest prehistoric salt lakes in Texas, which is ten times saltier than the ocean!
    Catchfly Prairie Gentian
  • Also known as the seaside gentian, the catchfly prairie gentian is a particularly pretty gentian that is found in moist somewhat alkaline soils and has a high tolerance for salt in the soil or windblown salt. Found around the Southern United States, most of Mexico and across most of the Caribbean Islands, it has also been found growing in the center of the continent as far north as Montana. This one was growing next to La Sal del Rey, one of the largest prehistoric salt lakes in Texas, which is ten times saltier than the ocean!
    Catchfly Prairie Gentian
  • A very lucky find in Washington's Olympic Mountains! This tiny orchid was in full bloom up a narrow mountain goat trail overlooking the majestic glaciers and peaks found in Olympic National Park. Found only in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, this easily overlooked beauty is only one of two green-flowered Piperia species growing in the Pacific Northwest. How you tell this one apart from the somewhat similar Alaskan piperia is the length of the spur. This one (Piperia elongata) has a spur on the flower that greatly exceeds the length of the lip, while the closely related Alaskan piperia (Piperia unalascensis) has a spur that is equal to or slightly less than the length of the lip. The spur in this photo looks a bit like a horn growing underneath each flower, and the lip is the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower.
    Piperia elongata-3.jpg
  • A very lucky find in Washington's Olympic Mountains! This tiny orchid was in full bloom up a narrow mountain goat trail overlooking the majestic glaciers and peaks found in Olympic National Park. Found only in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, this easily overlooked beauty is only one of two green-flowered Piperia species growing in the Pacific Northwest. How you tell this one apart from the somewhat similar Alaskan piperia is the length of the spur. This one (Piperia elongata) has a spur on the flower that greatly exceeds the length of the lip, while the closely related Alaskan piperia (Piperia unalascensis) has a spur that is equal to or slightly less than the length of the lip. The spur in this photo looks a bit like a horn growing underneath each flower, and the lip is the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower.
    Piperia elongata-2.jpg
  • A very lucky find in Washington's Olympic Mountains! This tiny orchid was in full bloom up a narrow mountain goat trail overlooking the majestic glaciers and peaks found in Olympic National Park. Found only in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, this easily overlooked beauty is only one of two green-flowered Piperia species growing in the Pacific Northwest. How you tell this one apart from the somewhat similar Alaskan piperia is the length of the spur. This one (Piperia elongata) has a spur on the flower that greatly exceeds the length of the lip, while the closely related Alaskan piperia (Piperia unalascensis) has a spur that is equal to or slightly less than the length of the lip. The spur in this photo looks a bit like a horn growing underneath each flower, and the lip is the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower.
    Piperia elongata-1.jpg
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Large for a sandpiper, and of the four species of godwits in the world, the marbled godwit is the biggest. This beautiful cinnamon-mottled shorebird breeds in the central North America's Great Plains (Alberta, the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota and Nebraska) and travels to the coasts to winter where it can be found along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Mostly associated with marshes, mudflats and sand flats, these uncommon shorebirds can sometimes be seen on the beach, such as this one along with several others in Los Angeles, California near the Del Rey Lagoon.
    Marbled Godwit
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • Native to the Rocky Mountains, this high-elevation beauty is called queen's crown, and can be found in damp subalpine to alpine wet meadows in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. This succulent was blooming in profusion at about 12,000 feet above sea level just east of Aspen, Colorado on the Continental Divide on a chilly midsummer day.
    Queen's Crown
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • One of the most distinctive and favorite of the wild orchids of the Pacific Northwest is the western fairy-slipper. Also known as the calypso orchid, is primarily found in Northwestern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho and Montana in forests with rich, organic soils. One of the first of the springtime orchids to flower, when you find one, there are usually many, many more in the vicinity even though they can be hard to spot. Once you train your eye to the color and the diminutive size, they can suddenly appear in the hundreds. This one was one of many hundreds found growing on Fidalgo Island among the douglas firs within view of Rosario Strait.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • This wonderful alpine wildflower and member of the buttercup family is found at very high elevations in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta, and only shows itself in summer when the snow finally melts, preferring wet, gravelly soils, common at such altitudes. When pollinated, the the seedpods resemble large green furry mops turned upside down, where brisk alpine winds will disperse the seeds ensuring the next generation.
    Western Pasqueflower
  • The dwarf rose is a native wild rose in the west that grows in wet, shady forests in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and California. This was was seen halfway up Larch Mountain just outside of Portland, Oregon.
    Dwarf Rose
  • Near the Montana/Wyoming border, I found a small herd of bison resting along the Madison River. This very young calf was fighting sleep, much the same as most babies do.
    American Buffalo Calf
  • The long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) is an attractive medium-sized dark-colored salamander with a yellow, gold or green stripe down its back, that is covered with tiny white speckles along the sides of its body and face. It gets its name for its long fourth toe on its hind feet. Native to the Pacific Northwest , it can be found in all of Washington, and parts of Oregon, Northern California, Northern Idaho, Western Montana, Most of British Columbia and the southwestern edge of Alberta. This one was found hiding under a log in Maple Valley, Washington on a warm early spring afternoon.
    Long-toed Salamander