Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • The Pacific goose barnacle is a very common find from Alaska to Baja California in Mexico, most often found attached to rocks on North America's Pacific coastline at low tide. While they may be filter feeders that will feed both plant and animal plankton that happen to drift too close to them, they  themselves are prey to gulls, oystercatchers, and multiple species of starfish. These were photographed at low tide on the Oregon coast at Hug Point.
    Pacific Goose Barnacles
  • This curious Pacific coast chiton is a nocturnal hunter that returns to the same rock after a night of hunting for algae along the intertidal zones of the Pacific Northwest. Often exposed during low tide, they are sometimes so fluorescent that they are known to glow in the dark and flash pink polka dots.
    Mossy Chiton
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemone
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide as they closed up while the tide receeded on Crescent Beach.
    Giant Green Anemones at Low Tide
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemone
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemone
  • These beautiful coldwater-loving anemones are a shocking green color and are found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemones
  • These common native mussels are found along the North America's West Coast from Alaska to Baja California in Mexico, and are found in massive colonies on the rocky coastline, often easily seen at low tide above the waterline. Archeological evidence shows these edible mollusks have been an important food source to humans for the past 12,000 years or more. These barnacle-covered mussels were found at low tide on Crescent Beach on Northern Oregon's Pacific Coast.
    California Mussels
  • Found commonly across North America near water with plenty of brush for cover, the song sparrow is a favorite of many birders. This dark Pacific Northwest variation showed up early one chilly winter morning at my campsite on Washington's Point Disappointment (extreme SW corner of the state where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean).
    Song Sparrow
  • Found commonly across North America near water with plenty of brush for cover, the song sparrow is a favorite of many birders. This dark Pacific Northwest variation showed up early one chilly winter morning at my campsite on Washington's Point Disappointment (extreme SW corner of the state where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean).
    Song Sparrow
  • This first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest at the mouth of the Columbia River was recommended to be built in 1848, and be located at Cape Disappointment, Washington in what was then the Oregon Territory. It was finally constructed, then officially lit on October 15, 1856 where it served for over 150 years. In 2008, the automated red and white flashing light was finally deactivated. An observation deck has been built since then for the US Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions.
    Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
  • This first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest at the mouth of the Columbia River was recommended to be built in 1848, and be located at Cape Disappointment, Washington in what was then the Oregon Territory. It was finally constructed, then officially lit on October 15, 1856 where it served for over 150 years. In 2008, the automated red and white flashing light was finally deactivated. An observation deck has been built since then for the US Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions.
    Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
  • A Northwestern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) in strike pose after being caught then released among the ponderosa pines in the Eastern Cascade Mountains in Central Washington. Had I known at the time how highly venomous these particular rattlers were compared to other North American rattlesnakes I might have thought twice. Interestingly, the rattle sounded more like a cicada than your typical warning.
    Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Flowers
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Flowers
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Bark
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone in Flower
  • Easily one of the most beautiful of all of the hardwoods on the Pacific Coast, the Pacific madrone is a member of the heath family and closely related to rhododendrons, and is the most northerly broadleaf evergreen trees on the continent. Early Spanish settlers in California recognized it as similar to the Mediterreanean madrone (or madroño) and later English settlers referred to it as the strawberry tree, as the sweet (and slightly toxic) berries are used to make a "strawberry-tasting" liquor called crême d'arbouse. The most striking feature of this tree is the wonderful bark that looks painted, with hues of red, orange, brown and black. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest looks anything like it.
    Pacific Madrone Flowers
  • Unusual as it sounds, this Pacific treefrog was found under a rock in a sagebrush desert in Central Washington as I was looking for snakes and scorpions. While normally associated with damp forests, this highly adaptable amphibian can be found from sea level to alpine mountain habitats, and is very common in the Pacific Northwest. Considered a keystone species, their abundance in the wild is important to many other species that rely on the Pacific treefrog as a food source.
    Pacific Treefrog
  • These native beauties are very common in the springtime in the Pacific Northwest and can be found in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia anywhere with moist soil and lots of shade. One interesting feature of the Pacific bleeding heart is how it is spread. The one to two inch pod contains large black seeds with a bit of white fat attached to each one. Ants love this fat, and carry the seeds away. When the seed is discarded, it has a chance to grow in a new location! These were found growing in an old coniferous forest near Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Pacific Bleeding Hearts
  • Springtime in the Pacific Northwest! A brand new seedling Pacific bleeding heart begins its life at the base of an old Douglas fir.
    Pacific Bleeding Heart Seedling
  • These native beauties are very common in the springtime in the Pacific Northwest and can be found in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia anywhere with moist soil and lots of shade. One interesting feature of the Pacific bleeding heart is how it is spread. The one to two inch pod contains large black seeds with a bit of white fat attached to each one. Ants love this fat, and carry the seeds away. When the seed is discarded, it has a chance to grow in a new location! These were found growing in an old coniferous forest near Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Pacific Bleeding Hearts
  • The Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus) is the world's second-largest terrestrial slug in the world and can grow up to 9.8 inches (25 cm) long. They live on the forest floors in the Pacific Northwest, and are most often seen cruising along the leaf litter or on decaying wood at a maximum speed of  6 1⁄2 inches (17 cm) per minute. Because they get moisture through their skin, banana slugs need a moist environment in order to survive, and the wet, mild climate of western Washington, Oregon and British Columbia meets that need perfectly. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • This highly attractive terrestrial snail can be found near streams in the rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest from California to Alaska, and is mainly crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) during the wet spring and fall. This particularly colorful individual was found by lucky accident in Oregon's Cascade Mountains just east of Eugene.
    Pacific Sideband Snail
  • The Pacific starflower is a common woodland wildflower of the forest floor, where vast carpets of them can often be found in older forests with very filtered light. Because they like cool moist peaty soils, they are often found from the Pacific coast to the upper western-side of the mountains of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. This was found about halfway up the western side of Oregon's Larch Mountain.
    Pacific Starflower
  • A solidly yellow Pacific banana slug slowly makes its way through the Hoh Rainforest on the western side of the Olympic Mountains.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • Banana slugs are very common in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. This one was photographed climbing over a 100+ foot tree that had recently fallen over in the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • A close-up of a Pacific banana slug in the Hoh Rain Forest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula on a chilly, yet rare sunny day.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • The Pacific wren is a very small songbird with a very loud, beautiful voice and a confusing history. As taxonomy gets better and better with our better understanding of genetics as it applies to wildlife, the Pacific wren was once considered the same species as the winter wren of the east coast. Although they do look very similar, it has been determined that they are indeed a separate species. This little wren was found singing its heart out about halfway up Cougar Mountain just outside of Seattle, Washington on a typically rainy spring day.
    Pacific Wren
  • The Pacific wren is a very small songbird with a very loud, beautiful voice and a confusing history. As taxonomy gets better and better with our better understanding of genetics as it applies to wildlife, the Pacific wren was once considered the same species as the winter wren of the east coast. Although they do look very similar, it has been determined that they are indeed a separate species. This little wren was found singing its heart out about halfway up Cougar Mountain just outside of Seattle, Washington on a typically rainy spring day.
    Pacific Wren
  • A solid yellow version of the Pacific banana slug (Ariolimax columbianus) filters through the richly organic humus on a warm summer day in the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • One of the most spectacular of the small flowering trees on the West Coast is the Pacific rhododendron. Ranging from the Monteray area in California north into British Columbia, this  one was photographed about halfway up Northern Oregon's Larch Mountain.
    Pacific Rhododendron
  • This colony of aggregating anemones were found at low tide in Northern Oregon attached to the underside a large rock just north of Cannon Beach. These were photographed from above-water, and some distortion resulted. Above the water-line, they retract their feeding tentacles and aren't so beautiful as they are underwater. Notice the larger green anemones deeper in the water - they are a related, yet separate species.
    Aggregating Anemone Colony
  • Working alongside mushrooms and other fungi, banana slugs are detritivores that help turn decaying matter into soil humus. They eat leaves, dead plant materials, moss, fungi, and animal droppings and help in the movement of nutrients throughout the forest and prefer mushrooms over other foods, much to the detriment of human mushroom foragers. Because slugs do not have teeth, food is broken down using its ribbon-like radula, which works like a millstone to grind food into smaller and smaller particles that are then ingested. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • All banana slugs have two pairs of tentacles. The upper pair is the largest, and they are used to detect light intensity or lack of light, much in the way our eyes do. The smaller pair is used to detect and differentiate smells., much in the way our noses do. For protection, both pairs of tentacles can be retracted inside the slug's body in case of danger. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug
  • A vividly memorable and bitterly cold sunset on Oregon's Cannon Beach.
    Pacific Sunset
  • Found throughout most of Canada and the Northern United States, the red elderberry is a very attractive small tree that is important historically for some native American peoples. The small, seedy ripe berries are known to cause nausea and are mildly toxic unless cooked. They are most often used to make jellies or wine. These were found at about 4000 feet in elevation in the North Cascades of Northern Washington.
    Pacific Red Elderberry
  • Banana slugs are highly variable in appearance, but most tend to be either a solid light to bright yellow (hence the name banana slug) or yellow with brown spots. Sometimes brown, green or even white ones are seen, and color can often an indicator of the slug's age, health, how moist or dry it is, or even can be a clue as to what it's been eating. The body structure of the banana slug is very simple. It has a "foot" that is used for locomotion in the same way terrestrial or aquatic snails move about. The "hump" part of the back is called the mantle, and has an opening on its right called a pneumostome that is a simple airway for the single lung that it uses for respiration. Their entire body is covered in a thick slime helps it retain moisture and aids in "sliding" through the forest. This one was found in a disturbed suburban park in Kent, Washington.
    Pacific Banana Slug-9.jpg
  • Recently, the western scrub jay was split into two distinct species: the California scrub jay (which is a brighter blue and is found in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest) and the Woodhouse's scrub jay (which is a duller blue and found in more interior regions away from the coast.) Much like any jay or other corvid, these often loud and very inquisitive birds will eat just about anything they can overpower or steal. These California scrub jays are easy to recognize from their neighboring cousins by the distinct blue "collar" around the neck. This one was found screeching in a maple tree in Southern King County, Washington on a chilly afternoon.
    California Scrub Jay
  • Recently, the western scrub jay was split into two distinct species: the California scrub jay (which is a brighter blue and is found in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest) and the Woodhouse's scrub jay (which is a duller blue and found in more interior regions away from the coast.) Much like any jay or other corvid, these often loud and very inquisitive birds will eat just about anything they can overpower or steal. These California scrub jays are easy to recognize from their neighboring cousins by the distinct blue "collar" around the neck. This one was found screeching in a maple tree in Southern King County, Washington on a chilly afternoon.
    California Scrub Jay
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-1.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-3.jpg
  • Close-up view of the slender white piperia orchids, easily distinguished from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-2.jpg
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found along a coastal trail in Oregon's Tillamook County on a winter hike are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually a mushrooms rather than lichens. These have already fruited and cast off their spores during a rainstorm, dropping their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • California sea lions and Steller's sea lions share space and safety as a storm rolls in on Oregon's Simpson Reef in Coos County. These huge marine mammals will regularly group together in bad weather and take shelter on the numerous rocks found just off the beach all along the West Coast of North America. The lighter brown sea lions are the Steller's sea lions which are on the endangered species list, while the dark brown sea lions are the common California sea lions.
    Sea Lion Colony
  • This truly wild and odd looking lichen is also known in some parts of the world as the nail lichen and is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America and in parts of Eastern Eurasia. The apothecia (round black heads) are the reproductive part of the lichen that will release millions of wind-blown spores (similar to a mushroom) that will start a new lichens if they land on a suitable rock. These were found next to the Greenwater River in Pierce County, Washington at mid-elevation in the Cascade Mountains.
    Devil's Matchstick
  • I found these cool little jelly mushrooms yesterday while looking for bigger Pacific Northwest fungus species to photograph. This unique and very interesting toothed jelly mushroom is found throughout the world and grows mostly on decaying coniferous wood. Although it is considered edible, it is reported to have almost no taste, and is often "candied" with sugar and sometimes other ingredients. This one was found in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near the Greenwater River, in the Cascade Mountains in Pierce County, Washington.
    Cat's Tongue
  • This truly wild and odd looking lichen is also known in some parts of the world as the nail lichen and is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America and in parts of Eastern Eurasia. The apothecia (round black heads) are the reproductive part of the lichen that will release millions of wind-blown spores (similar to a mushroom) that will start a new lichens if they land on a suitable rock. These were found next to the Greenwater River in Pierce County, Washington at mid-elevation in the Cascade Mountains.
    Devil's Matchstick
  • 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
  • This truly wild and odd looking lichen is also known in some parts of the world as the nail lichen and is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America and in parts of Eastern Eurasia. The apothecia (round black heads) are the reproductive part of the lichen that will release millions of wind-blown spores (similar to a mushroom) that will start a new lichens if they land on a suitable rock. These were found next to the Greenwater River in Pierce County, Washington at mid-elevation in the Cascade Mountains.
    Devil's Matchstick
  • Male coho salmon (also called a silver salmon) spawning in the Greenwater River in Pierce County, Washington far up in the Cascade Mountains. Coho males in this final part of their life cycle have bright red "cheeks" and have tails that are in relatively good shape compared to their female counterparts who often have pure white tails from losing all their scales and even skin from digging out a nest in the gravel to lay their eggs. This one was taking a rest near the shore behind a fallen tree that was creating a sort of calm in the otherwise fast-moving alpine river.
    Spawning Coho Salmon
  • One of the most beautiful coastlines in the world - Oregon's Clatsop County from Ecola State Park to Cannon Beach, at sunset.
    The Oregon Coast
  • Full view of the western fairy slipper orchid (including single leaf) that has just passed it's peak, and the fading pink becomes almost white. This one was found where evergreen forest opened in to pine forest on a mountain slope in Chelan County, Washington.
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • Close-up of the western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • The western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • The western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot
  • One of many of the wondrous sub-alpine wildflowers found in the Pacific Northwest, this Colombian lily (also known as the small-flowered tiger lily) was found growing high up in the Cascade Mountains in Steven's Pass near the tree line on a cool August day.
    Columbia Lily
  • The western spotted coralroot orchid growing near the shore of Lake Cle Elum on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. These beautifully spotted terrestrials are found across North America in northern forests from the Pacific Northwest to Newfoundland.
    Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza macu..ata)
  • Roundleaf alumroot is a historically important member of the saxifrage family found in drier forests of western North America. Many Native American peoples used the extremely astringent pounded roots (hence the name based from the word alum) as poultice to stop bleeding wounds or as a tea to treat sore throats. It is still often used as an ingredient to help colored dyes stick to fabrics, baskets, etc. These were found in the foothills of the eastern Cascade Mountains in Kittitas County.
    Roundleaf Alumroot
  • Roundleaf alumroot is a historically important member of the saxifrage family found in drier forests of western North America. Many Native American peoples used the extremely astringent pounded roots (hence the name based from the word alum) as poultice to stop bleeding wounds or as a tea to treat sore throats. It is still often used as an ingredient to help colored dyes stick to fabrics, baskets, etc. These were found in the foothills of the eastern Cascade Mountains in Kittitas County.
    Roundleaf Alumroot
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • The flowers of the California pitcher plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    Flower of the California Pitcher Plant
  • A field of California pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica) growing in a wet bog in full flower! The flowers of this carnivorous plant open downward unlike many other species of our native pitcher plants, and this is believed to to keep water out, while allowing pollinators in. Wet flowers tend not to get pollinated. This makes sense as they are native to Northern California and Southern Oregon and if there's one thing the Pacific Northwest gets, it's a lot of rain. These were found growing in a peat bog in rural Josephine County, Oregon near the California border.
    California Pitcher Plants
  • This incredibly remote and wild section of Washington's Pacific coastline is only accessible through a 3.2-mile hike from the nearest forest road, and also happens to be the westernmost terminus for the 1200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) that many hikers attempt each year. Usually wet, rainy and frequented by seals, sea lions and bald eagles - the magical location is near one of the most northerly rainforests in North America. This massive print is at full natural size a whopping 14.5 feet x 3.3 feet (4.4m x 1m) and was created from five images.
    Cape Alava Panorama
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast and support a rich variety of wildlife.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • Not too long ago I was traveling across Oregon Coast on a nature photography trip with an old friend and one of the places he wanted to check out was Thor's Well, located about midway down the state's incredible coastline at a place called Cape Perpetua. <br />
<br />
Formed out of natural volcanic rock (basalt), this wild geologic anomaly was probably formed by a cave beaten into the cliff that eventually collapsed forming this unusual seeming deep hole in the ground but is actually open underwater to the surf. This causes water to explode violently upward through the "well", followed by the foamy water to duck back down into the depths of the earth.<br />
<br />
It was utterly fascinating, even if I did get hit and completely soaked by one of the infamous rogue waves of the Pacific Ocean.
    Thor's Well
  • A perfect combination of low tide, the last rays of sunlight, and a spectacular  location made for a very satisfying photograph with rippled sand and ultra-vivid colors as I waited out the sunset on Washington's Ruby Beach in the Olympic National Park on the Pacific Ocean.
    Ruby Beach at Last Light
  • Very early on a chilly fall morning, just before sunrise on the Olympic Peninsula's Rialto Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast. Stands of dead sitka spruce trees line the shore (standing and fallen or washed ashore) on one of North America's most spectacular remote beaches.
    Rialto Beach at Dawn
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-12.jpg
  • Typical coloration of the northwestern form of the variable checkerspot butterfly drinking from the mud at the side of a creek, photographed here in Kittitas County, Washington.
    Variable Checkerspot
  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-2
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-15.jpg
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • Believed to be the exact species adopted as the symbol of King Louis VII of France for the Second Crusade, this invasive import from Europe eventually because the infamous "Fleur-de-lis". Today it is found in wetlands all over North America on both coasts, but not quite in the center of the continent - yet. This one was found growing in extremely dense numbers in Yakima County, Washington between Yakima and Ellensburg.
    Yellow Flag Iris
  • The striped coralroot is a very strikingly beautiful terrestrial orchid found in wooded habitats across most of Northern North America including most of the western states (except Arizona and Nevada) and almost all of Canada (except most of the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick). This species is very easy to identify because of the very clear and visible stripes on the petals and sepals. This wild native orchid is known as a myco-heterotroph, meaning it doesn't need chlorophyll to produce it's own food, but instead gains nutrients from either a mutual symbiotic relationship with certain fungi in the soil or by just from parasitism: stealing the nutrients it needs from it's host fungi. These were part of a large colony found in a clump of conifers in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Striped Coralroot (Corallorhiza stri..a)-3
  • Found throughout most of the Western United States and including Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, Vreeland's striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii) is an extremely rare and endangered variant of the more common striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata). Despite its large range, this unusual version has much smaller flowers and lacks the vibrant red in the flowers and stem, with flowers that can appear so pale that they are almost white or creamy yellow in appearance with sepals that never quite open up the way that the more common variety do. I was thrilled to find these quite by accident in a wooded area in rural Kittitas County in Washington State.
    Vreeland's Striped Coralroot (Corall..i)-2
  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-4
  • The sparse-flowered bog orchid is an easily overlooked, water-loving orchid with tiny green flowers most often found in wetlands, bogs and marshes. It can be found in most of the western United States with the exception of Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming and can be easily confused with the the many other species of green-flowered Platanthera orchids. Luckily, this species has a sort of "pinched" look to the flowers that all other closely-related species lack. This one was found growing in a wet peat bog with pitcher plants just north of the California border in rural Josephine County, Oregon.
    Sparse-flowered Bog Orchid (Platanth..a)-3
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-16.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-18.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-14.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-11.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-10.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-9.jpg
  • Close-up view of the leaves of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-8.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-6.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-7.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-4.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-3.jpg
  • Close-up view of one of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing in Washington's  Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in rural Kittitas County on the Eastern side of the Cascade Mountains.
    Piperia unalascensis-2.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-11.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-9.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-6.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-5.jpg
  • Close-up look of one of my favorite native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid. It is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-3.jpg
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